The Dutch Housing Market in 2026: Prices, Trends, and What to Expect

After years of rapid price increases and intense competition, the Dutch housing market is entering a calmer phase in 2026. Prices are still rising, the shortage of homes has not gone away, and popular cities remain highly competitive. But compared to the peak years, buyers are finding a little more room to breathe. Here is what the data shows and what it means whether you are looking to rent, buy, or simply understand the market you are living in.

The average house price in the Netherlands in 2026 is approximately 486,000 euros, based on the most recent transaction data from CBS and the Kadaster land registry. The median sits slightly below that at around 485,000 euros. Put another way, the average price per square metre nationally is around 4,100 euros, though Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Haarlem sit considerably higher than that.

Dutch homes were selling roughly 3.7 percent above the asking price in the first quarter of 2026, which shows that competition is still real, particularly in cities. A property listed at 500,000 euros can quickly become a 565,000 to 630,000 euro commitment once buyer costs and any renovation work are included. Standard buyer costs in the Netherlands, including transfer tax, notary fees, and mortgage advice, typically add five to six percent on top of the purchase price.

In 2025, Dutch house prices rose by approximately 6.5 to 8.7 percent compared to the year before, depending on the source. For 2026, the major Dutch banks are forecasting more modest growth. De Nederlandsche Bank projects annual price increases of three to four percent between 2026 and 2028. Rabobank has forecast approximately 4.8 percent for 2026. ING and ABN AMRO are in a similar range. The main reasons for the slowdown are stabilised mortgage interest rates, more moderate wage growth, and additional supply coming onto the market as private landlords sell off rental properties.

NVM, the Dutch association of estate agents, reported that the average sale price of an existing home was around 485,000 euros in the first quarter of 2026, which represented a slight seasonal dip compared to the end of 2025. Importantly, average selling time has increased to around 32 days, compared to the near-instant turnarounds seen during the peak of the market. For buyers, that is a meaningful change.

The national average does not tell the full story. Some regions are still seeing strong price pressure while others are cooling noticeably. Rabobank expects the highest price growth in 2026 to occur outside the Randstad, with areas like Groningen, Drenthe, and parts of Overijssel offering better value and stronger growth potential than Amsterdam, which is cooling. Utrecht remains one of the most competitive and fastest-growing markets nationally, with Rabobank and ABN AMRO both forecasting growth above seven percent there in 2026, driven by residents and expats leaving Amsterdam for more space at a lower price point.

Rotterdam and Eindhoven are seeing some of the strongest increases in private rental asking prices, with both cities recording rent increases of around ten percent year on year in Q1 2026. Amsterdam remains the most expensive rental market, with average asking rents in the private sector at around 28.50 euros per square metre. Nationally, the private sector average sits at 21.12 euros per square metre.

Rental supply in the Netherlands is shrinking. Since the introduction of the Affordable Rent Act, many private landlords have chosen to sell their rental properties rather than comply with rent controls. Kadaster estimates that around 34,000 former rental homes have been sold to owner-occupiers over the past several years. While this is adding some supply to the purchase market, it is reducing the available rental stock significantly.

For expats who are not yet ready to buy, this means finding a rental property in the mid-market range is harder than it was two or three years ago. Competition for available rentals in cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven remains intense. The maximum allowed rent increases for existing contracts in 2026 are 4.1 percent in the social sector, 4.4 percent in the private sector, and 6.1 percent in the mid-market segment.

Underneath all of this sits a problem that is not going away quickly. The Netherlands has a structural shortage of housing that has been building for years. New-build completions have been consistently below what the market requires. In the first quarter of 2026, new-build supply rose to around 18,200 homes, the highest since 2016, but sales of new builds fell, with around 5,600 units sold in that quarter. Buyers have become more cautious about new builds, particularly given prices and delivery timelines.

De Nederlandsche Bank has also noted that Dutch mortgage debt remains high by international standards, with outstanding housing loans equivalent to 75.5 percent of GDP in 2025. The bank has recommended gradually reducing the maximum loan-to-value ratio from 100 to 90 percent to reduce household vulnerability to price corrections. First-time buyers currently benefit from a transfer tax exemption, which remains in place in 2026.

If you are an expat considering whether to rent or buy in the Netherlands in 2026, the picture is nuanced. Buying is still possible and prices, while high, are growing more slowly than in recent years. Outside of Amsterdam and the immediate Randstad, there are areas offering better value and solid long-term appreciation potential. For those buying in Utrecht or Eindhoven, demand remains strong from both locals and the international community.

For expats renting, the challenge is availability rather than price regulation. The mid-market rental segment has shrunk considerably and competition for quality properties in major cities is significant.

Our guides on moving to the Netherlands, understanding Dutch income tax, and registering with your municipality cover the practical steps involved in settling here. The 30 percent ruling and other expat tax arrangements can also affect how much you are able to borrow and spend on housing, so it is worth understanding your full financial picture before making decisions.

The housing market in the Netherlands in 2026 is stabilising, not collapsing. For anyone planning their next move, the most important thing is understanding the local dynamics of the city or region you are targeting rather than relying solely on national averages.