Renting a House in Leerdam

In 1765, the first glass factory opened in Leerdam, on the banks of the Linge. In 1877, Jeekel and Mijnssen's crystal glass factory followed, growing into the enterprise that put the town on the map. Andries Copier, who joined at the age of thirteen in 1914, became artistic director in 1927 and designed the "Gildeglas" (Guild Glass) that made the factory world-famous. H.P. Berlage and Frank Lloyd Wright contributed designs. In 1953, the factory was named Royal Leerdam Crystal. On August 1, 2020, production permanently ceased. The furnaces went out after 255 years. Anyone considering renting a home in Leerdam is renting in a city that was shaped by glass for two centuries. The factory buildings, the working-class neighborhoods, the National Glass Museum, the 23 light ornaments lining the streets: it's all still there.

Leerdam has 20,230 inhabitants (2025) and is part of the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden. The city is centrally located: the A2, A15, and A27 are all within a ten-minute drive. Leerdam station is on the MerwedeLinge line. Gorinchem can be reached in eleven minutes, Geldermalsen in a few stops. In Geldermalsen, you transfer to the Sprinter train to Utrecht, with a total travel time of about forty minutes. The Linge, the longest river that originates entirely in the Netherlands, flows through the city. The historical center is walled. The Zuidwal (South Wall) still stands, with medieval towers now serving as homes or cafes. City rights were granted in 1382 by Otto van Arkel. It is a city with layers.

Leerdam-West: Where the Furnaces Stood

Leerdam-West is the largest district with 8,010 inhabitants (2025). This is where the glass factory once stood. The neighborhood "Glasfabriek" (Glass Factory) is named after it. It is a district built in waves. Four percent dates from before 1945, 22 percent from 1945-1965, fifteen percent from 1965-1975. But most remarkably: 31 percent was built after 2015, due to Broekgraaf.

The housing stock is mixed: terraced houses (39 percent), apartments (34 percent), corner houses (18 percent). Rental housing accounts for 63 percent, the highest of all districts. The population density is 5,524 per square kilometer. It is the district with the most offerings, from post-war terraced houses in the Staatsliedenbuurt and Raadsliedenbuurt to the new developments in Broekgraaf.

Broekgraaf: Twelve Hundred and Fifty Homes in the Meadows

Broekgraaf is the new residential area on the west side of Leerdam. Construction started in 2014, planned until 2027, in six phases. Approximately 1,250 homes when everything is completed, eighty percent of which have already been realized. The district has its own facilities: two primary schools, a health center, and a sports club. The architecture here and there subtly refers to the glass tradition: decorative bricks, round stained-glass windows.

Broekgraaf-Noord, one of the sub-districts, has 790 inhabitants (2025) in 304 homes. More than half are electrically heated, almost half are gas-free. It is the part of Leerdam that is furthest ahead in the energy transition. The "De Glazenier" project delivered 23 apartments in a four-story building according to BENG standards, with a sedum roof and solar panels. For renters, the offerings in Broekgraaf trickle in: most homes are for sale, but there are also free-sector rentals available. Those looking for new builds should look here.

The Center: Fortification Walls and "Muizentorentjes"

Leerdam's center is compact and old. 38 percent of the homes date from before 1945. The population density is 7,321 per square kilometer, the highest in the city. 63 percent of the homes are apartments. It is a district of upper-floor apartments, flats in historic buildings, and narrow streets along the Linge.

The Zuidwal is the most visible remnant of the fortification. The medieval city wall still stands, with square towers that earned the nickname "Muizentorentjes" (Mouse Towers) in the eighteenth century. Some have been converted into homes, one is used as a cafe. The Grote Kerk (Great Church) has a thirteenth-century tower. The Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden (Lady Van Aerden's Almshouse), built in 1770 based on the will of Maria Ponderus, is a national monument and houses seventeenth-century Dutch masters and eighteenth-century Amsterdam silver. Renting in the center means living in a fortified city that is still largely intact. Parking is limited, the homes are old, but the station is five hundred meters away.

Leerdam-Noord: The Semi-Detached District

Leerdam-Noord has 5,625 inhabitants (2025) and a profile unlike anywhere else in the city: 51 percent of the homes are semi-detached. Nationwide, that average is considerably lower. The district was built within a tight timeframe: 67 percent dates from 1970-1985. It is a classic expansion district from the seventies and early eighties, with wide streets, front gardens, back gardens, and the kind of uniformity characteristic of that period.

Homeownership is sixty percent, forty percent are rentals. For families looking for a spacious home with a garden, Leerdam-Noord is the district with the most floor space per dwelling. It is not a district that appears in architectural guides, but it fulfills its purpose: spacious living within cycling distance of the center and the station.

The rental market in Leerdam is manageable. With 20,000 inhabitants and a housing stock of almost 9,000, it's not a large city, but its location attracts commuters working in Utrecht or Gorinchem. Broekgraaf brings new offerings, but most are for sale. In the existing neighborhoods, especially Leerdam-West and Leerdam-Noord, lies the bulk of the rental housing supply. Set up a search alert so you receive immediate notification of new homes. Have proof of income and identification ready. In a city of this size, homes don't become available every day, and timing counts.