384,000 homes short.
Plan around it.

Renting: three segments, one shortage

Since the Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur, July 2024), every Dutch rental is scored on the WWS points system — size, energy label, amenities — and the score dictates which segment it falls in and whether its rent is capped:

Buying: open to foreigners, brutal for everyone

• No nationality restrictions. Americans and Canadians can buy freely — no permits, no extra taxes on foreign buyers.
• Prices: the average existing home sold for ~€493,000 in Q1 2026 (CBS/Kadaster). Amsterdam sold prices run ~€8,300/m² (NVM/MVA, Q1 2026). Only 5 of the country's ~342 municipalities average under €300,000.
• Overbieden is standard. In the Randstad, homes routinely sell above asking. Go in with a researched maximum, not the list price.
• Buying costs (kosten koper): roughly 4–6% on top of the price (indicative) — transfer tax, notary, valuation, and advisory fees. Transfer tax is 2% if the home will be your main residence; 8% if not (from 1 January 2026, down from 10.4%).
• Mortgages: possible for foreign residents with Dutch income; harder against foreign pension income alone. Interest on your main-home mortgage is deductible in box 1. Cash buyers should note a second home sits in box 3 (see Tax & Finance).