Home Rental in The Netherlands
Home Rental - Housing in The Netherlands
How do you find your first home in The Netherlands?Where to start? How to apply for a subsidy?
Renting property in The Netherlands can be quite a challenge but with motivation and perseverance you will succeed.
We hope this short guide will help you find your next home.
SOCIAL HOUSING, PRIVATE HOUSING AND ANTI-KRAAK
Social housing in the Netherlands is housing where the rent is subsidized to make it more affordable. To apply for social housing, first, you must register with the social housing association in your region. Check with your municipality to find your local organisation. Be aware that there are long waiting lists for social housing (it takes often several years to get one).
Private housing: the contracts are liberalised, which means that there is more flexibility for the landlord and tenant when it comes to the rental price and what it includes. As a tenant in the Netherlands, you are protected by the law in several ways and there are also ‘rental support agencies’ which will advise you free of charge, like Woon in Amsterdam: and a ‘Rent Tribunal’ where you can turn to for support when you have disputes with regards to housing rent
“Anti-kraak” / Property guardianship is an arrangement by which people are granted cheap accommodation in return for living flexibly, often in desirable locations and unusual properties such as former commercial buildings like pubs, offices, police stations and even historically important properties.
STAY INFORMED. PAGES & BLOGS
There are many websites and blogs about house rental in The Netherlands, here we share some you may find interesting
I am Expat writes about Anti-kraak
Dutchreview has created a guide about house rental in The Netherlands
Expatica tells you here about some basics
Xpat explains about renting rules
WHERE TO START LOOKING?
To start you adventure in The Netherlands you will probably look for a ‘shared apartment’ and to achieve lower prices you may want to focus on the outskirts of the cities.
Hereby some of the most common websites to look for a room/apartment once you are in The Netherlands:
Funda: probably one of the most used websites for both rental and purchasing properties in The Netherlands.
Kamernet for rental apartments and rooms in shared apartments. A fee is required to respond to advertisements.
Kamer.nl here you can find rooms, studios and apartments. Users can create a profile listing their specifications to receive email alerts on relevant properties.
KamersAmsterdam (in Dutch) for rooms in share apartments in Amsterdam.
Housing Anywhere is an online housing platform around the world.
Pararius short and long-term rental properties through various agencies.
And some Facebook groups
· Amsterdam apartments for rent HERE
· Rooms available in Amsterdam HERE
· Rooms/apartment/houses in Amsterdam HERE
· Rooms/aoartments in Maastricht HERE
· Rooms/apartments The Hague HERE
· Rooms/apartments Utrecht HERE
Use your network
Share on TRIBE NL community groups that you are looking for a flat, surely there are more members in your region who are also looking. Joint search is often easier.
Ask your colleagues at work, you can also place an announcement on the company's social networks or on the company's bulletin boards, ask Human Resources for advice on where to advertise.
APPLYING FOR HOUSING BENEFIT / HUURTOESLAG
The rent benefit (huurtoeslag) is a government contribution towards your rental costs. To be eligible for huurtoeslag, you must meet certain conditions. For example, your combined income and assets must be below a certain level. To read more about this and find the right links go HERE