Rents for new tenancy agreements outside the rent-controlled sector rose 6.2% in the third quarter of this year, according to the latest quarterly research by housing platform Pararius.

There is now ‘a large direct shortage of rental homes’ for people earning between €35,000 and €50,000 in the big four cities and surrounding areas, Pararius director Jasper de Groot said. ‘That is forcing up prices.’

In Amsterdam, the rise was tempered and rents remain below €22 per square metre, which is still up 4% on a year ago. The Dutch capital remains by far the most expensive place to rent a home, followed by Amstelveen, Wassenaar, Haarlem and Utrecht, the Pararius research shows.