Dutch mortgages rise 5% in 2026 as starter loans surge

In the first half of 2026, Dutch borrowers took out almost 217,000 new mortgages, a 5 percent increase over the same period in 2025, according to a recent report from the Land Registry (Kadaster).

The total value of mortgages issued during January to June 2026 reached €84.8 billion, roughly 8 percent higher than the €78.6 billion recorded a year earlier.

The average loan‑to‑value ratio (LTV) for all mortgages was 87.3 percent, slightly below the 87.8 percent recorded in 2025. For first‑time buyers, the average LTV rose to 91.5 percent.

Starter loans, designed to bridge the gap between the maximum mortgage a bank will provide and the price of a first home, accounted for 8.3 percent of all mortgages in the first half of 2026. This represents a 160 percent increase from the 3.2 percent share recorded in the first half of 2021.

More than 300 municipalities in the Netherlands offer starter loans through the Stimuleringsfonds Volkshuisvesting Nederlandse gemeenten (Stimulation Fund for Public Housing of Dutch Municipalities).

The average mortgage amount taken out in 2026 was €517,000, up 5.3 percent from the €490,000 average in 2025.

Borrowers in major cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht had a higher average LTV of 88 percent, compared with 86.1 percent for those outside urban areas.

These figures suggest that, despite rising house prices and limited inventory, demand for mortgages remains strong in the Dutch housing market.

Source: IamExpat, “Dutch mortgages rise 5% in 2026 as starter loans surge.”

Article and image source: iamexpat.nl