Rent an Apartment in Eindhoven

In 1891, Gerard Philips started producing light bulbs in a small factory on Emmasingel. Ten years later, the company was making one and a half million bulbs a year. By 1920, the five surrounding villages — Woensel, Tongelre, Stratum, Gestel, and Strijp — had been incorporated into Groot-Eindhoven (Greater Eindhoven), and by 1935, the city had over one hundred thousand inhabitants. Philips had transformed a settlement on the Dommel into an industrial city. When the company largely departed in the 1990s, the city reinvented itself: the abandoned factories became incubators, the 'Forbidden City' opened, and Eindhoven transformed from a lamp factory to a Brainport.

Today, Eindhoven is the fifth-largest city in the Netherlands with over 240,000 inhabitants, almost a quarter of whom were born outside the Netherlands — one hundred and fifty nationalities spread across seven districts. The apartment market reflects this profile: from lofts in former Philips halls to multi-story houses in post-war neighborhoods, from furnished expat apartments to student studios near the TU/e.

Six Villages, One City, No Center

Anyone visiting the center of Eindhoven will search in vain for a historic city center. It simply doesn't exist. Eindhoven received city rights in 1232, but its medieval core was largely lost to bombing during World War II. What stands now is post-war: functional, regular, with the station as an anchor point and the Markt (Market Square) as a bustling horeca hub. The charm of Eindhoven lies not in its center but in the surrounding districts — each with its own origin as an independent village.

De Bergen, built on the sand ridge between the Dommel and the Gender (the name refers to that one meter height difference), is the oldest neighborhood that survived the war. Characterized by distinctive buildings, narrow streets with boutiques and traditional pubs, and an atmosphere that feels more like a southern European village than a tech city. The apartment supply here is limited and prices are high, but the neighborhood is irreplaceable if you prioritize atmosphere over square meters.

Charming duplex apartment in the Witte Dorp

€1,750 / month

St Leonardusstraat, Eindhoven

3

105 m²

5/1/2026

Apartment

Spacious apartment (130m²) with garage in the city center

€2,975 / month

Groot Paradijs, Eindhoven

2

130 m²

4/1/2026

Apartment

New build next to Philips Stadium

€1,350 / month

Gerard Philipslaan 2-402, Eindhoven

1

76 m²

Immediately

Apartment

Penthouse on the 31st floor next to Philips Stadium

€2,600 / month

Gerard Philipslaan, Eindhoven

2

118 m²

Immediately

Apartment

31st-Floor Penthouse with Panoramic Views

€2,500 / month

Gerard Philipslaan 2-304, Eindhoven

2

104 m²

Immediately

Apartment

Modern living next to Philips Stadium

€1,375 / month

Gerard Philipslaan 2-332, Eindhoven

1

70 m²

Immediately

Apartment

Strijp-S: From Forbidden City to Residential Area

For decades, Strijp-S was a closed Philips site covering thirty hectares — fences, barriers, access cards. The press called it the 'Forbidden City'. Here stood the glass factory from 1916, the NatLab where the CD and DVD were developed, the Klokgebouw for Philite (Philips' bakelite), and the appliance factories on the Hoge Rug. The mantra was 'From sand to customer': everything happened on-site, from raw material to packaged end product.

In 2002, Philips sold the site. Urban planner Adriaan Geuze of West8 drew up the plan. The monumental factory buildings remained and were transformed: the Klokgebouw became a cultural center, the Ketelhuis a hospitality venue, the Hoge Rug buildings Anton and Gerard were converted into homes and workspaces. The 'leidingstraat' — the old above-ground pipe system — remained as a green, overgrown structural element. Around it, new construction complexes emerged: SPACE-S with four hundred homes, Trudo Toren (Stefano Boeri's vertical forest tower with 125 trees), BLOK 59, Sixty5, DONNA. It is Eindhoven's most densely populated and sought-after residential location, and the apartment supply is correspondingly large — and expensive.

Strijp-R, the former picture tube site on the other side of the ring road, developed more quietly: a green residential area of five hundred homes with architecture that refers to the old factories — angled roofs, chimney elements, white-gray industrial bricks.

Stratum and Gestel: The South Side

Stratum, southeast of the center, is the largest and most diverse district. Its neighborhoods are built around central squares — an urban development pattern not found as consistently anywhere else in Eindhoven. Den Elzent boasts pre-war villas, parks along the Dommel, and the Stadswandelpark, with apartments on its fringes (Bomanshof). The Irisbuurt borders the Kanaalzone, which buzzes during Dutch Design Week but is undergoing a year-round transformation into a creative work area. Riel, on the southern edge, feels like a village — complete with the Stratumse Heide and Scottish Highland cattle — but has been formally part of Eindhoven since 1972. The Genneper Parken, with its watermill, Iron Age settlement, and the Eindhoven Museum, form the green wedge separating Stratum from Gestel.

Gestel, to the southwest, is the district of the High Tech Campus — 'Europe's smartest square km'. Two-thirds of the homes in Gestel are rental properties, making the district relevant for apartment seekers. The Dommel zone and Genneper Park provide greenery, but the proximity of the campus and the De Hurk business park also makes Gestel a work area. Oude Spoorbaan, named after the former Eindhoven-Hasselt railway line, is a characteristic neighborhood in the Rozenknopje district with good apartments within walking distance of both the center and the parks.

Woensel: The Large North Side

Woensel is the largest district and offers the most varied selection. Woensel-Zuid, directly north of the center, is Eindhoven's most international zone — almost half of its residents were born outside the Netherlands. The Kruisstraat and Woenselse Markt form its multicultural heart: Turkish bakeries, Moroccan greengrocers, Asian supermarkets. The Edisonstraat in Groenewoud (Woensel-West) has evolved from a problem street into a breeding ground for young entrepreneurs and creatives — a transformation accelerated by its proximity to Strijp-S.

Woensel-Noord is the post-war large-scale expansion: neighborhoods like Blixembosch and Achtse Barrier with single-family homes, but also apartment complexes. Meerhoven, built on the site of the old Welschap airfield on the west side of Strijp, is Eindhoven's newest district: large-scale new construction with abundant green spaces and its own shopping center. Apartments here are modern and energy-efficient, prices slightly lower than in the center, but the distance to the city heart is greater.

Tongelre: Villa Districts and Working-Class Neighborhoods

Tongelre, east of the center, is the least known district but offers a surprising mix. Het Busselke is a working-class neighborhood from the 1920s with its own character. Villapark once housed senior Philips executives; the villas now largely serve as offices. Karpen is a villa district around the Karpendonkse Plas, surrounded by park and greenery, within cycling distance of the TU/e. The apartment supply in Tongelre is more limited than in Stratum or Woensel, but prices are generally lower for comparable quality.

Responding to an Apartment in Eindhoven

The Eindhoven apartment market is competitive. Popular properties — especially in Strijp-S and De Bergen — attract dozens of responses. Speed is crucial: make sure your proof of income, employer's statement, and identification are digitally ready before you start searching. On our platform, you can set up an alert to receive immediate notifications when a new apartment comes online in your desired neighborhood and price range.

A real estate agent working on behalf of the landlord is not allowed to charge you, the tenant, any agency fees. When viewing, ask about service costs, the exact rent (basic versus inclusive), the energy label, and the minimum rental period. Read the rental agreement in its entirety before signing — that sounds obvious but is often skipped under time pressure.