Rental prices for new tenancies rose less than 5% for the first time since 2015 last year, according to research by housing platform Pararius.

In the fourth quarter, rents for non-rent controlled apartments rose by an average of 4.8% for new tenancies – taking the average price of a 70 square metre apartment to €1174 a month.

But the national increase far outstripped that in the five big cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Den Haag and Eindhoven, where market sector rents rose no more than 3.4% year on year.

Housing costing below €737.14 a month is rent-controlled and only accessible to people on low incomes.

Amsterdam remains by far the most expensive place to rent a home, but Bussum and Amersfoort were among the towns were rents rose far higher than the average.

Pararius director Jasper de Groot points out that liberalised sector rents are now rising no more than the rent controlled sector, where sitting tenants face increases of up to 5.6% depending on their income.

People who technically earn too much for a rent controlled property face higher increases in an effort to stimulate them to move.

Nevertheless, the demand for places to live is not decreasing and the supply continues to trail demand, De Groot said.