Renting a Home in Kampen

Kampen was once one of the most powerful trading cities in the Netherlands. Cog ships sailed from here across the Zuiderzee to Denmark and the Baltic countries. When trade shifted to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Kampen lagged. In the nineteenth century, the tobacco industry filled the void: around 1880, almost half of the population worked in the cigar industry, producing a million and a half cigars per week. These two eras built the city. The Hanseatic period brought the city center: the Gothic Bovenkerk, the three city gates, the warehouses along the IJssel. The cigar period brought the working-class neighborhoods. Those considering renting a home in Kampen are renting in a city that was created twice.

The municipality has about 56,800 inhabitants (2025), of which 38,400 live in the city itself. The rest live in IJsselmuiden across the river and in the smaller towns. Kampen has two train stations. Kampen station is near the city center and takes you to Zwolle in eleven minutes. Kampen Zuid station is on the Hanzelijn, opened in 2012, with a direct connection to Lelystad (thirty minutes) and Amsterdam Centraal (just over an hour). These two stations make Kampen more accessible than many cities of comparable size. The N50 provides the car connection to Zwolle and the A28. The rental market has tightened as the Reevedelta attracts more people, but the supply is not yet as overheated as in Zwolle.

Brunnepe: the fishing village by one architect

Brunnepe is older than the neighborhood suggests. Even before 1329, there was a fishing village here outside the city walls. Fishermen, farmers, small shopkeepers. When Schokland was definitively evacuated in 1859, many "Schokkers" settled in Brunnepe. This origin left its mark.

What makes Brunnepe special is that almost the entire neighborhood was designed by one architect: G.B. Broekema (1866-1946). The buildings predominantly date from 1905-1910. The Begijnekwartier, with Begijnestraat and Begijneplein, is the highlight of his work. The street names refer to two medieval monasteries that once stood here. The Kloosterkwartier forms the other focal point. The result is a neighborhood with a coherence you rarely see: the same hand in every facade, every roofline, every corner. The houses are over a century old, but the structure is intact. Those who rent here live in a piece of urban planning that was conceived as a whole, not grown piece by piece.

The City Center: protected cityscape between three gates

The city center of Kampen is a nationally protected cityscape. At least 507 national monuments, plus 359 municipal monuments. The layout is medieval: elongated streets parallel to the IJssel, connected by narrow cross streets. Oudestraat is the historic shopping street and main artery. The Gothic Bovenkerk, a fourteenth-century cruciform basilica, dominates the skyline. The Nieuwe Toren marks the second landmark.

Three city gates still stand. The Koornmarktspoort on the IJssel side, with two heavy towers from the fifteenth century. The Broederpoort, built in 1465, received its current Renaissance facade in 1615 from architect Thomas Berendtsz. The Cellebroederspoort, built in 1466-1468, is also his work. You walk in and out of the city through these gates. Renting in the city center means apartments and upper-floor dwellings in monumental buildings. Vloeddijk and Hofstraat are well-known addresses. Parking is difficult, the houses are old, and insulation is sometimes moderate. But you live amidst eight centuries of urban development.

IJsselmuiden: the village across the river

IJsselmuiden is located on the right bank of the IJssel, connected to Kampen by the city bridge. It has a village character distinct from the city. The oldest buildings are along the historic strips, with the Dorpskerk as its center. The brickwork is light to reddish-brown, with narrow light joints. Lower, wider, quieter than the city center.

In the nineties and two thousands, expansion districts were added. Zeegraven (1993-1998) and Oosterholt-Noord (2005-2008) added ground-level homes in a suburban layout. East of the village lies the Koekoek polder, where greenhouse horticulture provides local employment. For renters looking for a family home with more space than the city center offers, IJsselmuiden is the logical alternative. You can cycle across the bridge to the center in five minutes.

De Maten and the Stationskwartier: two faces of new construction

De Maten, built between 1995 and 2005, stands out with its architecture. Expressive forms, unconventional materials, a density higher than you'd expect from a Kampen suburb. It's a neighborhood that divides opinions: some find it refreshing, others find it busy. The homes are predominantly ground-level.

The Stationskwartier is the city's most recent project. The architecture refers to the small-scale historic city center without copying it: predominantly low-rise, with higher accents at prominent locations. It's located near Kampen station, with a direct connection to Zwolle. Construction is ongoing. It's a neighborhood in the making, but the first outlines are visible.

Reevedelta: three thousand six hundred homes on the water

The Reevediep is a side channel of the IJssel, constructed to provide space for the river during high water. Along this channel, the Reevedelta is emerging, the largest construction project Kampen has ever seen. The plan: at least 3,600 homes in ten to fifteen years, an average of three hundred per year.

The project consists of two parts. Reevedelta West includes the village of Reeve, where the first homes became visible in early 2025. The first phase had 600 homes, now expanded to 922. More than sixty percent of the additional homes fall into the affordable segment. Reevedelta Oost includes the Stationskwartier, Het Onderdijks, the Oeverwal, and the Venekwartier. The latter offers space for approximately 500 homes, with construction expected to start in 2028. Living on the water, with expansive views over the IJssel landscape. For Kampen's rental market, the Reevedelta is decisive: this is where most of the new supply will come in the coming years.

The rental market in Kampen is dynamic. The Reevedelta will bring thousands of homes in the coming years, but demand is growing accordingly. Those seriously considering renting a home in Kampen would do well to set up a search alert so that you receive immediate notification of new listings. Make sure proof of income and identification are digitally ready. The city center and Brunnepe have little turnover; there, you need luck with timing. There is more movement in the Reevedelta and IJsselmuiden. Flexibility in neighborhood increases your chances.