Rents in the unregulated housing sector rose faster than house prices in the first three months of 2026, the second consecutive quarter that the rental market has outpaced the housing market, according to figures published on Friday by rental platforms Pararius and Huurwoningen.nl.
Rents for newly signed tenancies in the first quarter were 7.3% higher per square metre than those signed a year earlier, Pararius said, while house prices rose by 5.1% over the same period and inflation stood at 2.1%. New tenants taking on a free-sector property paid an average of €1,892 a month, €109 more than a year earlier.
For years, Dutch house prices climbed faster than rents, making renting the slightly less unaffordable option for households unable to buy. That pattern has now reversed for two quarters running. Cumulatively since 2021, house prices remain ahead, up 43.7% against a 34.9% increase in rents, but the gap is narrowing.
Part of the explanation, Pararius told Dutch News, lies in a shift in what is on offer: furnished properties, which command significantly higher rents than unfurnished ones, now make up 43.4% of available free-sector listings, up from 35% a year earlier. The platform said the change was unlikely to be a temporary statistical effect and may partly explain why rents are now growing faster than house prices.
Income requirements outpacing wages
The rise in rents is pushing income requirements out of reach for a growing share of renters. Landlords typically expect tenants to earn at least three times the monthly rent before tax, which now translates into a gross monthly income of €5,676 to qualify for the average new tenancy, almost €327 more than a year earlier.
That is rising faster than pay. The national statistics office CBS reported earlier this month that collective wages were 4.5% higher in the first quarter than a year earlier, the slowest rate of growth since the 2024 peak.
Supply still shrinking
Just 12,947 free-sector homes came onto the market for new tenants in the first quarter, while 14,816 were withdrawn, a net loss of 1,869 properties. The gap was four times larger than in the same period last year.
More than 42% of all available free-sector listings now command a monthly rent above €2,000, up from 36.5% a year earlier. The cheapest segment, between the deregulation threshold of €1,228 and €1,500 a month, accounts for just over a fifth of supply but draws more than a third of all responses.
The average number of responses per listing fell from 46 to 25 year on year, but Pararius said this reflects how little affordable stock remains rather than any easing of demand. The platform told Dutch News that some prospective tenants appear to have given up searching at the cheaper end altogether and are now directing their search towards more expensive properties.
