‘I’m fine living with my parents’

The latest figures from the National Student Housing Monitor, from the autumn of 2025, show that an increasing number of students in the Netherlands have given up finding a room and still live with their parents. Eight years ago, 52 per cent of students enrolled in universities or universities of applied sciences lived in student accommodations, and 7 per cent were looking for a room. Combined, that makes 59 per cent. Now, that figure has fallen to 49 per cent: 44 per cent live in student homes, and only 5 per cent are looking for a room.

The same report also states that the shortage of rooms is increasing. This is mainly due to landlords selling their properties, as renting out rooms has become less profitable due to new legislation.

There is a significant shortage of student rooms in Utrecht, where room prices rose again this year, according to a Kamernet report concerning the last quarter of 2025. Students now pay an average of 800 euros per month for their rooms. With an average price of 48 euros per square metre, Utrecht ranks fourth among Dutch cities for room rental. Only Amsterdam, Haarlem and Rotterdam have more expensive rooms.

Dit verhaal verscheen op 9 april 2026 op DUB en is speciaal voor de nieuwe studenten van de Universiteit Utrecht even terug op onze voorpagina.