Student Housing in the Netherlands in 2026: Shortage Remains Despite New Supply
The Dutch student housing market remains tight. The 2026 Kences Monitor shows nearly 5,000 new housing places, but a shortage of around 20,200 student homes remains.
Kences has published the National Student Housing Monitor 2026, providing an up-to-date overview of the Dutch student housing market. The report shows some positive developments. Nearly 5,000 new student housing places were added over the past year and the national shortage has decreased slightly. At the same time, the Netherlands is still short of approximately 20,200 student homes.
Nearly 5,000 new student housing places
Since the launch of the National Student Housing Action Plan in 2022, around 5,000 new student homes have been added each year.
The long-term ambition is to create 60,000 additional affordable student homes between 2022 and 2030. In the 19 main student cities, plans have already been confirmed for more than 17,100 additional student homes between 2026 and 2034. Despite this new supply, demand remains high in many cities.
Student numbers are expected to decline
One development that could reduce pressure on the housing market is the expected decline in the number of students.
In the coming years, the number of students in vocational education, universities of applied sciences and research universities is expected to decrease. This means the overall demand for student housing may gradually fall as well.
However, differences between cities remain significant. In popular university cities, finding an affordable room can still be extremely difficult.
More than half of higher education students live away from home
Around 54% of students in higher professional education and universities live away from their parents. Among vocational students, this figure is considerably lower at approximately 18%.
Affordability remains an important barrier for students who still live at home. Among Dutch higher education students living with their parents, 44% say affordability is the main reason they have not moved out, while another 19% point to the lack of available housing.
This illustrates that the housing shortage is not only visible in waiting lists. Some students postpone moving out altogether because suitable and affordable accommodation is difficult to find.
Average housing costs: around €590 per month
Students living away from home spend an average of approximately €590 per month on housing.
The costs vary considerably by housing type. Students renting a room with shared facilities pay around €540 per month on average, making this type of accommodation an important part of the affordable student housing market.
At the same time, the share of students renting from private landlords has fallen. Around 45% of students living away from home now rent from a private landlord, compared with 52% two years earlier.
What about homesharing?
The monitor also looks at homesharing, where a student rents a room in the home of someone who also lives there.
Around 6% of students renting a room with shared facilities currently live through this type of arrangement.
While still a relatively small part of the overall student housing market, homesharing has one major advantage: it creates additional housing without requiring new construction. A spare bedroom in an existing home can become an additional place to live.
This is why, alongside new construction, increasing attention is being paid to making better use of the existing housing stock through initiatives such as home sharing and renting out spare rooms.
Multiple solutions are needed
The National Student Housing Monitor 2026 shows that progress is being made, but the housing challenge is far from solved.
Thousands of new homes are being built and the shortage is slowly decreasing, yet an estimated 20,200 student housing places are still missing. Affordability also remains an important challenge.
Solving the student housing shortage will therefore require a combination of solutions: building new student housing, preserving existing rooms and making better use of the space that is already available.
Do you have a spare room?
If you have a spare room and are considering renting it to a student or another person looking for housing, Hospi Housing can help you explore the possibilities.
Signing up is free and without obligation. Our team can help you understand what is possible in your situation.