Renting a Home in Voorburg

Voorburg and Nijmegen have been vying for the title of the oldest city in the Netherlands for decades. Voorburg's claim rests on Forum Hadriani, a Roman civilian settlement that was granted city rights in the second century as Municipium Aelium Cananefatum. That history is literally in the soil. Herenstraat, now one of the oldest shopping streets in the country, follows the course of the ancient coastal ridge where the Romans settled. Anyone considering renting a home in Voorburg will find themselves in a town of about 43,000 inhabitants (2025) that administratively belongs to the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg but distinctly has its own character.

That character is both village-like and urban. Voorburg borders The Hague so directly that the transition is invisible in some places. Voorburg Station is a four-minute sprinter ride from The Hague Central. Tram 2 takes you there in fifteen minutes. The A12 and A4 are nearby, and Delft is ten minutes by car. This position makes Voorburg attractive to people who want the tranquility of a smaller residential area without giving up the accessibility of the Randstad.

Old Voorburg: Herenstraat, the Vliet and Hofwijck

The historic heart of Voorburg is compact and recognizable. Herenstraat runs like a backbone through the old center, from Westeinde to Oosteinde. On either side are buildings from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. None of these buildings are identical. They are former residences of merchants, notaries, and artisans, some of which have been split into upper floors that are now coming onto the market as rental properties.

Parallel to Herenstraat runs the Vliet, the historic waterway that connects Voorburg with Delft and Leiden. On the Vliet stands Hofwijck, the country estate that Constantijn Huygens had built in 1642 as a counterbalance to bustling The Hague. It is now a museum, but the surroundings still exude that seventeenth-century tranquility. Living in Old Voorburg means small spaces in characteristic buildings, narrow staircases, and the scent of old wood. The neighborhood has about 7,200 inhabitants, and turnover is low. If something becomes available here, it goes quickly.

1-bedroom apartment with balcony and parking space

€1,437 / month

Burgemeester Feithplein 131, Voorburg

1

72 m²

6/1/2026

Apartment

Quiet Double Upper House near Julianabaan

€1,495 / month

Jan Mulderstraat 20, Voorburg

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Bright 3-room apartment with 2 bedrooms

€1,595 / month

Herman Gorterstraat 66, Voorburg

2

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Maisonette in Bezuidenhout with private parking space

€2,000 / month

Johannes Camphuijsstraat, Voorburg

2

81 m²

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Energy-efficient 4-room maisonette in Voorburg

€1,450 / month

Van Tuyll van Serooskerkenstraat 49, Voorburg

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New 2-bedroom apartment in The Hague

€2,250 / month

Boekweitkamp 161, Voorburg

2

85 m²

5/1/2026

Apartment

Voorburg-Midden: Villas, Parks, and the Transition Zone

Between the old center and the post-war neighborhoods lies Voorburg-Midden, a district of about 8,000 inhabitants that derives its character from two parks: Middenburg and Sonnenburgh. The avenues around these parks have wide sidewalks, old trees, and detached houses from the interwar period. Parkweg, Koningin Wilhelminalaan, and Prinses Mariannelaan form the framework of this neighborhood.

The housing supply here differs greatly from Old Voorburg. Fewer upper floors, more single-family homes. Thirties architecture with bay windows, front gardens, and tiled roofs. Some of these houses were once built as owner-occupied homes and later entered the rental market. These are spacious houses in desirable locations, and the rental market reflects that. Families looking for three or four bedrooms with a garden, and willing to pay the corresponding budget, will find what they are looking for closest in Voorburg-Midden.

Bovenveen: Post-War and Down-to-Earth

North of Voorburg-Midden lies Bovenveen, divided into three neighborhoods: Noord, Midden, and Zuid. The district was built in the 1950s and 1960s when Voorburg was growing rapidly, and homes were needed for young families. The result is recognizably post-war: terraced houses with small backyards, multi-story apartment buildings of three to four floors, and a clear layout with schools and shops within walking distance.

Bovenveen lacks the allure of the old center or the grandeur of the villa avenues. But it is a functional neighborhood. The houses are solid, the neighborhood is quiet, and amenities are close by. For tenants who think practically, Bovenveen is interesting: more square meters than in Old Voorburg, less competition than around Parkweg, and the station is within cycling distance. About 7,000 people live here, and the atmosphere is that of an average post-war residential area. No pretensions, but a roof over your head in a good environment.

Essesteijn: The Seventies on the Southern Edge

Essesteijn is Voorburg's youngest and largest expansion district, built in the 1970s and 1980s. It is the only neighborhood that genuinely feels suburban: wider streets, more parking space, a car-oriented layout. Along the main roads are flats of six to eight floors. In between are single-family houses in blocks, with backyards that open onto communal green spaces.

The district has four neighborhoods and its own shopping center. The architecture is typical of the seventies: brutalist flats next to low terraced houses, lots of concrete and brick. Not the most beautiful period in Dutch architectural history, but the houses are more spacious than in older neighborhoods, and the floor plans are more practical. Essesteijn attracts tenants who are looking for space for a family and are willing to live a little further from the center. The tram stop on Mgr. van Steelaan still takes you to The Hague Central in sixteen minutes.

Where The Hague Ends and Voorburg Begins

The border between Voorburg and The Hague is sharp on paper but fluid in practice. On the Hague side of the border are neighborhoods such as Mariahoeve and Bezuidenhout. On the Voorburg side are the avenues of Voorburg-Midden. The difference is not in the buildings but in the atmosphere: Voorburg is quieter, clearer, with less traffic and more recognizable faces in the supermarket.

For tenants working in The Hague, that is the core of the consideration. You live just outside the city, with all the advantages of a smaller residential area: lower parking pressure, a center you can walk through in ten minutes, neighbors who greet you. The downside is that the supply is more limited. Voorburg has about 43,000 inhabitants spread across a handful of neighborhoods. Dozens of rental homes do not become available every week. Anyone who wants to live here must be alert. Set up a search alert, have your documents ready (payslips, employer's statement, copy of ID), and respond the same day if something suitable appears. The market in Voorburg is not large, but those who are patient and prepared will find a home here in an environment that is hard to match.