| Tenure Distribution * | Owner occupancy | Private rental | Social rental | |
| Netherlands | 57% | 14% | 29% | |
| Amsterdam | 30% | 30% | 40% | |
| Affordability | House price to income ratio * * | Household rent to income ratio * | Social rent to private rent ratio * * | |
| Netherlands | 11.8 | 33% | 48% | |
| Amsterdam | 16.8 | 29% | 40% | |
| Housing Stock | Avg dwelling size * | Avg household size * | % of housing built before 1985 * | |
| Netherlands | 120m² | 2.1 | 62% | |
| Amsterdam | 77m² | - | 65% | |
| Housing Delivery | Target (2024) * | Total supply (2023) * | Affordable supply (2023) * | |
| Netherlands | ~100000 | 74,560 | 7,200 |
The Netherlands has the largest social housing provision in Europe with 29% of the country’s and 37% of Amsterdam’s housing stock being for social rent.
Affordable housing comprises social-rented housing provided by housing corporations and privately-rented housing with a regulated rent. In Amsterdam, 30% of the housing is social rent homes by housing corporations and 6% is private rented homes with a regulated rent. There is often little differentiation between the two, as social housing is officially defined in relation to the rent regulation cap.
In the privately-rented sector, the maximum rent a landlord can charge is regulated according to a national scoring system that takes into account property value, location, room sizes, kitchen and bathroom provision, energy performance, amenities, and outdoor spaces. Any dwelling that is below the nationally-defined rent regulation cap is subject to the same tenancy and rent regulations followed by social housing corporations, including indefinite rent periods and controlled rent caps, which is currently € 879.66 per month.
Rent levels in the social-rented sector are, on average, 52% of those in the private sector, but 63% in Amsterdam. With rent levels linked to property price, demand, and location, they are higher in cities.
Eligibility for social housing is primarily determined by national income limits (€47,699 for one-person households and €52,671 for multi-person households), but municipalities and housing corporations can impose additional requirements or prioritise specific groups such as those in need of emergency accommodation, young adults, students, large families, disabled people or the elderly. Despite the sizable social housing stock, the average registration (and waiting) time for housing was 13 years in 2021.
In addition to social rent, there are also other affordable housing options such as affordable (middle segment) rental and government-guaranteed mortgages.
The Netherlands aims to build 900,000 new housing units from 2022 to 2030, with a targets that two-thirds are affordable: 28% for social rent by housing corporations, 6% for affordable (middle segment) rent, and 33% for middle segment private rent and housing eligible for government-guaranteed mortgages.
Housing subsidies are given to social housing tenants in the form of housing benefits and generally there are no supply-side subsidies. Housing corporations manage and maintain their housing stock, mainly using a revolving fund generated from rental income, which is supported by demand-side subsidies. In addition, housing corporations can access government-backed low-interest loans and benefit from reduced taxes. As private entities, they also take part in the private market, generating income from the construction of housing in the private sector and investments in other sectors.
The Netherlands is a country of single-family houses, which make up 64% of the total housing stock. This proportion has been maintained in new housing supply since 2015, with single-family homes comprising around 60% of new-builts. Despite this, in cities such as Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague, blocks of flats are more common. For example, 87% of the housing stock in Amsterdam consists of flats. There are also significant differences in dwelling size: while the average size of a single-family house nationally is 120 m², it is only 80 m² for flats.
The housing stock in the Netherlands is relatively old, with 62% of dwellings built before 1985.
Housing design is generally controlled through national and municipal plans and regulations that apply to all development. All housing must also follow regulations on safety, health, usability, energy efficiency, and the environment described in the national Building Decree (Bouwbesluit; 2012). But the design of affordable housing is specifically affected by the way rent control thresholds are applied. The government uses a hypothetical rent level based on the national scoring system. For a housing unit to remain in the regulated sector, either its calculated rent needs to be below a fixed threshold, or be designated as social housing by housing corporations. In expensive areas such as Amsterdam, this results in the construction of smaller units (i.e. studios and one-bedroom flats).