Comment by apexalpha

Housing in the Netherlands is complex, it's not a free market.

Out of a total of ~8 million homes:

- 4.6 million are owned by the people who live in them.

- 2.3 million are owned by social housing corporations. You have to join a waitlist for these, you can't outbid someone.

And then lastly:

- 1 million houses are "free rentals". But this means they are open to anyone, they are still rent-controlled.

You, together with all other international people, as well as many Dutch people who can't buy and also aren't eligible for social housing are playing musical chairs with only ~13% of the total housing in our country.