Rent an Apartment in Leeuwarden
Frisian capital with a leaning tower, a prison that became a library, and the birthplace of Mata Hari and Escher.
On May 28, 1529, master builder Jacob van Aaken began constructing a church tower intended to be one hundred and twenty meters high. In 1533, he stopped. The tower sank into the soft Frisian soil, more than two meters off-plumb. Leaning more than the Tower of Pisa. Thirty-nine meters high, never finished, never demolished. The Oldehove still stands today, in the Oldehoofsterkerkhof, as the most visible proof that Leeuwarden is a city that preserves its failures alongside its successes. And successes there are: European Capital of Culture in 2018, the birthplace of Mata Hari (Kelders 33, 1876) and graphic artist M.C. Escher. Those considering renting an apartment in Leeuwarden will find themselves in a city with more depth than most people suspect.
Apartments in Leeuwarden
The municipality has over 130,000 inhabitants (2026) and is growing steadily: in 2023, 1,800 were added, and in 2024, another 1,200. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences has over 23,000 students, and Campus Fryslân is the Leeuwarden faculty of the University of Groningen. This student population leaves its mark on the apartment market. Of the 65,879 homes in the municipality, 38 percent are apartments, almost 25,600 units. That is a significant share for a city outside the Randstad. The combination of student demand, a growing population, and lower rental prices than in the west attracts more and more people. Finding an apartment easily is not simple, but the supply is broader than in many comparable cities.
The City Center: From Blokhuispoort to Canal Apartment
The city center of Leeuwarden has the structure of a medieval city that originated in 1435 from the merger of three villages: Oldehove, Nijehove, and Hoek. The canal system is intact. Along the Zuidvliet, de Tuinen, and Noordvlietstraat are the canal houses where most apartments in the city center are located: floors in historic buildings, sometimes with a view of the water.
The most striking building is the Blokhuispoort. A prison stood here as early as 1500. The current complex dates from the second half of the nineteenth century. In 2007, the prison closed. From 2017, it was transformed into a cultural center: more than 130 entrepreneurs, the dbieb library (voted Best Library in the Netherlands in 2019), restaurant Proefverlof, a hostel, and an escape room. The transformation won the Gulden Feniks in 2018. The Fries Museum is located on Wilhelminaplein, designed by Bierman Henket and partly made possible by the legacy of architect Abe Bonnema, who left eighteen million euros to the museum upon his death in 2001. The collection includes Grutte Pier's sword, Frisian traditional costume, and the largest Mata Hari exhibition ever held.
€885 / month
€1,200 / month
€1,095 / month
€893 / month
€864 / month
€1,195 / month
Oranjewijk and de Schrans: Upper-floor Apartments from the Interbellum
The Oranjewijk borders directly on the city center and largely dates from 1900-1925. Over sixty percent of the homes were built during that period. It is a compact and recognizable neighborhood of 684 addresses. De Schrans is the main shopping street that cuts through the neighborhood. Above the shops are apartments with views of street life. The average construction year of the buildings on de Schrans is 1926.
It is the type of neighborhood where you live in an apartment older than your grandparents, with high ceilings, sliding doors, and the creaks of a wooden floor that has been in use for a century. The rent is lower than in the city center. The atmosphere is less touristy, more everyday. The shops on de Schrans are for residents, not visitors.
Heechterp-Schieringen: From Post-War Flats to Circular New Construction
Heechterp-Schieringen was built between 1958 and 1963: 576 homes in 24 apartment blocks. Post-war reconstruction, gallery flats, the standard recipe of the time. Sixty years later, the buildings are at the end of their lifespan. The neighborhood renewal plan, Heechterp Vernieuwt, provides for the demolition of all 576 homes and the construction of approximately 620 new ones, spread over at least ten years.
Phase 1 is complete: the Wilgenflat on Egelantierstraat delivered 36 apartments of approximately 75 square meters, two bedrooms, and an open kitchen. All 36 were rented before completion in May 2024. Phase 2 is underway: 63 apartments and 17 ground-level homes on Schieringerweg and Magnoliastraat, built with biobased materials and connected to district heating. The concrete from the demolished flats will be reused as foundations. Phase 3 will start in the summer of 2026. For those looking for a new apartment in Leeuwarden, Heechterp is one of the places where concrete supply will be added in the coming years.
Apartments Price Breakdown in Leeuwarden
| Bedrooms | Average | Median | Price Range | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | €834 | €825 | €678 - €1,100 | 1 |
1 | €975 | €939 | €520 - €1,500 | 4 |
2 | €1,114 | €1,100 | €810 - €1,595 | 3 |
3 | €1,085 | €1,108 | €932 - €1,170 | 0 / 6 |
Camminghaburen and Aldlân: Cauliflower and Bonnema
Camminghaburen, built between 1977 and 1996, is a cauliflower neighborhood: winding streets, courtyards, deep gardens, ponds, lawns. From above, the layout looks like a cauliflower, hence the nickname. The neighborhood is located on the east side of Leeuwarden, near the De Groene Ster recreational area. The apartment supply is more limited than in the city center or Heechterp, but there are small-scale complexes nestled in greenery.
Aldlân, south of Camminghaburen, began in 1972, designed by architect Abe Bonnema and landscape architect Mien Ruijs. The same Bonnema whose legacy made the Fries Museum possible. Wide streets, deep gardens, apartment buildings on the edges, a walking path along the Van Harinxmakanaal. The apartments in Aldlân are typical of the seventies: functional, spacious for their time, with views of greenery and water.
Middelsee: Three Thousand Two Hundred Homes South of the Canal
Middelsee is Leeuwarden's largest new construction project. South of the Van Harinxmakanaal, a completely new district is emerging: 3,200 homes, divided into six sub-areas. Havenstêd will have an industrial character with a waterfront and guest harbor. Wetterstêd mixes living and working along new canals. De Fellingen focuses on families, with a green courtyard structure next to Redbadpark. Barrahûs will be the most urban part, with apartment buildings along Overijsselselaan.
The first homes are already there. Tolvesum delivers canal villas and city villas, inspired by seventeenth- and twentieth-century architecture. Haveneiland will bring 75 homes, with construction starting in early 2025. And a new NS station is coming: Werpsterhoeke, expected in 2028. This station will change the accessibility of the entire southern part of the city. For the apartment market, Middelsee is the project that will make a difference in the next ten to fifteen years.
The Oldehove: More Leaning Than Pisa
Started in 1529, stopped in 1533. Thirty-nine meters high, more than two meters off-plumb. The tower was intended to be part of a cathedral that was never completed. The St. Vitus Cathedral that stood next to it has long been demolished. The crooked, unfinished tower still stands, as Friesland's most idiosyncratic monument.
Blokhuispoort: From Cell to Library
As early as 1500, a prison was located here. In 2007, the last cell closed. Today, the Blokhuispoort houses more than 130 entrepreneurs, the Best Library in the Netherlands (2019), a hostel, and a restaurant called Proefverlof. The transformation won the Gulden Feniks and was the beating heart of European Capital of Culture 2018.
Birthplace of Mata Hari and Escher
Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, later known as Mata Hari, was born in 1876 at Kelders 33, above her father's hat shop. M.C. Escher, the graphic artist whose impossible staircases went around the world, was also born in Leeuwarden. The Fries Museum houses the largest Mata Hari exhibition ever put together.
The apartment market in Leeuwarden is in motion. Middelsee is bringing thousands of homes, Heechterp is being completely renewed, and the old Cambuur site in Oud Oost is making way for up to 548 homes. But demand is growing faster than supply. Those looking for an apartment here would do well to set up a search alert so that you receive immediate notification of new listings. Have proof of income and identification ready digitally. The city center and the Oranjewijk have little turnover. New supply will appear in Heechterp and Middelsee. Flexibility in neighborhood increases your chances.
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