Student rooms get significantly more expensive in Utrecht

A reduction in supply, combined with an already existing shortage of rooms, is the main reason why student rooms are getting more and more expensive in the Netherlands. Breda and Zwolle witnessed the highest rise last year, with room prices increasing by about 30 percent. Utrecht came third, with a 22.5 percent increase. Amersfoort and Leeuwarden were the only cities where prices dropped, but only slightly.

With an average price of 961 euros, Amsterdam is the most expensive city in the country for students. There, too, room prices have gotten slightly higher compared to the previous year: Amsterdam saw a 1.7 percent rise. The cheapest places for students to live are Wageningen (354 euros), Enschede (366 euros) and Leeuwarden (406 euros).

The figures were divulged by Kamernet, based on the private providers who use their platform, which means the data does not include rooms from providers such as SSH or housing associations. SSH indicates that their rentals vary from 350 to 600 euros. The latter is the price of a studio with private facilities. However, it is not easy to get a room through SSH. Students spend an average of 38 months on the waiting list.

According to Djordy Seelmann, from Kamernet, the rise in rental prices can be explained by several factors. For example, the rooms offered on their platform are somewhat larger, so tenants pay more per square meter due to a points system. Another reason, according to Seelmann, is that the supply has decreased. There are fewer rooms available. He told Dutch public broadcaster NOS that the new Affordable Rent Act makes it less attractive for individuals to rent out houses with multiple separate rooms. Since the law has been introduced, landlords prefer to rent their properties to couples or sell them.