The average rent for a home in the non-rent controlled housing sector has reached a record €1,856 per month, rising 6.8% over the past year, according to figures from rental platforms Pararius and Huurwoningen.nl.

Given that landlords typically want tenants to have a monthly salary of at least three times the monthly rent, they would need to earn €5,570 gross to qualify for such a property, Pararius said in its latest quarterly report.

The figures underline the growing pressure in the rental market, as landlords sell off smaller, cheaper properties to avoid tougher rent controls and higher taxes.

Only 13,945 free-sector homes became available for new tenants in the third quarter, compared with more than 20,000 a year ago and 31,000 four years ago. “Everything that becomes available is rented out almost immediately,” Pararius director Jasper de Groot said. “The free sector rental market is completely locked up.”

The free sector covers homes that score at least 187 points under the government’s housing valuation system, which is based on size and level of luxury. Below that is the mid-range segment with rents capped between €900 and €1,184 per month.

That category has all but vanished. “Almost every home that becomes vacant and falls into the mid-range segment is being sold instead,” De Groot said.  The CBS reported last month that small landlords owned 22,000 fewer homes by the end of the year.

Within the the big five cities, Eindhoven recorded the sharpest increase, with rents up over 15% to an average of €19.86 per square metre, or €1,400 for a 70 square metre home.

According to Hugo Veldhuis, owner of 123Wonen Eindhoven, this is related to the  influence of high-tech companies that have driven the regional economy for years.

“Until two years ago, the rapid growth of these high-tech companies ensured a constant inflow of international employees,” Veldhuis said. “That growth has now leveled off, but many landlords still base their expectations on the peak years, when expats settled in Eindhoven en masse.”

The lowest increase was recorded in Amsterdam, where rents for new tenants rose 4% to €27.75 per square metre or €1,940 for a 70 square metre flat.