If the rules for handing out mortgages in the Netherlands get any tougher, two-thirds of first-time buyers will have to delay their home-owning plans, the government’s macro-economic think tank CPB said on Tuesday.

From next year, mortgages cannot exceed 100% of the value of the property, meaning buyers must have considerable savings to pay the fees associated with buying a home and for renovation work.

However, various organisations, including the Dutch central bank, have called for a reduction in the maximum mortgage to 90% of the value of the property. This, the CPB calculates, would rule out two-thirds of potential buyers. The 100% limit will force half of first-time buyers to put their plans on hold.

Not only will first-time buyers have to wait up to five years to buy a home, but they will have to live in more expensive rental property while doing so, which will also eat into potential savings, the CPB said.

The government has said it has no plans to reduce the maximum mortgage to under the 100% limit.