The Dutch housing market is at a complete standstill, largely as a result of inconsistent government policy. That is what Associate Professor Matthijs Korevaar (Erasmus School of Economics) says in an interview with the Dutch daily newspaper Nederlands Dagblad. A comparison with neighbouring countries shows that the Netherlands is lagging behind in several areas.
Housing shortages occur across almost all European countries. The Dutch situation is thus not unique Korevaar argues, but rather the consequence of choices in policy and market regulation. Eurostat figures show that between 2010 and 2023 house prices in the Netherlands rose by 48 per cent; exactly the EU average. Yet the increases in Belgium and Germany were far more modest.
According to Korevaar, this is partly because Belgium has a less tightly regulated construction sector and sets fewer requirements for public space, making it easier for private individuals to build. Its rental market is also far more liberal. ‘This makes it easier in Belgium to find an affordable rental home, although the quality of Dutch housing association properties is generally higher,’ Korevaar says.
Germany provides an even more striking contrast. There, fewer than half of all residents own their homes, compared with nearly 70 per cent in the Netherlands. This difference stems mainly from the fiscal framework: no mortgage interest relief, high transfer taxes, and a rental market in which market forces and strong tenant protection operate side by side. ‘Whereas in the Netherlands we believe everyone should get on the property ladder as quickly as possible, Germans only buy a house once they have permanently settled in a particular place,’ Korevaar explains.
What the Netherlands can learn from this depends on political preference, he emphasises. But one thing is certainly going wrong: the lack of consistent policy. The repeated introduction and withdrawal of measures (such as the former landlord levy) creates uncertainty and delays efforts to tackle the housing shortage. ‘The government is giving neither the market nor itself the leadership needed.’
Korevaar also points to France, where municipalities have been required to ensure that at least a quarter of their housing stock consists of social rental homes. Those that fall short must build more or pay a fine. That system works, he notes: municipalities either build or they pay.
The core of his message is clear: without firm and stable choices, the housing market will remain stuck. The Netherlands must decide who should take the lead, the market or the government, and then remain committed to that choice.
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You can download the original article from het Nederlands Dagblad, 17 November 2025, above (In Dutch). For questions, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media & Public Relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics: rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, mobile +31 6 53 641 846.
