The price for renting a flat or house not covered by rent-control agreements, has gone down sharply since the economic crisis began, according to two big rental agencies quoted in the Volkskrant.

Agency Pararius says the cost of renting flats over €800 a month went down some 9.7% last year. Competitor Direct Wonen said rents had fallen 9.9% on average by December 1.
But the price of houses in the €600 to €800 a month sector rose 3.1%.
The cost of renting a luxury villa fell by almost 22% over 2009.
Expat
Pararius director Jasper de Groot told the Volkskrant the rent reduction is due to the economic crisis. Not only are Dutch people less willing to pay a lot for their homes, but the exodus of well paid expats was affecting rents, he said.
In the four big cities, the drop in rents was not as sharp and in Amsterdam, prices are still some 25% above the national average, the Volkskrant said.
It remains difficult to find a rental home in a nice part of Amsterdam for below €1,000 a month, De Groot told the paper.