Renting an Apartment in Hengelo

Hengelo is located at the crossroads of Twente. Ten minutes by train to Enschede, fifteen minutes to Almelo, forty-five minutes to Zwolle. There are direct intercity trains to Amsterdam and international trains to Berlin. For a city of 84,000 inhabitants (2026), this is exceptional. Those considering renting an apartment in Hengelo choose a place that is smaller and cheaper than Enschede but offers the same accessibility. The rental homes page covers single-family houses by neighborhood. This page focuses on the apartment offerings: where to find them, what to expect, and which parts of the city are most suitable.

The free-sector apartment supply is concentrated in three areas: the city center with its pre-war upper floors and newer complexes, the post-war neighborhoods with multi-story walk-up and gallery flats, and the future Hart van Zuid along the Twentekanaal. The differences in construction period, home size, and rent are significant.

The City Center: Upper Floors and New Complexes

The center of Hengelo is compact. Around the Marktplein and the shopping streets are buildings from the early twentieth century, the heyday of the metal industry. The upper floors of these buildings form part of the apartment offerings: floor-through apartments with character, sometimes with high ceilings and original details, but not always with modern insulation.

In addition, newer apartment complexes have been built in the center. Modern, better insulated, often with an elevator and balcony. The distance to the station is short. Shops and catering establishments are within walking distance. It is the place for tenants who want to live an urban lifestyle in a city where urbanity is not self-evident. Outside the center, Hengelo quickly feels suburban. Those who want to avoid that choose the center.

Single-level living with a sunny terrace

€900 / month

Steintjesweide 11, Hengelo

2

65 m²

In consultation

Apartment

Berflo Es: Apartments on Industrial Land

Berflo Es is located south of the city center, partly on and around the former Stork site. The northern part has an industrial past that is still palpable. The southern part consists of early post-war terraced houses and multi-story walk-up flats. The neighborhood is in motion: parts are being redeveloped, new homes are being built where factories once stood.

For tenants looking for an apartment, Berflo Es offers a mix of old and new. The multi-story walk-up flats from the post-war period are more spacious than you might expect. The newer homes in redevelopment areas have better energy labels. Rents are lower than in the city center. The distance to the station is ten minutes by bike.

Hasseler Es: The Broadest Selection

Hasseler Es, with almost 12,000 inhabitants, is the largest district of Hengelo. Its post-war design combines single-family houses with multi-story walk-up flats and gallery flats of four to five floors. These flats form the largest contiguous apartment offering in the city.

The homes date from the 1950s to the 1970s. They were built functionally, not for appearance. But the apartments are more spacious than what you get in new construction for the same rent: two to three bedrooms, a separate balcony, often a storage room. The neighborhood has its own shopping center, schools, and sports facilities. It is the neighborhood for tenants looking for square meters at a low rent, without attaching much importance to architecture.

Klein Driene: Two Faces

Klein Driene, on the east side of Hengelo, has two parts that differ greatly. The eastern part, which residents call De Noork, is traditional and small-scale. The western part is more modernistic and sleek. Both parts have multi-story walk-up flats with apartments.

The neighborhood dates from the 1950s and 1960s. The apartments are modest in size but well-maintained. It is a quiet neighborhood without special amenities, within cycling distance of the center. For tenants looking for an affordable apartment in a neighborhood where it is quiet after eight in the evening, Klein Driene is an option that is often overlooked.

Hart van Zuid: The District That Isn't There Yet

Between Hengelo station and the Twentekanaal lies fifty hectares of former industrial terrain. Stork and Hazemeijer had their factories here. Now the site is being transformed into Hart van Zuid: a mixed-use urban area with homes, offices, catering, and public space along the water.

It is one of the largest inner-city transformations in the Netherlands. The first homes are under construction. For tenants, Hart van Zuid is still the future, but it is relevant future. The location, directly next to the station and on the canal, makes it the place where Hengelo's apartment supply will grow most strongly in the coming years. Anyone who sets up a search query on our platform now will receive a notification as soon as properties become available there.

Dichtersbuurt and Schildersbuurt: The Pre-War Option

The Dichtersbuurt and Schildersbuurt are located directly around the city center. They were built between 1900 and 1940, during the period when Hengelo grew due to the metal industry. The buildings are small-scale: narrow streets, low buildings, brickwork. The apartment offerings here consist of upper floors in residential houses. No elevators, no balconies, but character and a central location.

These are neighborhoods for tenants who prefer a small apartment with atmosphere over a more spacious apartment in a flat. The homes are not large. Two rooms is the standard, three rooms is an exception. But you live within walking distance of the station, shops, and catering.

A Dynamic Apartment Market

Hengelo's apartment supply is more modest than in Enschede but also less overheated. There is a choice in different price ranges: from the multi-story walk-up flats in Hasseler Es and Klein Driene to the upper floors in the center and future new construction in Hart van Zuid.

The market is moving. Hart van Zuid will add hundreds of homes to the best location in the city in the coming years. Those searching now have a choice from the existing offerings in the neighborhoods. Those who leave their search query on our platform will also receive new offerings as soon as they become available. Keep your documents ready. In a dynamic market, speed makes the difference.