Scientific factsheet provides tools for housing policy

25 April 2025

What does housing inequality between renters and homeowners look like in the Netherlands? And what should the government prioritise in new housing policies? UvA economist Martijn Dröes (Amsterdam Business School, Finance section) and colleagues from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Erasmus University prepared a factsheet at the request of the Parliament & Science collaborative platform.

Housing estate under construction, the Netherlands

The factsheet was created for the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Physical Planning. It maps out how home ownership and renting relate to satisfaction, financial stability, and life opportunities. The report will be part of the committee debate on the State of Public Housing on 21 May.

Overall, Dutch households are satisfied with their homes, according to the factsheet. On average, people rate their homes as very satisfactory. Still, fulfilling housing needs proves challenging for many, especially due to long waiting lists for social housing and high prices in both the private rental and owner-occupied sectors.

Setting priorities

‘The goal of our factsheet is to give policymakers a clearer understanding of the problems that deserve priority within housing policy,’ says lead author Dröes. ‘The questions we addressed came directly from MPs. The findings highlight the need for policies that improve the quality of rental housing and promote mobility within the housing market. Housing policy is also social policy. Where you live shapes your life – it can open up opportunities, or it can limit them. That is the message we particularly want to convey to parliamentarians.’

Housing policy is also social policy. Where you live shapes your life – it can open up opportunities, or it can limit them.

Key findings

Satisfaction: Dutch households are generally satisfied with their home, but a substantial group of renters report dissatisfaction with their current housing. Poor maintenance is often cited as a key reason.
Life opportunities: It’s difficult to directly compare renters and homeowners in this regard, but there is an indication that people’s life situation changes when they move from renting to owning. They are more likely to be employed and work more hours, their children perform better at school and in the labour market, and they are better able to cope with life’s uncertainties.
Energy costs: Socio-economic differences between renters and homeowners need to be considered. Renters, on average, spend a larger share of their income on energy. This is largely explained by differences in the type of house, household composition, and energy consumption. People with higher incomes—often homeowners—are more likely to make their homes more sustainable and to access subsidies.
Living environment: In neighbourhoods with a high proportion of rental homes, residents’ personal circumstances seem less stable than in other areas. Renters tend to have a weaker connection to their home than owners and typically move more frequently.
Vulnerable homeowners: Due to strict Dutch lending rules, it is rare for homeowners to fall into such deep debt that they are no longer financially sustainable.
Housing mobility: Young adults still living with their parents are finding it increasingly difficult to move into independent housing. This is mainly due to a decline in the availability of social rental housing in recent years.

Publication details

Martijn Dröes (University of Amsterdam), Jan Rouwendal (VU), and Matthijs Korevaar (EUR): Ongelijkheid tussen huurders en kopers nader bekeken (factsheet Parliament & Science, 15 April 2025).

Scientific factsheet provides tools for housing policy

Setting priorities

Publication details

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