The average price of a room in a student house in the Netherlands is now €323, the highest ever amount, according to new figures from national student union LSVB.

Three-quarters of students now pay more than they should under the point system for agreeing rents, the organisation said.

‘This comes on top of the end of the grant system, which means students who live away from home have €280 less to spend anyway,’ a spokesman told news agency ANP.

The cost of student accommodation varies enormously around the country. The most expensive housing is in Amsterdam, where the average rent for a room is €414. Student rooms in Amsterdam are also smaller than the national average of 16.5 square metres.

The cheapest rooms – at €248 a month – are in Enschede.

The research is based on a poll of nearly 2,700 students in 17 student cities.