The new academic year is just around the corner. For thousands of students, that means once again looking for accommodation. But anyone who opens Kamernet, Funda or studenthousing.nl today will see it immediately: the supply is extremely limited, waiting times are increasing and affordable options are scarce. And that won't get any better in the coming years.
The invisible barrier for start-ups and students
Many students as well as young working people underestimate the gravity of the situation. For a long time, it seemed obvious that you could rent a room or studio with a bit of luck. But now the playing field has fundamentally changed. An accumulation of regulations has made it increasingly unattractive for private landlords to offer rooms. And that translates directly into less supply.
Take, for example, a property in Utrecht or Amsterdam with a WOZ value of €800,000. According to the housing valuation system, a room of 20 m² can be rented there for a maximum of about €550 per month. Five rooms then yield about €33,000 a year in rental income. Sounds fine, until you factor in taxes and maintenance.
With the reform of Box 3 under minister Hugo de Jonge, a landlord in this case quickly pays over €13,000 a year in capital gains tax. The net return on a €1 million investment thus drops to less than 2%, a level at which many landlords drop out.
Landlord pulls out, student pays the price
There are several reasons for this withdrawal from the market:
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The Affordable Rent Act brings almost all private rented housing under regulated rents, including medium rents, preventing market-based prices.
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Municipal restrictions make it illegal to house more than two people in an independent house if there is no conversion permit. This will stop new student houses from being created.
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The increased wealth tax (Box 3) ensures that many landlords are left with hardly any returns, or even losses.
In practice, this means that once a room becomes vacant, the property is not re-rented to students. Sometimes it is sold to a family, or there is a policy of 'bullying away' students in the remaining rooms. For instance, a landlord is free to rent out an empty room to a single, elderly man. Thus, the composition of the house changes such that students no longer feel at home or safe there and decide to leave.
Supply drops alarmingly
The consequences are obvious. According to Rent.co.uk, cited by NRC on 2 July 2025, the number of rental properties in student towns has fallen from 33,000 to about 20,000: a drop of almost 40%.
And as News Hour (NOS) established earlier this year, Mona Keijzer's rent measures are in practice counterproductive: they do not lead to more affordable housing, but to less supply, higher waiting times and increasing uncertainty for students and first-time buyers (source: NOS News Hour, July 2025).
Buying as a structural solution
At StudentenkamerKopen.nl we see the consequences on a daily basis. More and more parents and young working people realise: renting has become unreliable, expensive and insecure. That is why we offer an alternative: buying a student room or compact studio in a college town, with its own facilities, stable value and full control. And this has some distinct advantages.
First of all, the quality of student rooms is a lot higher. For example, most of our Smart Living studios have their own kitchenette and shower. In addition, student rooms are for sale from as little as €100,000. The interest costs you pay for this are then only €250 per month at 3% interest. You will usually already earn this back in annual appreciation.
We transform existing properties into self-contained units with their own kitchen and bathroom, taking them out of the strict rental regime. No more dependence on private landlords or policies that change every year, but a future-proof housing solution for yourself or your student child.
At a time when regulations are reducing supply and renting is becoming less and less attractive, in many cases buying is the only way to keep living in the city. Whether you are a student, starter or parent with foresight; check out the offer at StudentenkamerKopen.nl and find out how to keep a grip on your living space.
Because studying in the city starts with being able to stay in the city.
