The number of rental homes in the Netherlands owned by private investors, including small landlords with one or two properties, fell by 3,000 last year, according to research by the national statistics agency CBS.

In total, small landlords owned 22,000 fewer homes by the end of the year, while big investors such as pension funds increased their supply by 19,000 through new building and conversions.

The CBS carried out the research on behalf of the housing ministry, which is monitoring the impact of new rental housing regulations on the number of available homes.

Landlords have been selling off smaller homes in the bigger Dutch cities following a number of changes to the rules, including tougher rent controls, higher taxes and an end to short-term contracts.

Some 1.18 million homes in the Netherlands are now owned by private landlords and investors. Housing corporations, which focus on social housing, account for around 2.3 million and 4.8 million homes are owner occupied.

Small landlords in Utrecht and Noord-Holland – which includes Amsterdam – sold the most homes to people who planned to live in them.