CBS: Private rental increased more than social rental and owner-occupied houses

In the private rental sector, the supply is not in the hands of housing associations, but by private landlords, investors and pension funds. In 2021 and 2022 these groups owned 40 percent of all new homes in the Netherlands.

The number of homes in the private sector grew by 67 thousand, bringing the total to 1.2 million. This increase was due to new homes being built or existing buildings being divided or renovated.

Companies in particular acquired more rental properties in their portfolios. The number of homes owned by a private company in 2023 grew by almost 9 percent in two years to 385 thousand. Companies mainly acquired new construction. Private owners mainly acquired existing homes, for example houses that were previously owned by a housing association. Furthermore, the number of private landlords increased by 4.5 percent in two years.

New measures

The province of North Holland had relatively the most private rental properties, followed by Groningen. In the latter province, relatively many homes were owned by private landlords and not by companies.

The effect of new housing policy, which Minister Hugo de Jonge announced in March 2022, is not yet reflected in the figures. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Finance noted that renting out houses has become less attractive for new investors, as a result of higher interest rates and government measures to discourage owning a second home, in view of the enormous shortage on the housing market. It is estimated that there is currently no housing available for 827 thousand people.