Private sector rents rose in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, according to housing platforms Huurwoningen.nl and Pararius. New tenants had to pay more, particularly for flats. On average, tenants paid €20.94 per square metre, about 5 per cent more than a year earlier. As a result, rents rose faster than inflation and house prices.
However, rents have fallen slightly compared to the first three months of this year. That is the first quarterly decline in over two years.
New tenants paid an average of €1,882 per month in the second quarter, about 3 per cent more than last year. Because landlords typically require a gross monthly income of at least three times the rent, an income of approximately €5,650 per month is now needed to let an average private sector home.
The squeeze on the rental market persists. While 11,389 rental properties became available in the private sector, 12,150 homes disappeared from the market over the same period because they were let or occupied. As a result, house hunters had a net balance of 761 fewer properties to choose from.
In recent years, many rental properties have been put up for sale by buy-to-let investors. This was because changes in legislation made it less profitable to let them out. Initially, this primarily affected mid-range rental properties. According to Pararius, the sale of vacant rental homes is now shifting increasingly towards the higher-end sector.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
