Renting a home in the Netherlands: a guide for newcomers

Finding a home is usually the hardest part of moving to the Netherlands. Homes to rent are scarce, the rules on deposits, agency fees and rent are strict and mostly on your side, and you need an address you can register at to get your citizen service number (BSN). This guide covers the rules that matter for a newcomer, with an official source for each.

Rules and figures as of 9 October 2026. Check your own situation with the IND or a qualified adviser before you act on it.

Finding a home

The government's own estimate is a statistical shortage of 384 thousand homes in 2026, 4.6% of the housing stock. Expect many applicants for each listing in the big cities, plan for weeks rather than days, and have your documents ready before you start.

Where to look. Private rentals are advertised on the large rental platforms, through letting agents and in local groups. Social housing is owned by housing corporations and allocated through regional systems. It usually needs registration and a long wait, so it is rarely a quick option for a newcomer. Each municipality explains how its own system works, and the rules can differ from city to city.

Agents and direct landlords. Dutch law forbids letting agents and other intermediaries to charge tenants fees, including fees labelled contract, administration, marketing or advice costs. If your landlord uses an agency, the landlord pays it. If an intermediary charges you anyway, you can go to court to recover it, and since 1 July 2023 you can also report it to your municipality. The government describes one different case: if you yourself hire an intermediary to find you a home, you bear that cost, so ask for the terms in writing first.

Short stays while you search. Hotels, serviced apartments and furnished short-stay rentals can bridge the first weeks. Ask before you book whether you can register at the address, because a BSN needs one (see below). If you will live in the Netherlands for less than four months within six months, you register in the Register of Non-Residents (RNI) instead, which also gives you a BSN.

What you will pay

If a landlord asks for a deposit above the limit, you can refuse to pay it, report it to the municipality, or ask a court to reduce it.

The points system and the Affordable Rent Act

The Dutch housing valuation system (woningwaarderingsstelsel, WWS) gives a home points for its size, energy label, kitchen, bathroom and other features, and the points set a maximum rent. The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur) took effect on 1 July 2024 and extended maximum rents from social housing to the middle segment.

These are the figures for contracts starting on or after 1 January 2026. They are indexed every January, so check the current year. The law applies to new contracts signed on or after 1 July 2024, and since 1 January 2025 a landlord must give you the points score. You can calculate a home's points yourself with the Huurcommissie's free Rent Check. If you think your starting rent is too high, you can ask the Huurcommissie to check it within six months of the start of the tenancy; if the rent is too high, the lower rent applies from the start of the contract. At the time of writing a tenant pays €25 up front to start a procedure.

Rent allowance (huurtoeslag)

Rent allowance is a monthly payment from the Tax Administration to people on lower incomes. It is unlikely to apply on a highly skilled migrant salary, but it can matter for a partner with a lower income. The conditions the Belastingdienst lists for 2026:

• You rent an independent home with its own lockable front door, kitchen, toilet and, since 1 March 2024, its own shower or bath. A room in a shared house does not qualify.
• You are registered at that address in the BRP.
• Your income is below a limit that depends on your household and your rent, and your assets on 1 January 2026 are at most €38,479 per person (€76,958 for partners together).
• You are at least 18. If you are not a Dutch national there are extra conditions about your residence status, so use the Belastingdienst calculator for your own case.

From 2026 a rent above the old maximum no longer rules you out by itself, so more people qualify than before.

Contracts

Since the Wet vaste huurcontracten took effect on 1 July 2024, the rule is that a tenant gets a contract for an indefinite period. Temporary contracts of up to two years are allowed only in specific cases set by law, for example for some students, for a home that is about to be renovated or for people who need short-term housing for a defined social reason. The government's list does not include newcomers who simply move for work, so a landlord who offers you a temporary contract should be able to say which exception applies.

This may change. In July 2026 the government put a draft law on suitable rental contracts (passende huurcontracten) out for consultation. It would allow temporary contracts of up to two years for students, expats and labour migrants, with a minimum quality standard. The consultation ran until 28 August 2026 and it is not law. Check the Rijksoverheid page for the current position.

Before you sign:

• Get the contract in writing. Since 1 July 2023 a tenancy agreement must be written.
• Check the type (indefinite or temporary, and on what ground), the basic rent, the service costs and what they cover, the deposit and when it is returned, and the notice periods.
• Ask for the points score and run the Rent Check.
• Check that you can register at the address, and get that in writing before you pay a deposit.

If you and your landlord disagree about the rent, service costs or maintenance, the Huurcommissie handles the dispute and its decisions are binding. For advice on your own situation, contact the Juridisch Loket or your municipality. This guide is general information and not legal advice.

Registering at the municipality and getting your BSN

If you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, you must register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) at your municipality within five days of arriving. You register in person, it is free, and you get your BSN when you register. You need it for your salary, tax, a bank account and healthcare. The registration is usually processed within about four weeks, and the confirmation with your BSN comes by post. The visa guide shows where this fits in the move.

What to bring. Check your municipality's page for the exact list. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven ask for the same things in outline:

• a valid passport or ID for each person you register, and your residence permit or proof of your application;
• proof of your address: a rental or purchase contract or, if you move in with someone, a signed declaration of consent from the owner or main occupant, usually with a copy of their ID;
• original foreign civil documents such as a birth certificate and, if relevant, a marriage certificate, which usually must be legalised or apostilled. Translation rules differ: Utrecht, for example, accepts English, German and French documents without a sworn translation.

Why the address matters. There is no BSN without registration, and no registration without an address you can register at. A home where you cannot register can delay your first salary, your health insurance, your DigiD and your rent allowance. Ask before you commit, put the answer in writing, and treat "no registration possible" as a reason to keep looking. In Eindhoven the Holland Expat Center South registers highly skilled migrants by appointment; elsewhere the municipality counter does it, and appointments are often needed.

Avoiding rental scams

Scammers advertise homes that do not exist, or that are not theirs, at an attractive price. The Fraudehelpdesk lists the warning signs.

• Never pay before you have seen the home. A deposit, fee or first months' rent demanded before a viewing is the classic scam.
• Never send money to a "landlord abroad" or to a foreign bank account. Be wary of anyone who can only be reached by email or messaging, or who cannot show you the home.
• A rent that is low for the size and area is a warning. Compare it with similar listings.
• Search the landlord's name and the address with words like "scam" or "complaint", check that the address exists, and do a reverse image search on the photos.
• Visit at different times if you can, and ask the police whether anything is known about the landlord.
• If something is wrong, report it to the Fraudehelpdesk and the police.

An agent working for the landlord cannot charge you fees for a viewing or a contract. If you are asked, that is a reason to walk away.

Your first month

1. Register at the municipality within five days and get your BSN (above).
2. Take out Dutch basic health insurance within four months of arriving. It is compulsory. See Government.nl.
3. Get a DigiD once you have a BSN. You need it for tax, rent allowance and many municipal and health services.
4. Open a Dutch bank account and give your employer your BSN and bank details.
5. Arrange gas and electricity. You choose your energy supplier, and you pass on your meter readings within five working days of moving unless you have a smart meter.
6. Internet and mobile: compare providers for your address and check the minimum contract length before you sign.
7. Insurance: health insurance is required by law. Contents and liability cover are your choice, though some leases ask for them, so read yours.
8. Ask your employer about the 30% ruling, which the guide explains, and about timing.
9. Watch for your municipal tax bill. In many cities tenants receive one for waste collection.
10. Bringing family? The family guide covers registering everyone.