Huurtoeslag in 2026: how to apply

If you rent a home in the Netherlands, all standard conditions below apply together. Dienst Toeslagen (benefits service) (External site, opens in a new tab) has separate rules for some situations.

You must also meet these income, asset and rent conditions.

Your address must be correct in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, Personal Records Database).

Keep your rental agreement and bank statements as evidence. For the contract itself, read Dutch rental contracts explained.

A self-contained home needs all of these facilities:

• Your own living or sleeping space.
• Your own kitchen with a sink, water supply, drainage and a connection for a cooker.
• Your own flush toilet.
• Your own entrance door that locks from inside and outside.
• Your own shower or bath (required since 1 March 2024).

Sharing an entrance, hall, stairs or lift is allowed if your home has all the private facilities above. Sharing a kitchen, toilet, shower or bath normally means you cannot get huurtoeslag. Under the official rules for homes that qualify (External site, opens in a new tab), some student rooms designated before 1 July 1997 and designated supported housing can qualify.

A houseboat does not qualify. A fixed floating home can qualify if it meets all four conditions. It must be self-contained and fixed by poles to the ground beneath the water. It must stay still as the water moves. It must also have a fixed access route from the shore.

A holiday home can qualify if the local plan permits permanent occupation. It can also qualify if the municipality has given you permission to live there permanently. You must be able to prove that permission. Ask the landlord or municipality about your home.

If you are still looking for a home, read Finding a rental in the Netherlands.

Your residence status must give you the right to benefits. The rules below depend on your nationality or protection status.

If you are a citizen of the EU (European Union), EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland, you need qualifying lawful residence.

If you have another nationality, you normally need a valid residence permit that gives you the right to benefits.

If you have temporary protection from Ukraine, you can qualify without a residence permit. You must still meet the other huurtoeslag conditions. Check the benefit rules for people with temporary protection from Ukraine (External site, opens in a new tab).

Your partner and co-residents aged 18 or older must also meet the residence rules.

You may still get huurtoeslag if your partner or an adult co-resident is waiting for a decision on a residence-permit application. If they challenge a refusal, huurtoeslag is possible only if they have permission to wait in the Netherlands. That permission must be in the refusal letter from the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, immigration service) (External site, opens in a new tab) or in a judge’s decision. These exceptions do not replace your own residence condition. Check the official residence rules for huurtoeslag (External site, opens in a new tab) for the conditions.

A high rent alone no longer prevents eligibility in 2026. The table shows limits on the rent used in the calculation, not the amount you receive.

Special rules can give an under-21 household more benefit if it needs a more expensive home because of a disability. See the disability rules for households under 21 (External site, opens in a new tab).

A separate rule applies if you become the tenant of your deceased parents’ home. See the rules for remaining in a parent’s home under 21 (External site, opens in a new tab).

For example, in 2026 you are 25 and rent alone. Your base rent is €1,050 and your service costs are €80 a month. The calculation uses €932.93, leaving €117.07 of base rent above the limit. The €80 service costs are also excluded. You still pay part of the rent within the calculation limit. Your income and other conditions decide whether you qualify and how much you receive.

Your amount depends on annual toetsingsinkomen (income used to calculate benefits) (External site, opens in a new tab), base rent, age and household. Estimate income for the whole year, even if you apply for only part of it. Lower income usually means more benefit, but you always pay part of the rent yourself.

Use the official proefberekening before applying unless a special situation applies. The calculator cannot apply the special rules for bijzonder vermogen (special assets), such as certain compensation payments. It also cannot apply the rules for bijzonder inkomen (special income). It also cannot account for someone in your household receiving care at home or living away from home for more than a year. Ask Dienst Toeslagen to assess these situations instead.

Include income exempt from income tax under international rules when estimating your income for huurtoeslag. This can include pay from an international organisation such as the United Nations or European Union.

You need a BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number) to apply. To log in yourself with DigiD (Dutch digital identity) (External site, opens in a new tab), you also need a DigiD account. Mijn Toeslagen is available only in Dutch. Its login page also explains European login and how to authorise someone to act for you.

Prepare your rental agreement, base rent, estimated annual income and household details. If your contract gives one all-in amount, ask the landlord to split it into base rent and additional costs first.

Apply in this order:

1. Check that you meet the conditions for huurtoeslag.
2. Log in to Mijn Toeslagen.
3. Check that your registered home address appears there.
4. Choose “Aanvragen” (apply) under “Huurtoeslag”.
5. Answer the questions with your rent, income and household details.
6. Send the application.
7. Keep the confirmation.

For 2026, apply by 31 December 2027. An income-tax filing extension for you, your benefit partner or a co-resident can extend that deadline. Check the official application deadlines (External site, opens in a new tab) if you have an extension.

You normally apply once. Huurtoeslag continues into the next year while you remain eligible.

You usually receive monthly advance payments based on your estimated income. Dienst Toeslagen later compares them with your actual income and sends a final calculation. Keep your income estimate current to reduce the chance of receiving too much or too little.

If you cannot use DigiD or need help, the BelastingTelefoon (Tax Information Line) (External site, opens in a new tab) can arrange an appointment or direct you to a benefits service point.

Report any of these changes within four weeks. For address changes, update your municipal registration; the municipality sends the address details to Dienst Toeslagen. For assets, check whose assets count and the exceptions before testing the limit.

• Your estimated annual income changes.
• Your base rent changes and your landlord has not supplied the new amount.
• Your benefit partnership changes.
• You move abroad or to a home that does not qualify.
• The assets that count for huurtoeslag were over the limit on 1 January 2026.

Check the rent shown in Mijn Toeslagen. Always report your rent after a move. Also report rent changes after a renovation or in the private sector.

Starting to live together with a notarised cohabitation agreement can change your benefit partnership. Anyone moving in or out must update their municipal registration.

If you move to a home that does not qualify or move abroad, stop huurtoeslag as soon as possible.

If the assets that count for huurtoeslag exceeded the limit on 1 January 2026, stop the benefit for 2026. Assets acquired later normally affect the next 1 January test.

A move or a change in who lives with you can change your huurtoeslag. Check the address, rent and people shown in Mijn Toeslagen.

Report your new address to the municipality. It sends the address to Dienst Toeslagen. The new address usually appears in Mijn Toeslagen within one to five working days after the municipality processes your move. Then submit the new base rent. You do not need a new application if you move to another qualifying rental home. If you move to an owned home, abroad or another home that does not qualify, stop the benefit as soon as possible and within four weeks.

Huurtoeslag starts on the first day of a month when you meet all conditions. If you meet them later, it starts the next month. For example, you move into a qualifying home and register there on 15 October 2026. If you meet every other condition, your huurtoeslag starts on 1 November 2026.

Household members can affect both your income and asset tests. The table shows the standard asset limits for 1 January 2026. The exceptions below can change whose assets count.

A spouse or registered partner at another registered address is excluded from your huurtoeslag income and asset tests.

If a partner or co-resident counts for only part of the year, their assets normally do not count for that year. If you choose to be fiscale partners (income-tax partners) for the whole year, check how you divide assets in your joint tax return. You may have to repay huurtoeslag because of that division.

If you live apart and both have parental responsibility, you usually count half your minor child’s assets each. If only you have parental responsibility, you count all of them. Ask Dienst Toeslagen if any of these situations apply.

The official definitions of a toeslagpartner (External site, opens in a new tab) and a medebewoner (External site, opens in a new tab) decide who counts. A rental contract alone does not make someone a recognised subtenant (External site, opens in a new tab). Report a subtenant by calling Dienst Toeslagen within four weeks of their registration. If someone is counted incorrectly, ask Dienst Toeslagen to check.

For a child living at home, the first €6,218 of income is excluded in 2026 if they are under 23. The exemption also applies for the whole year they turn 23. Report their full annual income; Dienst Toeslagen applies the exemption. For a stepchild or foster child with income, call Dienst Toeslagen. See the official child-income rules (External site, opens in a new tab).

For help with a related task, use these guides:

• Get and use DigiD for account setup and login methods.
• Toeslagen (benefits) in the Netherlands for the other benefits and repayment rules.
• Dutch health insurance and zorgtoeslag (healthcare benefit) for insurance and help with premiums.