Over half of dwelling stock owner-occupied

On 1 January 2006, there were 6.9 million houses in the Netherlands; 54 percent were owner-occupied and 43 percent were tenant-occupied. In most Dutch municipalities, the percentage of owner-occupied dwellings exceeds that of dwellings in the rental sector. In 339 out of the 458 Dutch municipalities, the difference between owner-occupied and tenant-occupied dwellings is more than 20 percent. The highest proportion of owner-occupied houses (over 80 percent) is found in the municipalities of Rozendaal in the province of Gelderland and Meerlo-Wanssum and Hunsel in the province of Limburg.

In 26 municipalities, there are more dwellings (mostly flats) in the rental sector than owner-occupied dwellings. Amsterdam (76 percent in the rental sector), Rotterdam (64 percent), Delft and Groningen (both 58 percent) top the list.

Proportion of owner-occupied dwellings, 1 January 2006