If you search for the worst neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, you might expect a list full of failing grades. You will not get one. Not a single Rotterdam district with at least three reviews scores below 6.5 with residents. The lowest is 6.6, the highest 8.4. "Worst" is relative here: these are the districts where residents are least satisfied, not places nobody wants to live.
Bear in mind too that some scores rest on few reviews. Rozenburg, at the bottom, has five. Feijenoord and Charlois each have more than thirty, so their averages say more. We start at the bottom.
Rozenburg: 6.6
Rozenburg (5 reviews) is the odd one out. The former village sits on a peninsula between the ports, far from the rest of Rotterdam, and has been part of the municipality since 2010. That still rankles with some residents: two of them write that the village feel has gone since Rozenburg joined Rotterdam, and they are critical of the housing association. Accessibility (6.2) and amenities, community and cleanliness (all 6.0) score low.
Strikingly, safety is the strongest point at 7.6, although several residents mention a small group of young people hanging around the Raadhuisplein in the evening. And there is another side: everyone knows everyone, writes one resident, pointing to the weekly gatherings in the library as a place where nobody has to be alone. Rozenburg has just over fifty homes for sale.
Feijenoord: 6.7
Feijenoord (31 reviews) is a district of big contrasts. It runs from the high-rises of the Kop van Zuid and the revamped Katendrecht to the garden-village homes of Vreewijk and older areas such as Bloemhof and Hillesluis. The score is an average of all those worlds.
Housing (6.1), cleanliness (6.0) and community (6.2) pull the average down. A resident of Vreewijk, born and raised there, finds the area fairly pleasant but is annoyed by household rubbish left on the street too long. Another Vreewijk resident does not feel safe there after dark. On the other hand there is Katendrecht, where according to one resident everyone knows each other, and the Kop van Zuid, which someone calls calm and friendly. Accessibility (7.6) is the strongest point. The supply is large: almost 300 homes for sale and about 150 homes for rent in Feijenoord.
Rotterdam Centrum: 6.9
In the city centre (13 reviews) you see the classic urban trade-off. Amenities (8.5) and accessibility (8.4) are the highest in all of Rotterdam: everything is around the corner. Greenery (5.5) and cleanliness (5.6) are the lowest in the city.
Criticism in the reviews is mostly about what you see in the evening. A resident of the Stadsdriehoek lives opposite a coffee shop and sees dealing continue on the street after closing time. In the Oude Westen, someone describes an area with lots of potential, but also nuisance from confused people and rough sleepers in doorways. Yet there is another voice: a resident of Cool calls the area lively, with terraces, children playing and a mix of students and older people. With over 350 homes for sale and almost 300 homes for rent, the centre has the most rental listings in the city.
Delfshaven: 6.9
Delfshaven (26 reviews) finishes just above the centre. The district west of the centre, with the Nieuwe Westen, Middelland and Spangen, scores well on accessibility (8.1) and amenities (7.7), but greenery (6.1) and cleanliness (5.9) lag behind.
Reviews vary from street to street. In Middelland one resident simply calls it a great spot in Rotterdam, with sports pitches and amenities nearby. In Tussendijken someone describes a child-friendly, lively area with a pleasant little square. In Oud Mathenesse the tone is different: one resident sees the area going downhill, with broken glass on the street near a block for older people and double-parked cars. A neighbour has lived there for 34 years and still feels safe. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Delfshaven.
Charlois: 6.9
Charlois (35 reviews) has the most reviews in this group. Accessibility (7.8) and greenery (7.4) score reasonably, cleanliness (5.7) and community (6.7) lowest.
Much depends on the neighbourhood. In Oud Charlois and around Zuidplein, residents complain about drug use on the street, rubbish and poor maintenance. In Tarwewijk the tone is more hopeful: one resident writes that the area improves every year, with fewer rogue landlords and more families, and calls the location near the metro and Zuidplein fantastic. In Pendrecht and Zuidwijk people describe their area as quiet, with everything nearby. There are over 230 homes for sale and almost 70 homes for rent in Charlois.
What these districts have in common
Almost everywhere at the bottom, cleanliness is the lowest score: rubbish next to bins, litter, glass on the street. These are problems residents see every day, and they strongly colour how people judge a district. At the same time, accessibility is a strength in four of the five. The centre, Delfshaven, Charlois and Feijenoord are on the metro or tram network, and people living there are in town in no time.
Worth remembering: experiences within these districts differ a lot. Katendrecht is not Hillesluis, and Middelland is not Oud Mathenesse. Always look at neighbourhood level before you draw conclusions.
See for yourself
The page for the municipality of Rotterdam has scores and reviews per neighbourhood. Listings for the whole city are under homes for sale and homes for rent in Rotterdam. Live in one of these districts and don't recognise the picture? Rate your neighbourhood so your experience counts too.
For the other side of the city, read the best neighbourhoods in Rotterdam. For safety per neighbourhood there is the safest neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, and to compare, see the lowest rated districts in The Hague.
