Rabobank: home sharing is part of the solution against the housing crisis

The Netherlands faces a major housing shortage, but much of the space we need already exists. Rabobank explores the potential of home sharing, room rentals and better use of existing homes.

The Netherlands is facing a major housing shortage. But how do we solve it? By building hundreds of thousands of new homes, or can we also make better use of the homes and space that already exist?

In a recent study of RaboResearch, the bank examined seven common assumptions about the Dutch housing shortage. Its main conclusion is that the housing crisis is more complex than it sometimes appears. Building new homes remains essential, but making better use of the existing housing stock can also contribute.

The final two topics in the Rabobank study are particularly interesting: home sharing and making better use of existing homes.

Making better use of the homes we already have

As fewer people live in each home on average, there is growing interest in using existing housing more efficiently.

One option is home sharing. This includes renting out individual rooms, sharing a rental home with friends, and homesharing, where someone rents out a room in the home they live in themselves.

Rabobank concludes that these forms of home sharing can contribute to easing pressure on the housing market. Of course, not every home is suitable and not everyone wants to share their home. But not everyone needs to.

Even a relatively small proportion of existing homes being used differently can create a significant number of additional places to live.

For example, research referenced by Rabobank estimates that homesharing within the social housing sector alone could create around 40,000 additional rooms over the next ten years.

More housing without building from scratch

Home sharing is not the only way to make better use of what is already there.

Rabobank also looks at options such as splitting larger homes into multiple units, adding additional floors to buildings and converting existing buildings into housing.

These solutions can create additional homes without having to build an entirely new neighbourhood from scratch. Rabobank notes that removing barriers to splitting, extending and transforming existing buildings could result in around 4,000 additional homes per year.

The bigger picture is clear: there is no single solution to the Dutch housing shortage. We need new construction, but we should also look much more closely at the homes and space that already exist.

And that is where homesharing can play a very practical role. A spare room already has four walls, a roof and a front door. By making that room available to someone looking for a place to live, new housing can be created without having to build a new home first.

Do you have a spare room?

Do you have a spare room in your home and would you consider renting it out, but are not sure where to start?

Hospi Housing helps you find a suitable tenant and supports you throughout the process of renting out a room in your own home.