Affordable Rent Act, deposits and huurtoeslag – how to find and keep a home in the Netherlands
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
The Netherlands is 4.6 per cent short of homes, rents rose again in 2026 and the rules changed with them. Here is what the Affordable Rent Act, the points system, the two-month deposit cap and huurtoeslag mean for you – and what buying costs if you decide to stay.
Three changes shape your search in 2026. On 1 January 2026 the rent limits of the Wet betaalbare huur (Affordable Rent Act) were indexed: a home is social housing if the starting rent is at most €932.93 a month, and regulated mid-rent up to €1,228.07. The same day, huurtoeslag (rent benefit) lost its maximum-rent condition. And for buyers, the transfer tax on a home you will not live in yourself fell from 10.4 to 8 per cent, while the NHG mortgage-guarantee limit rose to €470,000.
The backdrop is scarcity. According to the Rijksoverheid (central government), the housing shortage is 4.6 per cent in 2026, down from 4.8 per cent in 2025, and the target is 900,000 new homes by 2030. CBS, the national statistics office, measured rents 4.4 per cent higher in July 2026 than a year earlier.
| City | Rent rise, July 2026 on July 2025 | Existing home prices, second quarter 2026 on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | 4.3 per cent | 0.1 per cent |
| Rotterdam | 4.7 per cent | 3.2 per cent |
| The Hague | 4.4 per cent | 4.5 per cent |
| Utrecht | 4.5 per cent | 2.2 per cent |
| Eindhoven | Not in the release | 1.3 per cent |
| Netherlands | 4.4 per cent (social 4.3, free sector 4.5) | 4.2 per cent |
Source: CBS, read 24 September 2026.
What does the Affordable Rent Act mean for your rent?
Since 1 July 2024 the Netherlands has three rent sectors, sorted by the woningwaarderingsstelsel (points system), which sets a maximum rent for social and mid-rent homes. Since 1 January 2025 landlords must attach the points count to every new contract. Rooms are always social housing; only a self-contained dwelling can be in the free sector.
| Sector | Points | Starting rent, contracts from 1 January 2026 | Maximum rent increase 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social | Up to 143 | Up to €932.93 a month | 4.1 per cent from 1 July 2026 (€25 if the bare rent is under €350); 5 per cent until then |
| Mid-rent (contracts from 1 July 2024) | 144 to 186 | €932.93 to €1,228.07 | 6.1 per cent from 1 January 2026 |
| Free sector | 187 or more | Above €1,228.07 | 4.4 per cent, capped until 1 May 2029 |
Source: Rijksoverheid and the Huurcommissie, read 24 September 2026.
A rent increase is allowed once a year at most. In the free sector the landlord may not demand more than the cap, may not offer a new contract at a higher rent instead, may not end the tenancy because you refuse, and can only raise the rent if the contract contains an indexation clause. Housing corporations allocate social homes to incomes up to €51,537 (single) or €56,910 (several people) in 2026.
Contract, deposit and agency fees – your rights as a tenant
Since 1 July 2024 a new tenant gets a permanent, open-ended contract as the rule. Temporary contracts of at most two years remain possible only in listed exceptions, among them students renting in another municipality for their studies and status holders coming straight from a COA reception centre; renew one and it becomes permanent.
| Rule | What applies (national) |
|---|---|
| Deposit (waarborgsom) | At most 2 months' bare rent for contracts signed from 1 July 2023; repaid within 14 days after the tenancy ends (30 days if costs are deducted); only unpaid rent, service charges, damage you caused and the energy performance fee may be deducted |
| Agency fees | Not chargeable to you when the agent already works for the landlord, even disguised as administration or contract costs; wrongly paid fees can be reclaimed |
| Landlord's duties (Wet goed verhuurderschap, 1 July 2023) | Non-discriminatory selection; a written contract; written information on your rights; labour migrants get a rental contract separate from the employment contract, in a language they understand |
| Your notice | Usually 1 month, by registered letter or with confirmed receipt, no reason needed; a temporary contract of 2 years or less may be left early |
| Landlord's notice | Only on statutory grounds, 3 to 6 months for a permanent contract; if you object, only a court can end the tenancy and you may stay meanwhile |
| Too high a deposit | Refuse, or pay and report it to the municipality, which can fine the landlord, or ask the court to reduce it; Het Juridisch Loket gives free legal advice on 0800 - 8020 |
Source: Rijksoverheid and Het Juridisch Loket, read 24 September 2026.
The Fraudehelpdesk, the national fraud reporting desk, lists the warning signs of a rental scam: a rent that is low for the location, a landlord only reachable online or from abroad so that no viewing is possible, and payment of rent, deposit or fees to a foreign bank account. Never pay before you have seen the home. One municipal rule to know: in Rotterdam, renting in 25 listed streets has required a huisvestingsvergunning (housing permit) since 1 December 2025.
When the rent is too high: the Huurcommissie and the municipality
Any tenant can ask the Huurcommissie (rent tribunal) to test the starting rent within six months of moving in; for contracts from 1 July 2024 a check remains possible later, but a reduction then applies only for the future. Mid-rent tenants can also bring rent increases, defects and service charges to the tribunal. You pay €25 in advance, the landlord €500, refunded if you win. Since 1 January 2025 you can also report an excessive rent to your municipality, which can fine a landlord who refuses to lower it. The Huurcommissie's contact centre is on 088 - 1 600 300, working days 9:00 to 17:00.
Can you get huurtoeslag?
Huurtoeslag is paid by Dienst Toeslagen (the benefits office); you apply once, via Mijn toeslagen with DigiD, and it continues each year while you qualify. It requires an independent dwelling.
| Huurtoeslag 2026 | What applies |
|---|---|
| Maximum rent as a condition | Abolished from 1 January 2026 (2025: €900.07, or €477.20 for young people) |
| Rent over which the benefit is calculated | At most €932.93 (€498.20 for tenants under 21; the youth limit fell from 23 to 21) |
| Joint income limit | €60,525 |
| Assets on 1 January 2026 | At most €38,479 per resident, €76,958 for partners |
| Share of the rent covered | 100 per cent up to €498.20; 65 per cent up to the capping limit of €713.02 (€764.14 for 3 or more persons); 40 per cent above |
Source: Dienst Toeslagen and Rijksoverheid, read 24 September 2026.
Buying a home in the Netherlands – transfer tax, NHG and the mortgage
If you are staying, buying may beat renting. CBS puts the average price of an existing home at €496,235 in June 2026, 4.1 per cent above a year earlier. You can borrow up to 100 per cent of the valuer's figure, the income-based maximum is fixed by law each year, and you must declare every financial obligation, including student debt. A mortgage with NHG, the national guarantee, is possible up to €470,000 in 2026 for a one-off premium of 0.4 per cent.
| Overdrachtsbelasting (transfer tax) 2026 | Rate |
|---|---|
| Home you will live in yourself | 2 per cent |
| First-time buyer aged 18 to 34 who will live in the home, value at most €555,000 | 0 per cent, judged when the deed is signed; the whole value counts |
| Home not used as your main residence (second home, holiday home, buy-to-let) | 8 per cent (10.4 per cent in 2025) |
| Non-residential property | 10.4 per cent |
Source: Belastingdienst, read 24 September 2026.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask for the points count and check the sector limits (€932.93 and €1,228.07) | Before you sign |
| 2 | Check the deposit – at most 2 months' bare rent – and refuse agency fees | At signing |
| 3 | Have the starting rent tested by the Huurcommissie if it looks high | Within 6 months of moving in |
| 4 | Apply for huurtoeslag via Mijn toeslagen | Once you have DigiD and a Dutch bank account |
| 5 | Buying? Check NHG (€470,000) and the transfer-tax exemption (under 35, up to €555,000) | Before you bid |
Source: Rijksoverheid, the Huurcommissie, Dienst Toeslagen and the Belastingdienst, read 24 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 24 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- CBS – Statistics Netherlands · cbs.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Huurcommissie (national rent tribunal) · huurcommissie.nl
- Huurcommissie (national rent tribunal) · huurcommissie.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Dienst Toeslagen / Belastingdienst · belastingdienst.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Fraudehelpdesk (national fraud reporting desk, funded by the Ministry of Justice and Security) · fraudehelpdesk.nl
- City of Amsterdam (amsterdam.nl) · amsterdam.nl
- City of Amsterdam (amsterdam.nl) · amsterdam.nl
- City of Rotterdam (rotterdam.nl) · rotterdam.nl
- CBS – Statistics Netherlands · cbs.nl
- CBS – Statistics Netherlands · cbs.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid.nl (Dutch central government) · rijksoverheid.nl
- Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) · belastingdienst.nl
- Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) · belastingdienst.nl
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.