Delfshaven, Rotterdam: risk profile for apartment buyers
Delfshaven is Rotterdam's old harbour town: a municipality of its own until 1886, and one of the few parts of the city that came through the 1940 bombardment intact. Around the Voorhaven, the Achterhaven and the Aelbrechtskolk stand warehouses, the Pelgrimvaderskerk (Pilgrim Fathers' Church) and the De Distilleerketel windmill; this part is a protected townscape (beschermd stadsgezicht). The buurt is bigger than that historic core: it runs on to the Coolhaven, the Pieter de Hoochweg and the Westzeedijk, with the Delfshaven and Coolhaven metro stations at its edge and Erasmus MC and Het Park within walking distance.
For an apartment buyer this is above all a pre-war buurt: 79% of apartment buildings date from before 1945, and 10% are a national monument or sit in a protected townscape (BAG and RCE, 2026-10-18). The median building has 4 homes (BAG, 2026-10-18), so most VvEs are small. A small VvE in an old building is the most vulnerable kind: foundation repair or a new roof is then shared by a handful of owners. Always ask for the foundation survey and check that the VvE is active.
Also look at the split between owning and renting: 81% of homes are rented (CBS, 2026-10-18). In a building where a housing corporation or investor owns most of the apartments, it usually holds the majority of votes in the VvE. In a listed building, maintenance and insulation may also need a permit and cost more.
97% of homes in Delfshaven, Rotterdam are apartments in buildings with two or more homes (BAG, 2026-10-18). They sit in 501 apartment buildings, roughly the number of VvEs in the buurt (BAG, 2026-10-18). Delfshaven has 7,215 residents and an average WOZ value of €281,000 (CBS, 2026-10-18).
Risks
- Foundation risk: the postcode area around this buurt (3024TD) is classified "Overig" (PDOK/RVO, 2026-10-18). "Overig" means RVO does not classify the area itself, because the municipality of Rotterdam publishes a more current, detailed foundation map (rotterdam.nl/funderingskaart). 87% of the apartment buildings here were built before 1970, the era most associated with wooden-pile foundations (BAG, 2026-10-18). This is an area-level indication, not a per-building inspection — always ask for the VvE's own foundation report before buying.
- Flood depth: not available for this buurt (Klimaateffectatlas only gives us a raw index value here, not a real-world water depth).
- Heat stress: not available for this buurt (same limitation as flood depth — only a raw index value, not a usable figure).
- Soil status: not available for this buurt (Bodemloket data is not yet integrated).
- Energy label: we don't show per-building labels. Look up the label of the apartment you're considering on EP-Online by address. 87% of the apartment buildings here were built before 1971, an era that was often built with little or no insulation.
- Registered crimes per 1,000 residents (police/CBS, 2025): 67 (484 registered crimes, 7,215 residents). Crimes are counted where they happen, including against visitors, shops and commuters; where many non-residents come, the per-resident figure says less about residents themselves. These are police records, a different measure from the Koopscan crime signals at the bottom of this page.
Apartments in Delfshaven
- Share of apartments: 97% of homes in Delfshaven, Rotterdam are apartments in buildings with two or more homes (BAG, 2026-10-18).
- Apartment buildings: Delfshaven has 501 buildings with two or more homes, roughly the number of VvEs (BAG, 2026-10-18). One VvE can span several BAG buildings, so treat this as an approximation.
- Construction year: Of the apartment buildings in Delfshaven, 79% were built before 1945, 8% between 1945 and 1970, 12% between 1971 and 2000 and 1% after 2000 (BAG, 2026-10-18).
- Apartment size: the median apartment in Delfshaven has 74 m² of floor area (BAG, 2026-10-18).
- Monuments: 10% of apartment buildings in Delfshaven are a rijksmonument or in a protected cityscape (beschermd stadsgezicht) (RCE, 2026-10-18).
- Erfpacht: not available for this gemeente — Rotterdam publishes no open per-parcel erfpacht data. Check the title deed (eigendomsakte) or the Kadaster record before you bid.
What this building stock means for your VvE
Most apartment buildings in Delfshaven (79%) were built before 1945. Typical VvE cost themes for that era: foundations (wooden piles), wooden floors, roofs, and permits for work on monuments.
What to check in a pre-1945 building:
- Foundation: ask for the foundation survey (funderingsonderzoek) and check whether pile repair is planned and budgeted in the MJOP.
- Wooden floors and roof: look in the MJOP for beam, roof and gutter work, with a year and an amount.
- Energy label: pre-war buildings often have a low label. Look up the apartment's label on EP-Online and ask whether the VvE has an insulation plan.
General guidance based on construction era; your building may differ.
Questions to ask the VvE before you bid in Delfshaven
- When was the foundation last inspected, can I see the report, and is foundation repair in the MJOP?
- Is the building a rijksmonument or in a protected cityscape, and does the MJOP budget for permit-bound restoration work?
- When were the roof and the wooden floors (beams) last inspected, and are repairs planned in the MJOP?
- What is the energy label of the apartment and the building, and is there a plan and a budget to bring the building to label C?
- Is the VvE active: does it hold a yearly meeting, keep its own bank account and insure the building?
- Is the MJOP less than 5 years old, and is the reserve fund in line with it?
- Did the minutes (notulen) of the last three years decide on major works or a one-off contribution (bijzondere bijdrage)?
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This page is about the buildings. For day-to-day livability in Delfshaven (safety, amenities, green space), see the government's Leefbaarometer.
The neighborhood in numbers
| Population | 7,215 |
|---|---|
| Population density | 16,846 / km² |
| Average WOZ value | €281,000 |
| Housing stock | 3,766 |
| Multi-family homes | 98% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 19% |
| Rental homes | 81% |
| Homes built more than 10 years ago | 99% |
| New builds (last 10 years) | 1% |
| Urbanization | very strongly urban |
Streets and buildings
Buildings by construction year
Of the 868 mapped buildings, 74% were built before 1945, 6% between 1945 and 1970, 9% between 1971 and 2000, and 11% after 2000; the oldest dates from 1750 and the newest from 2026.Show all 41 streets and postcodes
Schools nearby
9 primary schools, 7 secondary schools, 1 vocational (mbo) location in the buurt, highest level offered: VWO.
Primary schools
- Harbour IBSR (primary school): Coolhavenstraat 29, 3024TD ROTTERDAM
- De Boog (primary school): Kedoestraat 102, 3029CK ROTTERDAM
- Delfshaven (primary school): Pieter de Hoochstraat 52, 3024CS ROTTERDAM
- De Vierambacht (primary school): Nozemanstraat 75, 3023TM ROTTERDAM
- obs Dakpark (primary school): Catharina Beersmansstr 80, 3025EJ ROTTERDAM
- CBS Mozaiek (primary school): Jaap Valkhoffplein 5, 3023PV ROTTERDAM
- Valentijn (primary school): Gijsingstraat 51, 3026RH ROTTERDAM
- KC De Vlinder (primary school): Albregt-Engelmanstraat 34, 3025BH ROTTERDAM
- Basisschool Müllerpier (primary school): Sint-Jobskade 14-16, 3024EN ROTTERDAM
Secondary schools
- Unie Noord (secondary school — VBO/MAVO/HAVO/VWO): Pieter de Hoochstraat 29, 3024CP ROTTERDAM
- Accent Praktijkonderwijs Delfshaven (secondary school — PRO): Japarastraat 4, 3029NA ROTTERDAM
- Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam voor Mbo Bbo Mavo Vbo (secondary school — VBO/MAVO): Lloydstraat 35, 3024EA ROTTERDAM
- Scheepvaart en Transport College (secondary school — VBO): Lloydstraat 300, 3024EA ROTTERDAM
- Unie Noord - locatie RDC-ISK (secondary school — VBO/MAVO): Robert Fruinstraat 37, 3021XB ROTTERDAM
- Unie Noord-MEX010 - Dé mavo voor Expressie (secondary school — VBO/MAVO): Mathenesserdijk 455, 3026GH ROTTERDAM
- Unie Noord- Theaterhavo/vwo (secondary school — HAVO/VWO): Pieter de Hoochweg 222, 3024BJ ROTTERDAM
- Scheepvaart en Transport College (vocational (mbo)): Lloydstraat 300, 3024EA ROTTERDAM
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What share of homes in Delfshaven are apartments?
Is there foundation risk in Delfshaven?
Are apartments in Delfshaven on erfpacht?
How old are the apartment buildings in Delfshaven, and what does that mean for VvE costs?
What should I ask the VvE before buying in Delfshaven?
Every building and every apartment can have its own issues — the facts above describe the buurt as a whole, not any single home.
We individually checked 868 buildings in Delfshaven against official data (BAG, PDOK, CBS).
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