Students are looking for rooms earlier and more often

In May, students searched for student accommodation more frequently than in the previous month. In the Netherlands, this represented a 16% increase, and in Delft, a 34% increase.

This is according to figures from the international letting platform HousingAnywhere, which also owns Kamernet.nl. The platform analysed search and letting data in the run-up to the summer peak in the rental market.

Search activity also increased in other student cities, including Maastricht (29%), Utrecht (28%) and Amsterdam (23%).

According to the platform, search behaviour is shifting: students are increasingly starting their search as early as spring to beat the summer rush. Of the students who rented accommodation in May, 39% plan to move in August or September.

Room shortage

The shortage of student accommodation is estimated by the Kences research centre at around 21,500 rooms and could rise to between 23,000 and 30,000 by 2026. At the same time, the supply on rental platforms is increasing slightly. HousingAnywhere reports a 9% increase in cities including Amsterdam and Rotterdam. On Kamernet, 8% more properties were listed in May than a year earlier.