Renting a home in the Netherlands: a newcomer guide

The three rental sectors

Every self-contained Dutch home gets a points score under the woningwaarderingsstelsel (points system). Floor area weighs most, then things like the energy label, kitchen, bathroom and the WOZ value (the official property valuation). Since 1 July 2024 the Wet betaalbare huur (Affordable Rent Act) ties a maximum rent to the points for most homes.

The €1,228.07 cap is the liberalisatiegrens (deregulation limit). The real maximum for a specific home depends on its exact score, so a small mid-rent flat can have a much lower cap. Social housing is mostly let by woningcorporaties (housing associations) through waiting lists that can run for years, so most newcomers rent mid-rent or free sector from private landlords.

Before you sign, run the home through the Huurcommissie's huurprijscheck. You need the WOZ value, the energy label and the area of each room. If the rent is above the maximum for the points, you can ask the Huurcommissie (rent tribunal) to assess it within 6 months of the contract start. If it agrees, the lower rent applies from day one. Keep paying the agreed rent until it rules.

Your rights under the Wet goed verhuurderschap

The Good Landlordship Act applies to every landlord and letting agent, and the gemeente (municipality) enforces it. Every gemeente has a meldpunt (reporting point) for bad landlord behaviour.

• Deposit: at most 2 months of kale huur (bare rent, without service costs) for contracts from 1 July 2023. It must come back within 14 days after you move out, or within 30 days if the landlord deducts unpaid rent, service costs or damage, with a written breakdown. Normal wear and admin fees cannot be deducted.
• Agent fees: if the agent works for the landlord, the landlord pays. The agent may not charge you bemiddelingskosten (agency fees) as well. You only pay an agent you hire yourself.
• Written information: the contract must be in writing, and the landlord must give you written information on your rights, the deposit, service costs, their contact details and the gemeente's meldpunt.
• No discrimination or intimidation: landlords who advertise publicly need a published, non-discriminatory selection procedure, and must tell rejected applicants why someone else got the home.

Permanent contracts are the default

Since 1 July 2024 the Wet vaste huurcontracten (Permanent Rental Contracts Act) means new contracts are open-ended. A temporary contract of up to 2 years is only allowed for listed groups, such as students coming to study, tenants moving out during renovation, people in urgent need and separated parents. Renting under the Leegstandswet (vacant property act) is still possible. If a landlord offers a working professional a 12-month contract, it is in most cases legally open-ended anyway. An open-ended contract does not trap you: you can give notice.

Check that you can register

If you stay 4 months or more, you must register at the address where you live within 5 days of arriving. Registration in the BRP (Personal Records Database) is how most newcomers get their BSN (citizen service number), and you need it for huurtoeslag and much else. Some landlords forbid registration, often because the home is let without the right permit. Ask before you sign, and get the answer in writing. See our BSN guide for the appointment itself.

Huurtoeslag in 2026

Huurtoeslag (rent benefit) is paid by the Belastingdienst. From 2026 there is no longer a maximum rent to qualify, but only rent up to €932.93 counts in the calculation, or €498.20 if you are under 21. Only bare rent counts, not service costs. You also need to:

• be 18 or older and rent a self-contained home: your own lockable front door, kitchen, toilet and shower or bath;
• be registered at the address with the gemeente;
• live here lawfully: EU citizens with a valid residence status, others with a residence permit that gives the right to allowances;
• have savings below €38,479 per resident, or €76,958 for partners together, on 1 January 2026.

There is no fixed income limit: it depends on your rent, age and household. Use the Belastingdienst's trial calculation. Rooms usually do not qualify.

How to spot a rental scam

• The rent is low for the size and location.
• The landlord is abroad and can only be reached online, so there is no viewing.
• You are asked to pay rent, deposit or fees to a foreign bank account, or before the viewing.
• You are pushed to pay today to secure the home.

Never pay anything before you have viewed the home and signed a contract. Search the landlord's name and the address with “oplichting” (fraud), and reverse-search the photos. Landlords are not on the government's list of organisations entitled to a copy of your ID. If you share one anyway, make it with the free KopieID app, which strikes out your BSN and photo and adds a watermark. If you have paid a scammer, call your bank straight away, report it to the police and check the Fraudehelpdesk.

Where to search

• Funda and Pararius list most private homes for rent, many of them through agents.
• Rooms and student or short stays: Kamernet lists rooms, studios and short stays, a good first base while you look for something permanent. HousingAnywhere is another platform aimed at international students and short stays.
• Social housing: register with your region's housing association portal on day one, as waiting lists are long.

Landlords usually ask for a gross income of a multiple of the rent. Check what you take home with our salary calculator, and see moving to the Netherlands for the rest of your first month.