Renting an Apartment in Gouda

Gouda originated where the Gouwe river flows into the Hollandse IJssel. That river mouth became a port, the port became a marketplace, and in 1405, count William VI granted it city rights. The central point is still the Markt (Market Square), with the Gothic town hall where the cheese market takes place and the Sint-Janskerk (St. John's Church) behind it — at 123 meters, the longest church in the Netherlands, famous for its 72 stained glass Gouda Glazen (Gouda Stained Glass) which together form half of all 16th-century glass in the country. In December, during Gouda by Candlelight, the electric lights on the Markt are turned off, and the biblical scenes on the windows seem to come to life.

It is a city of 73,000 inhabitants that long remained within its canals. The canals that enclosed the medieval city are largely intact, and only after World War II did Gouda begin to grow outwards seriously. This compact history makes the city center attractive to apartment dwellers, but it also means that the supply there is tight. Growth is happening on the outskirts — particularly in Westergouwe, the new development area west of the city where hundreds of homes will be added in the coming years.

The City Center: Canals, Courtyards, and Upper Floors

Within the canals, a striking number of young households reside, and the private rental sector is more strongly represented here than in any other district of Gouda. The offerings consist of upper floors above shops in Lange Vorststraat and Kleiweg, apartments in monumental canal houses, and occasionally a floor in one of Gouda's almshouses. De Raam — the former cloth bleaching area — and Kattensingel on the edge of the old city offer slightly more spacious apartments in redeveloped properties, sometimes with water views.

The town hall on the Markt, the Waag (weigh house) where cheeses were weighed, Museum Gouda in the former Catharina Gasthuis — it's all within a ten-minute walk. The train station is also within walking distance, with direct trains to Rotterdam (twenty minutes), The Hague (thirty minutes), and Utrecht (twenty minutes). This makes the city center popular with commuters looking for a historic living environment without Randstad rental prices.

Apartment in the old light factory on the Hoge Gouwe

€980 / month

Hoge Gouwe, Gouda

50 m²

5/1/2026

Apartment

1-bedroom apartment in the heart of Gouda

€865 / month

Nonnenwater 8, Gouda

1

40 m²

5/1/2026

Apartment

Energy-efficient apartment in Gouda

€1,340 / month

Jozefhof 315, Gouda

2

89 m²

4/10/2026

Apartment

Apartment in the Ouwe Gouwe

€1,280 / month

Jozefhof 118, Gouda

2

78 m²

5/1/2026

Apartment

Ground floor apartment near Gouda station

€875 / month

Spoorstraat 3, Gouda

1

51 m²

4/1/2026

Apartment

Example Image

Bright apartment with private parking space

€1,795 / month

Ronsseweg 9-503, Gouda

2

81 m²

3/1/2026

Apartment

Korte Akkeren: The First Step Outside the Canals

Korte Akkeren, immediately south of the city center across the city canal, is the oldest expansion district of Gouda. Around 1900, workers' houses were built here for the employees of the candle and yarn factories. The district is almost entirely surrounded by water — canals on three sides — which gives it an island-like character.

Of all Gouda's districts, Korte Akkeren has the largest share of social housing. The municipality and housing associations Woonpartners Midden-Holland and Mozaïek Wonen have worked for years on restructuring: demolition of outdated complexes, new construction of social rental homes in locations such as Bockenbergstraat and the former Gunningmavo on Tesselschadestraat. The result is a neighborhood that is still affordable but is gradually improving. Apartments range from post-war corridor flats to recent new constructions. The distance to the city center is minimal — the Markt is a five-minute bike ride away.

Gouda-Oost and Plaswijck

Gouda-Oost, east of the city center, is a district with a mixed character: partly pre-war buildings, partly post-war. Livability is under pressure in some neighborhoods, and the municipality continues district development with redevelopment locations such as the Zuidelijke Stempel Oost. For tenants, this means: lower entry prices but also a neighborhood in transition.

Plaswijck, north of Gouda-Oost, has the highest absolute number of social housing units in Gouda. It is an expansive district from the 1960s and 1970s with gallery flats, portico homes, and terraced houses. Many older households live here. The apartments are more spacious than in the city center, rents are lower, and amenities — schools, shops, general practitioners — are available. It is not a district that stands out for charm, but rather for functionality and affordability.

Bloemendaal and Goverwelle

Bloemendaal, north of the city center towards the Goudse Hout and the Reeuwijkse Plassen, is a greener neighborhood from the 1970s with a slightly older resident profile. The first Gouda Knarrenhof (a senior living concept) is located here. The apartment offerings consist of low-rise and mid-rise buildings in a spacious setting with lots of greenery.

Goverwelle, to the northeast, is Gouda's most densely populated district. The layout is more compact, parking is tighter, and the municipality is trying to add more greenery during redevelopments — but space is limited. Goverwelle has its own station (Gouda Goverwelle) on the line to Alphen aan den Rijn, which makes the district attractive to commuters who do not necessarily need to live in the city center. The apartments here are predominantly from the 1990s: functional, reasonably maintained, affordable.

Westergouwe: The New District

Westergouwe is Gouda's major new construction project, west of the city in a former polder area. The district is being built in phases and is halfway: phases 1 and 2 are largely completed, phase 3 is under construction, and a new Masterplan has been drawn up for the second half of the district. The final vision: a green, water-rich district with a mix of owner-occupied homes, mid-range rentals, and social housing.

Mozaïek Wonen, together with Trebbe, is building two new projects here: an apartment building with 46 social rental homes on the northern edge, and Het Ouden Huis near the future town center — 53 apartments, of which 43 are for seniors (with and without care indications) and 10 for young people, with a community center on the ground floor. Additionally, a second Knarrenhof will be built with 7 social rental apartments and 16 owner-occupied homes. The municipality positions Westergouwe as Gouda's first fully inclusive district, with neighborhood communities and meeting spaces.

The advantage of Westergouwe is new construction quality: energy-efficient, modern, spacious. The drawback is that the district is still under construction — amenities such as schools and shops are being delivered in phases, and the atmosphere of a 'finished' neighborhood is not yet present.

Renting an Apartment in Gouda: The Choice

The apartment market in Gouda is clear and falls into three segments. The city center offers character and location, but limited supply and higher rents. Korte Akkeren and Plaswijck offer the most social rental apartments and the lowest entry prices. Westergouwe offers new construction with modern standards, but few urban amenities yet. Gouda's location — centrally between Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, on the A12 and A20 — makes it a logical choice for those who need the Randstad but do not want to live right in the middle of it.