Rent an Apartment in Assen

Assen is the city where the Asserbos — one hundred hectares, laid out in 1260 — begins a five-minute walk from the shopping center. Where the Drents Museum hosts international exhibitions in a former Government building on the Brink. Where the TT Circuit brings the MotoGP to the Netherlands every year. And where, for the rent of a studio in Amsterdam, you can rent a spacious two-room apartment with a balcony. The city has 68,000 inhabitants, boasts an intercity station with direct connections to Groningen (twenty minutes) and Zwolle, and is located on the A28. It is the capital of Drenthe — compact, green, affordable, and with the Drentsche Aa National Landscape directly to its east.

A City in Rings

Assen is built in rings. The center around the Brink, the post-war neighborhoods from the 1950s and 60s (De Lariks, Noorderpark, Assen-Oost), the expansion districts from the 1970s and 80s (Peelo, Pittelo, Marsdijk), and the newest ring: Kloosterveen, where a complete neighborhood with 11,000 residents has emerged since 1997. Each ring offers a different type of apartment — and a different price point.

City Center Living: 100 m² with Private Parking Garage

€1,548 / month

Neptunusplein 69, Assen

2

100 m²

Immediately

Apartment

Bright apartment in the center of Assen (Label A)

€1,088 / month

Collardslaan 8, Assen

1

60 m²

3/1/2026

Apartment

Example Image

One-bedroom apartment in the heart of Assen

Price on request

Kloekhorststraat, Assen

1

26 m²

In consultation

Apartment

The Neighborhoods: Where to Look?

Assen has ten neighborhoods. For apartment seekers, five areas are particularly relevant.

City Center — the Brink, the Market, and the Shopping Streets

The historic heart. The Brink with the Drents Museum and the Abbey Church, the Market with terraces, and the shopping streets currently undergoing a metamorphosis (more green, more water, more space). The apartment offerings consist of upper-floor apartments and flats in older buildings — sometimes renovated with a modern kitchen in a historic setting, sometimes still in original condition. Compact yet central: everything within walking distance, including the train station (eight minutes walk to the Drents Museum). De Nieuwe Kolk (theater, cinema, library) is located on the edge of the center. This is Assen's most expensive segment, but "expensive" here is relative — it's a fraction of what you'd pay in the Randstad.

Assen-Oost — the Neighborhood that Borders Everything

The only neighborhood in Assen that borders both the city center and the five-star Drentsche Aa National Landscape. Assen-Oost is a diverse, working glass neighborhood with its own shopping center and an active community. The homes predominantly date from the post-war period — gallery flats and small complexes, affordable and functional. The neighborhood has a mixed reputation (behind the railway, older buildings), but residents appreciate its location: you can walk into the city center and into nature. For renters seeking affordability and a short connection to both city and landscape, Assen-Oost is a serious option.

De Lariks and Noorderpark — the Affordable Ring

Post-war neighborhoods directly surrounding the center. De Lariks positions itself as a colorful neighborhood with its own character, engaged neighbors, and good amenities close to the center. Noorderpark is more spacious with more greenery. Both neighborhoods feature gallery flats and corridor apartments from the 1950s and 60s — the segment where the lowest rents can be found. The buildings are older, energy labels vary, but distances are short, and the supply is the widest.

Marsdijk — the Large Family Neighborhood

Built in the 1980s and 90s, east of Peelo. A large neighborhood with much variety: the Anne Frank Park, the Beekdalhoeve petting zoo, active neighborhood associations. The apartment offerings are more limited than in the older neighborhoods — Marsdijk is primarily a single-family home district — but what is available offers more space and better insulation than the post-war ring. The location is favorable: directly on the A28, and to the east, you're quickly in the landscape around Loon and Balloo.

Kloosterveen — the Newest Neighborhood

Built since 1997, named after an old hamlet. Now home to 11,000 residents, divided into fifteen residential areas with diverse housing styles. Shopping center Kloosterveste (opened 2010) offers daily groceries and more. The apartments here are the most modern in Assen: new construction, good insulation, often with an elevator and balcony. This is the neighborhood for those who prioritize comfort and a new home — further from the center, but with everything nearby.

What It Costs

Assen is one of the most affordable cities in the Netherlands for apartment renters. Rental prices are well below the levels of the Randstad, the city of Groningen, and even many other provincial cities. This makes Assen attractive for anyone who works in Groningen but finds the rents there too high — the train journey takes twenty minutes.

Landlords typically require an income of three times the net rent (gross). The deposit is one to two months' rent. For older apartments in De Lariks or Assen-Oost, energy costs play a larger role — the insulation of post-war gallery flats varies. New constructions in Kloosterveen perform better here.

Groningen Works, Assen Lives

Assen is a twenty-minute train ride from Groningen Centraal. The A28 connects the city to Zwolle (fifty minutes) and via the N33 to Eemshaven. The TT Circuit is located on the south side. The Asserbos begins on the edge of the city center — one hundred hectares of ancient forest, laid out by monks in the thirteenth century. The Drentsche Aa National Landscape borders to the east. The Baggelhuizerplas (125 hectares, beach, play island) is on the west side.

For renters who study or work in Groningen but don't want to pay Groningen's rental prices, Assen is the most logical alternative. You live cheaper, greener, and more spaciously — and the travel time is a fraction of what commuters in the Randstad experience daily.

How to Find an Apartment

Assen's rental market is not as tight as the Randstad's, but affordable apartments in the center or Kloosterveen still require effort to find. What helps:

Set up an alert. Filter by neighborhood, rooms, and maximum rent. You'll be notified as soon as something new comes in.

Have your documents ready. Copy of ID, recent pay slips, employment contract. A complete first response makes a difference — even in Assen, landlords choose the candidate who responds the fastest and most completely.

Also look in De Lariks and Assen-Oost. Most seekers focus on the city center and Kloosterveen. The post-war neighborhoods have the widest selection and the lowest prices. Distances are short — you can cycle everywhere in ten minutes.

Consider Marsdijk for space. Fewer apartments, but what is available offers more square meters for less money than the city center. With the Anne Frank Park and proximity to the A28, it's a practical neighborhood.