Apartments, rooms and studios for rent in Steenwijkerland

To rent in Steenwijkerland usually means renting in Steenwijk, the old fortress town with the train station, or in one of the villages around it, such as Vollenhove, Blokzijl, Oldemarkt and Giethoorn. The municipality of about 43,500 people fills the Kop van Overijssel, the north-western tip of the province, and anyone who lives here knows the reed beds and lakes of the Weerribben-Wieden national park. The rental market serves mostly people from the area and commuters to Zwolle; 13% of listings target students and 8% target expats.

Based on over 400 listings tracked on RentHunter in Steenwijkerland since February 2024, the average rent is €910 a month across all types, with 80% of listings between €566 and €1,350 and an average surface of 54 m². Apartments make up 58% of the market and houses 39%.

About 6 homes are newly listed per week (RentHunter, 28 days to November 2026). New listings in the 90 days to November 2026 have a median asking rent of €815, and asking rents are 10% lower than three months earlier.

• Apartments (58% of the market, €850) An apartment in Steenwijkerland costs €850 a month on average for 45 m², across 267 listings. That is 19% cheaper than in Zwolle, where an apartment averages €1,052. Apartment hunters usually start in Steenwijk, the largest town of the municipality, and 26% of listings mention a balcony. See apartments in Steenwijkerland and check the number of rooms, because 45 m² is a small average.
• Houses (39%, €1,031 a month) A house in Steenwijkerland rents for €1,031 a month on average for 66 m², across 178 listings. 38% of all listings mention a garden and 16% mention parking, so a house is the way to get outdoor space. Houses for rent in Steenwijkerland give you a garden more often than an apartment does, but at 66 m² the average house is not large.
• Furnished (13%) and student listings (13%) In Steenwijkerland, 13% of listings are furnished, 13% target students and 8% target expats. The municipality has no university or college of its own, so students who rent here often study in Zwolle and take the train from Steenwijk.

Living in Steenwijkerland comes down to one choice: Steenwijk, with the station, shops and schools, or a village where water and space replace that convenience. Both sides of the municipality sit in Overijssel, close to the Drenthe and Friesland borders.

Steenwijk is the only town in Steenwijkerland with a railway station, and its centre still lies inside the ramparts of the old fortress town. Shops, schools and the station are all within cycling distance, which is why most people who want an apartment and a short commute look here first. The A32 motorway towards Meppel and Heerenveen passes the town, which helps if you drive to work.

Giethoorn, Wanneperveen and the hamlets of the Weerribben-Wieden national park are the water side of Steenwijkerland. Many homes in Giethoorn sit along canals crossed by footbridges, and summer brings boats and day visitors to the village. Renting here suits people who want canoe routes and footpaths outside the door and who do not mind a bus or a bike ride to Steenwijk station.

Vollenhove and Blokzijl were ports on the Zuiderzee before the Noordoostpolder was drained, and both kept their harbour fronts. In Steenwijkerland they are the choice for renters who want a small town with a marina, a short drive or a bus ride from Steenwijk.

Commuting from Steenwijkerland runs through Steenwijk station, on the railway between Zwolle and Leeuwarden, with intercity trains that stop at Meppel on the way to Zwolle. From the villages, add a bus or bike ride to the station, which makes door to door trips much longer than the train alone.

Zwolle is the nearest major city to Steenwijkerland, reached by intercity from Steenwijk with a stop at Meppel. It is also the place to compare prices: an apartment in Zwolle averages €1,052 a month, against €850 in Steenwijkerland. Zwolle also has the Isala hospital and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, two large employers and study places for people who rent in Steenwijkerland.

Groningen is reached from Steenwijkerland by train with a change at Meppel, onto the line from Zwolle to Groningen via Assen. The trip is long for a daily commute, so it suits renters who work in Groningen a few days a week.

Amsterdam and Utrecht are reached from Steenwijkerland via Zwolle, where intercity trains leave for both cities. That trip fits hybrid work better than a daily commute.