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> And (almost) everyone has a house. How come the Netherlands has the most pronounced housing shortage for university students compared to other countries ? Is

> And (almost) everyone has a house. How come the Netherlands has the most pronounced housing shortage for university students compared to other countries ? Is it because everyone is AirBnb'ing their first and second homes out to tourists? It's so bad that international students are forced to decline university and graduate school offers. I know because I am in that boat. https://nltimes.nl/2025/04/22/housing-shortage-netherlands-reach-453000-2027-experts-warn https://nltimes.nl/2025/04/22/housing-shortage-netherlands-r... https://www.goinconnect.com/success-stories/the-student-housing-crisis-in-the-netherlands-how-the-hague-university-of-applied-sciences-is-supporting-international-students#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20by,for%20the%20international%20student%20population. https://www.goinconnect.com/success-stories/the-student-hous...

apexalpha 1y ago
Housing in the Netherlands is complex, it's not a free market. Out of a total of ~8 million homes: - 4.6 million are owned by the people who live in them. - 2.3 million are owned by social housing corporations. You have to join a waitlist for these, you can't outbid someone. And then lastly: - 1 million houses are "free rentals". But this means they are open to anyone, they are still rent-controlled. You, together with all other international people, as well as many Dutch people who can't buy and also aren't eligible for social housing are playing musical chairs with only ~13% of the total housing in our country.