Living/housing

Several disturbances occurred outside the Ter Apel asylum registration centre on the first evening without support from the Red Cross and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland. Police and emergency services responded to multiple incidents, although no injuries or arrests were reported.

Private sector rents rose by nearly 5 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, outpacing both inflation and house prices, according to housing platforms Huurwoningen.nl and Pararius. Driven by a persistent property shortage, new tenants faced higher costs—particularly for flats—with average prices reaching €20.94 per square metre. However, despite the annual increase, rents fell slightly compared to the first quarter of the year, marking the first quarterly decline in over two years as buy-to-let investors increasingly sell off vacant properties due to less profitable legislative changes.

More existing homes entered the Dutch housing market last quarter than ever before, while the average selling price climbed back above €500,000. New‑build supply in the Netherlands is rising, which offers temporary relief. But the homes being delivered do not match what buyers want. With most new projects focused on apartments, demand for ground‑level homes continues to go unmet, the NVM warns.

For the first time in three years, the number of mortgage applications in the Netherlands has fallen. De Hypotheker reports a 3 percent drop compared to last year, mainly due to fewer applications for renovations and sustainability upgrades. Applications for home purchases remained stable, with a sharp rise among buyers under 25.

After a strong start to the year, rising mortgage rates are slowing the housing market. ABN AMRO now expects modest price increases this year and next, while income growth and a constrained supply keep prices from falling. Regional price gaps are narrowing and structural bottlenecks such as an overloaded power grid and reduced investor interest complicate the outlook.

Funda will introduce new paid packages for home sellers and roll out features that make browsing properties easier, while giving sellers more control over how their listings appear.

Nearly 800 letterboxes were removed across the Netherlands last year, while postal delivery reliability again failed to meet legal standards, according to the ACM’s annual postal and parcel market monitor. On the other hand, parcel lockers nearly doubled, now approaching the number of letterboxes nationwide.

Gasunie has raised concerns about slow progress in refilling Dutch gas reserves ahead of winter. Low storage levels and rising prices are adding pressure, while decisions on a strategic reserve are still pending. The government says measures are under way, but acknowledges more may be needed.