In the upcoming ten years, one million new homes need to be build in the Netherlands. This is the conclusion of a coalition of 34 different involved parties in housing construction, including builders, investors, corporations, insurers, homeowners, the elderly association and municipalities. According to the coalition, the urgency is high as there is a housing shortage of 330.000 and only 71.000 new houses are built per year.

The prices of renting and buying houses have been rising because of the housing shortage, and will not stop if the shortage remains the same, making it inaccessible for many people. The changes would mean one million new houses in ten years, including newly build houses and transformed office buildings. All segments should get the same amount of availability, distributing one third to the social renting segment, one third to the middle segment and one third to the free sector, including rental and resale houses. If the plan succeeds the shortage will drop below 2 per cent.

The parties have also included a plan to keep housing affordable by implementing a limit on the rent increase of one per cent above the inflation, and building more senior houses so that the flow of seniors increases and more family homes become available. Also, the coalition has requested the government to abolish the landlord levy that was implemented in 2014, putting a brake on the building of new homes. This would increase the funds available for the construction of new homes and neighbourhoods.

We always recommend newly arriving internationals to wait for at least one year before buying a new property. The reason for this is that you need to get familiar with the different areas in the cities and towns, and making rash decisions while buying might disappoint at a later stage. At Expat Management Group we inform our clients of the possibilities and offer assistance coordinating the home buying process.

If you need assistance or want more information, please do not hesitate to reach out at relo@expatmanagementgroup.com.