Check the contract type, rent, deposit and notice
Most new home-rental contracts agreed from 1 July 2024 are for onbepaalde tijd (an indefinite period). A temporary contract needs a legal exception. Before signing, check the contract type, kale huur (basic rent), servicekosten (service costs), points and notice period. For contracts agreed from 1 July 2023, the deposit is capped at two months’ basic rent.
This guide covers a huurcontract (rental contract) for a home or room in the Netherlands, whether you are signing, renting or leaving.
Identify the contract type
Match the date you agreed the contract and its clauses to the categories below. The Wet vaste huurcontracten (Fixed Rental Contracts Act) made indefinite contracts the default from 1 July 2024. The words “temporary” or “free sector” on a contract do not decide your rights.
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| Contract | When it applies | How it can end |
|---|---|---|
| Onbepaalde tijd | The default for most new residential contracts agreed from 1 July 2024. | You give valid notice. Your landlord needs a legal ground. If you object, a court must decide whether to end the tenancy. |
| Temporary exception: up to two years | You must fit one of the exceptions in the Rijksoverheid (Dutch government) temporary-contract rules (External site, opens in a new tab). See the exact legal conditions below. | Your landlord must send a written end reminder 1 to 3 months before the end date. You can give notice earlier. Your landlord cannot end it early. An extension becomes indefinite. |
| Temporary contract agreed before 1 July 2024 | The old limit was two years for zelfstandige woonruimte (a self-contained home), or five years for onzelfstandige woonruimte (accommodation with shared essential facilities). | The old rules still apply. Check the end date and written reminder. An extension becomes indefinite. |
| Doelgroepencontract (target-group contract) | Examples include a campuscontract (student tenancy), or a contract for young people, older people, people with physical disabilities or large families. | The target-group contract rules (External site, opens in a new tab) set specific grounds for ending the tenancy. This is a separate contract type from a two-year temporary exception. |
| Other fixed arrangement | For example, tussenhuur (intermediate rental) with a diplomatenclausule (clause for the landlord or an earlier tenant to move in). The contract must say that the landlord or earlier tenant will live there after the agreed rental period and that you must leave then. That person must still intend to live there. Another example is a fixed contract longer than two years. | For tussenhuur, your landlord must give valid notice. If you object, a court must decide whether to end the tenancy. Check the exact clause and get advice before planning an early departure. These arrangements can exclude early notice. |
For a new temporary exception contract lasting up to two years, at least one of these eight legal categories must apply. The Besluit specifieke groepen tijdelijke huurovereenkomst (decree on temporary-contract exceptions) (External site, opens in a new tab) gives the conditions. These first four concern study, building work or housing support:
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| Situation | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| Study | A person temporarily living in another Dutch municipality for study, or a student from abroad studying in the Netherlands. |
| Building work | A tenant who must leave their home temporarily because of urgent building work or renovation. |
| Shelter or social emergency | A person leaving social shelter, or facing a social emergency with a demonstrably urgent need for housing. |
| Second chance | A tenant whose earlier tenancy ended for serious nuisance through a court decision, or by agreement after the landlord threatened court proceedings and eviction for nuisance was very likely. |
For the separated-parent exception, at least one child must be under 18. The island-work exception applies on the five islands listed below:
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| Situation | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| Bereavement | A bereaved person whose main residence was the home when the tenant died and who cannot legally continue that tenancy. The decree sets no age limit for this exception. |
| Parents living apart | A parent of one or more children under 18 who no longer shares a lasting household with their other parent and wants to keep living near the children. |
| Island work | A person who needs temporary housing for work on Ameland, Schiermonnikoog, Terschelling, Texel or Vlieland. |
| After asylum reception | A statushouder (asylum residence-permit holder) moving directly from a COA (Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers, asylum reception agency) (External site, opens in a new tab) reception facility while awaiting permanent housing from the municipality. |
Ask the landlord to show which exception applies to you. The legal conditions above take priority over a shortened government summary. A July 2026 rental-contract consultation (External site, opens in a new tab) proposed other contract options. Use the rules already in force when checking your contract.
Check the written terms before signing
For agreements made from 1 July 2023, your landlord must record the tenancy in writing and give you written information about your rights. The Wet goed verhuurderschap (Good Landlordship Act) sets these duties. Check all of these details in the contract, its attachments and the check-in report:
- Landlord and tenant names, the address, the start date, the contract type and any valid end clause.
- Basic rent shown separately from the monthly service-cost advance.
- The deposit amount, payment record and repayment account.
- The woningwaarderingsstelsel (WWS, housing valuation system) points and maximum basic rent.
- The rent-increase calculation and date.
- A signed inventory and condition report, with meter readings and photographs.
- Rules on access, repairs and complaints, and contact details for the municipal reporting point.
Landlords must provide a WWS points calculation for new contracts from 1 January 2025.
Your landlord generally needs your permission to enter your home. An urgent emergency is an exception. Ask for the access rules in writing if they are missing.
Check the basic rent and WWS points
The WWS links housing-quality points to a maximum basic rent. Floor area, energy performance and facilities count.
Use the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) Huurprijscheck (rent check) (External site, opens in a new tab) for your kind of accommodation. A room needs a different check from a self-contained home. The figures below apply in 2026.
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| Living space | Correct check | What to remember in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Zelfstandige woonruimte: own entrance, kitchen, toilet and bathroom | Self-contained-home rent check | The 2026 points table gives €932.93 per month at 143 points and €1,228.07 at 186 points. Your sector also depends on the contract date and starting basic rent. |
| Onzelfstandige woonruimte: a room with shared essential facilities | Room rent check | Rooms have a separate regulated points table. The 143- and 186-point thresholds apply to self-contained homes. |
| Caravan or pitch | Caravan or pitch rent check | These have their own points table and regulated maximum rent. |
Rules for contracts agreed before 1 July 2024 can differ. Keep the first contract, the initial rent and the points calculation. The guide to Dutch rent limits and the points system explains how to challenge a high rent.
For a starting-rent assessment, apply to the Huurcommissie within six months of the tenancy starting. If it lowers the rent, that reduction applies from the start. For temporary exception contracts agreed from 1 July 2024, its guidance counts six months from signing. Check that date too if you signed before moving in.
An older temporary contract agreed before 1 July 2024 and lasting up to two years has a longer deadline: six months after it ends. Later checks of regulated rent can still reduce future rent. They generally do not recover overpayments back to the start.
Separate service costs from basic rent
Your landlord can charge actual permitted service costs and must not make a profit on them. Compare your monthly advances with the annual statement. The statement must show the costs, your share and whether you owe money or receive a refund. You must receive it by 1 July each year.
Ask for the underlying invoices if the figures are unclear. Check whether you pay heating, electricity and other utilities through the landlord or directly to a supplier. If the contract gives one combined rent without separating basic rent and service costs, ask the landlord to split it. The words “all inclusive” alone do not show whether heating, electricity or cleaning is included.
Record the deposit and condition
A waarborgsom (deposit) is capped at two months’ basic rent for contracts agreed from 1 July 2023. For earlier contracts, the cap is three months’ basic rent. For example, a new contract in 2026 with €900 basic rent and a €100 service-cost advance has a maximum deposit of €1,800. The service-cost advance does not count in the cap.
Your landlord must repay the deposit within 14 days after the tenancy ends if there are no deductions. If permitted deductions apply, your landlord must send a full written cost statement and pay the remainder within 30 days. The official deposit rules (External site, opens in a new tab) set these deadlines.
Only four costs can be deducted: unpaid rent, unpaid service costs, damage you are responsible for, and an unpaid energieprestatievergoeding (energy-performance fee). Ordinary wear and damage caused by poor landlord maintenance are excluded.
Take these steps to record your payment and the home’s starting condition:
- Pay by bank transfer and keep the contract, invoice and proof of payment.
- Make dated photographs and videos of each room, including existing marks and meter readings.
- Ask both sides to sign the inventory and check-in report. A clear starting record helps show whether damage was already there.
Apply the correct notice rule
The notice rule depends on who ends the tenancy and which contract you have. To end your tenancy, send a registered letter and keep the receipt. Under the official tenant-notice rules (External site, opens in a new tab), an email or ordinary letter is also valid if the landlord confirms receipt.
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| Who and contract | Notice rule | Limit to check |
|---|---|---|
| You: indefinite contract or qualifying temporary contract up to two years | Usually one rental-payment period, commonly one month. You need no reason. | Check the notice clause against the legal rule. Special housing and other fixed arrangements can differ. |
| You: other fixed arrangement | Early notice can be excluded. | Check a fixed contract longer than two years or a tussenhuur clause before relying on one month’s notice. |
| Landlord: indefinite contract | A legal ground and 3 to 6 months’ notice, depending on how long you have rented. | If you do not agree in writing, the tenancy continues until a court ends it. |
| Landlord: valid temporary exception | A written end reminder 1 to 3 months before the agreed end date. | An early, late or missing reminder means the tenancy continues for an indefinite period. |
Legal grounds include serious rent arrears or nuisance, urgent own use, refusal of a reasonable contract change, the landlord needing the property to carry out a valid zoning plan, and certain target-group or return clauses. Refusing a change only to the rent is not the reasonable-change ground. Ask the landlord to identify the ground in writing and get advice before agreeing to leave.
Koop breekt geen huur (sale does not end a tenancy) means an ordinary sale leaves your tenancy in place. A narrow exception lets a former owner-occupier end a tenancy to sell only if every legal condition and the required contract clause are met. Check the official landlord-termination rules (External site, opens in a new tab) and get advice if your landlord relies on this exception.
Check a 2026 rent increase
The national percentage sets a maximum; it does not automatically increase your rent. Check the contract and the notice procedure against the official rent-increase rules (External site, opens in a new tab). Use the limit in force on your increase date.
The social-sector, room, caravan and pitch limits below apply from 1 July 2026. The middle- and free-sector limits apply from 1 January to 31 December 2026. The figures below apply in 2026.
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| Sector | 2026 annual limit | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Social sector: self-contained home | From 1 July 2026: 4.1% at basic rent of €350 or more; up to €25 below €350. A qualifying income-based increase can instead be up to €50 or €100. | The euro amount replaces the percentage. The rent must stay within its points-based maximum. |
| Room, caravan or pitch | From 1 July 2026: 4.1%. | The €50 and €100 income-based increases apply only to self-contained social homes. |
| Middenhuur (middle-sector rent) | 6.1% from 1 January to 31 December 2026. | An annual-increase clause is required. A lower contractual calculation stays lower. The points-based maximum also applies. |
| Vrije sector (free rental sector) | 4.4% from 1 January to 31 December 2026. | An annual-increase clause is required. A lower agreed percentage applies; a higher one is capped. The statutory cap runs until 1 May 2029. |
Your landlord can normally increase the rent once every 12 months. Social-sector rules allow exceptions in the first tenancy year or after a delayed earlier increase. Middle- and free-sector rules allow exceptions for specified temporary rent reductions or freezes. Increases after home improvements have separate rules in each sector.
Check the old and new basic rent, date, notice and calculation. For a social-sector increase proposed by your landlord, written notice must arrive at least two months beforehand. If a social contract instead has an automatic annual-increase clause, get advice about the court route for disputing that increase.
For an annual increase in the middle or free sector, apply to the Huurcommissie within four months of the increase date. For example, an increase from 1 July 2026 has a filing deadline of 1 November 2026.
Close the tenancy and recover the deposit
Keep evidence of the final condition and every returned key. Follow these steps when you leave:
- Give valid written notice.
- Agree the final date with your landlord.
- Request a pre-inspection early enough to fix damage you caused.
- Get a signed final inspection report.
- Take new dated photographs and videos.
- Read the meters again.
- Record every returned key.
- Give your repayment account to the landlord.
- Request the deposit in writing after 14 days if you have received neither repayment nor a deduction statement.
The final service-cost statement can arrive after you return the keys. Keep the contract and payment records until you have checked that settlement too.
Choose help for common rental problems
The problem decides who can help. Every gemeente (municipality) has a reporting point, but local advice services and rental permits vary. Use the route that matches your problem:
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| Route | Use it for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Huurcommissie | Starting rent, points, many rent increases, maintenance defects and service costs, where the tribunal can hear the case. | It does not recover a withheld deposit. Its free-sector powers are more limited. |
| Meldpunt goed verhuurderschap (good-landlordship reporting point), or a local huurteam (tenant advice team) | Intimidation, unlawful charges, missing information and rent-rule enforcement. Report to the municipality where the home is. Search that gemeente’s official website for “meldpunt goed verhuurderschap” and use its reporting form or contact details. | Every municipality has a reporting point. Huurteam availability and permit rules vary. A report does not itself guarantee repayment. |
| Kantonrechter (sub-district judge) (External site, opens in a new tab) | Deposit repayment, contract disputes and termination disputes outside or after the tribunal route. | A lawyer is not mandatory, but you still need to follow deadlines and provide evidence. |
| Het Juridisch Loket (legal advice service) (External site, opens in a new tab), or a tenancy-law adviser | Advice before signing a settlement, accepting termination or starting a case. | Het Juridisch Loket gives personal help to people with a low income and limited savings. This guide gives general information. |
Keep one file with your signed contract, initial rent, WWS calculation, condition reports, bank records and all notices.
If your home and income qualify, check the huurtoeslag (rent benefit) guide. Rent benefit helps with costs; it does not decide whether your contractual rent is lawful.
- Author
- By Inburgering.org team
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by Kirill Svavolia
Official Sources
- Rijksoverheid: Wet vaste huurcontracten vanaf 1 juli 2024 van kracht (External site, opens in a new tab) - the law that makes new rental contracts entered into from 1 July 2024 indefinite (permanent) by default
- Rijksoverheid: Moet ik een huurcontract voor onbepaalde tijd aanbieden? (External site, opens in a new tab) - permanent contracts, earlier temporary contracts, the two-year exception limit, end reminders and early tenant notice; the legal decree below gives the exact exception conditions
- Rijksoverheid: Mag mijn verhuurder een waarborgsom vragen? (External site, opens in a new tab) - the deposit cap of two months' basic rent, return within 14 days, and the only four costs a landlord may deduct
- Rijksoverheid: rules for landlords and rental agents (External site, opens in a new tab) - written contracts and tenant information, landlord access, deposits, service costs and municipal enforcement under the Wet goed verhuurderschap
- Rijksoverheid: Welke regels gelden er voor een huurverhoging? (External site, opens in a new tab) - that rent can normally rise only once every 12 months and how to contest an increase at the Huurcommissie
- Rijksoverheid: Maximale huurverhoging 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - the 2026 maximum rent increases: 4.1% social sector, 6.1% mid-rent, 4.4% free sector
- Rijksoverheid: Hoe zeg ik de huur op van mijn woning? (External site, opens in a new tab) - the tenant notice rules, including the usual one-month period and exceptions for some fixed arrangements and special housing
- Rijksoverheid: Mag mijn verhuurder de huur opzeggen van mijn woning? (External site, opens in a new tab) - the statutory grounds and 3-to-6-month notice for landlord termination, including the narrow conditions for sale by an owner-occupier
- Government.nl: Step-by-step plan for tenants (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 rental sectors, rent checks, written tenant information, service costs, mediation fees and municipal reporting offices
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland (government housing portal): Wet betaalbare huur (Affordable Rent Act) (External site, opens in a new tab) - the modernised WWS points system regulating mid-rent homes up to 186 points, in force since 1 July 2024 and enforceable by municipalities since 2025
- Huurcommissie (External site, opens in a new tab) - the tribunal’s role in rent, maintenance and service-cost disputes; its specific procedure pages below give eligibility and deadlines
- Huurcommissie: Huurprijscheck (External site, opens in a new tab) - separate online points checks for self-contained homes, rooms with shared facilities, caravans and pitches
- Overheid.nl (Dutch government portal): Wet vaste huurcontracten (Fixed Rental Contracts Act) (External site, opens in a new tab) - enacted rules for temporary-contract reminders and extensions, earlier contracts, and the narrow owner-occupier sale ground
- Overheid.nl: Besluit specifieke groepen tijdelijke huurovereenkomst (decree on temporary-contract exceptions) (External site, opens in a new tab) - the eight legal exception categories and their conditions; this legal text takes priority over shortened government summaries
- Overheid.nl: technical amendments effective from 1 January 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - the temporary-contract decree now refers to a COA reception facility; the other seven exception categories remain unchanged
- Overheid.nl: Wet goed verhuurderschap (External site, opens in a new tab) - written-contract and information duties, deposit return rules and the four permitted deduction categories
- Rijksoverheid: target-group rental contracts (External site, opens in a new tab) - contracts for students, young people, older people, people with physical disabilities and large families; notice and court protection
- Rijksoverheid: proposed changes to rental contracts, July 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - the July 2026 consultation concerns proposed contract options, rather than rules already in force
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: mandatory WWS points (External site, opens in a new tab) - landlords must give new tenants a points calculation from 1 January 2025; municipalities can enforce regulated rent limits
- Rijksoverheid: social, middle and free rental sectors (External site, opens in a new tab) - classification by initial rent, contract date and points; own entrance, kitchen, toilet and bathroom for self-contained accommodation
- Huurcommissie: maximum basic rents for self-contained homes in 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - 143 points gives €932.93 per month; 186 points gives €1,228.07 per month in the 2026 points table
- Huurcommissie: starting-rent assessments (External site, opens in a new tab) - six-month deadlines, the older temporary-contract exception, and reductions that apply from the tenancy’s start
- Rijksoverheid: step-by-step plan for tenants (External site, opens in a new tab) - later rent checks concern future rent; landlords charge actual service costs and every municipality has a reporting point
- Rijksoverheid: service costs (External site, opens in a new tab) - annual statements by 1 July, utilities paid through a landlord or supplier, and splitting an all-in rent
- Huurcommissie: annual increases in the middle sector (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 ceiling of 6.1%, the need for an increase clause, and the four-month dispute deadline
- Huurcommissie: contractual rent increases (External site, opens in a new tab) - middle- and free-sector frequency exceptions, contractual limits and deadlines; court route for social-sector contractual increases
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: landlord termination grounds (External site, opens in a new tab) - conditions for a diplomatenclausule, including the landlord’s or earlier tenant’s intended occupancy; sale normally preserves a tenancy; refusing a rent-only change is not a reasonable-change termination ground
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: deposits and condition reports (External site, opens in a new tab) - deposit deductions, landlord proof of damage, condition reports and the court route; the Huurcommissie does not recover deposits
- Rechtspraak (Dutch courts): rental-dispute procedures (External site, opens in a new tab) - rental disputes before the kantonrechter and the rule that a lawyer is not mandatory
- Het Juridisch Loket (External site, opens in a new tab) - personal legal advice for people with a low income and limited savings
- Het Juridisch Loket: tenant notice (External site, opens in a new tab) - notice tied to the rental-payment period and early termination with a diplomatenclausule
- Rijksoverheid: COA official website and role (External site, opens in a new tab) - identifies COA as the asylum reception agency and links its official website
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: municipal reporting points (External site, opens in a new tab) - municipal reporting points for landlord problems, their role and differences in local arrangements