Houses for Rent in Meppel

Renting a house in Meppel means a family home in a Drenthe town of about 33,000 people, right where the railway from Zwolle splits toward Groningen and Leeuwarden. Based on over 100 listings tracked on RentHunter since March 2024, a house for rent in Meppel averages €1,093 a month for about 87 m², with 80% of listings between €765 and €1,450.

What sets the Meppel house market apart is outdoor space: 65% of listings mention a garden. Parking is mentioned in 11% of listings, and in practice many houses rely on a space in the street or a shared car park, so ask the landlord rather than assume.

After years in Meppel, the pattern is clear to me: the town draws couples and families who work in Zwolle, Groningen or the region and want a house with a garden for the price of a city apartment. 4% of listings are aimed at expats, so most landlords expect Dutch paperwork: ID, recent payslips and an employer statement.

Meppel is small enough to cross by bike in about a quarter of an hour, so choosing a neighbourhood is about the kind of house you want more than the distance.

Meppel's centre is a compact web of canals around the Grote of Mariakerk, with the Hoofdstraat as the main shopping street. Houses here are older townhouses, often with a courtyard rather than a full garden, and the station is a short walk away.

On summer Thursdays the Meppeler Donderdagen fill the centre with market stalls and music, which is part of the charm but worth knowing if you sleep lightly.

Koedijkslanden is one of Meppel's larger residential districts, with streets of family houses, back gardens and primary schools within walking distance. Renters with children choose it for the quiet streets and the short cycle to the centre. A gezinswoning here usually comes with a shed for the bikes, which you will use daily.

Nieuwveense Landen is Meppel's newest residential area, on the side of town toward the village of Nijeveen. Houses here are recent, with a good energy label that keeps heating bills down. Expect less character than the centre and more space for a car.

A house in Meppel averages €1,093 a month across these listings, about 17% below Zwolle, where houses average €1,321. That is roughly €228 a month, or about €2,700 a year, saved for a town one intercity stop from Zwolle.

By size, 2-bedroom houses average €976 across 27 listings and 3-bedroom houses €1,119 across 75 listings, by far the most common type. The step from two to three bedrooms costs about €143 a month. 19% of listings are furnished, a gemeubileerd huis that suits a temporary posting; the rest come unfurnished or gestoffeerd, with floors and curtains but no furniture.

79% of listings state that you can register at the address. The deposit is capped at two months of base rent, and you register with the municipality of Meppel within 5 days of moving in. If a house is above budget, compare the apartments in Meppel or a room in Meppel as a first step, or browse the whole Meppel rental market.

Meppel station is the junction where the line from Zwolle splits toward Groningen and toward Leeuwarden, so trains leave in three directions. Zwolle, the nearest big city, is the next intercity stop south, and the A28 and A32 motorways meet just outside town.

Groningen is about 47 minutes from Meppel by public transport, a realistic daily commute for people working at the university, the UMCG hospital or the offices around Groningen station.

Utrecht is about 76 minutes from Meppel by public transport, a trip that works for two or three office days a week. Hybrid workers can keep a job in the Randstad this way while renting a house with a garden in Drenthe.

Amsterdam is about 93 minutes from Meppel by public transport, too long for most daily commuters but fine for one or two days a week.