Shocking numbers: about 201,000 vacant homes across the Netherlands
The number of vacant homes in the Netherlands is around 201,000, highlighting the worsening housing crisis, with 21,770 of these properties—about 11 percent—located in Amsterdam alone. These figures came from the national statistics released on July 1.
The number of vacant homes sharply increased during the first half of 2025, rising from 194,500 in January to over 200,000 by July. Major cities like Eindhoven and The Hague significantly contributed to this increase, recording about 4,000 and 2,640 vacant homes respectively.
The areas with the highest vacancy rates include Eemsdelta in northeastern Groningen, where vacant homes account for 9 percent of the total homes, followed by Vaals in South Limburg at 5.9 percent, and Slochteren in Zuidhorn at 5.2 percent. A large portion of these properties has been vacant for more than a year, totaling over 64,000 units.
To address long-term vacancies, the Dutch government has agreed to impose a tax on properties that are left vacant for more than a year. Municipalities will be able to use energy consumption data to verify long-term vacancies, making it easier to implement the tax. Experiences from Belgium indicate that such taxes have helped encourage owners to bring properties back to the market.
However, these measures face criticism from private property owners. Edward Too from VastgoedBelang stated that long-term vacancies are often the result of strict and slow municipal procedures, not due to deliberate negligence. Cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht have tested local laws to report vacant properties, while Rotterdam has temporarily halted high-rise applications due to staff shortages, complicating housing availability.