This is how renting or buying your own home works in the Netherlands

Landlords in the private sector do not have to meet many of the requirements that social housing has to meet. For example, there is no maximum rental price and there are fewer rules about its increase. In addition, you often are not eligible for rental allowance in a private sector house. You can read more about this on the page Rental allowance

Furthermore, with private sector housing, there are differences in the state in which a property is rented. For example, there are:

1. Bare homes: a bare home has no permanent flooring, lighting, wallpapered or painted walls and (sometimes) no built-in kitchen. So factor in additional costs for furnishing your home.

2. Unfurnished homes: an unfurnished home has solid carpeting, curtains or blinds, lighting and (usually) a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, hood and an oven and/or microwave. You must arrange the rest of the home's furnishings yourself.

3. Furnished homes: a furnished home has carpeting, curtains or blinds, lighting and a (nearly) fully equipped kitchen. There is also furniture in the house such as a dining table, chairs, a sofa, closets and, in many cases, a bed. You can often discuss with a landlord whether you want to keep all the furniture in the house.

Requirements for renting a free-sector home can vary by landlord. Below are the most common requirements:

• A valid ID from your country of origin

• A gross income from work of at least three times the rent

• Paying a security deposit of one to three times the monthly rent

Sometimes landlords in the free sector make demands that they are not legally allowed to make. If you have any doubts about whether the landlord is making these kinds of demands, you can contact 'Het Juridisch Loket' (the legal help desk).

There are several ways to find housing in the private sector. Keep in mind that it can take a long time to find suitable and affordable housing.

• Housing associations: sometimes housing associations also offer private sector housing. You do not need to register with the housing corporation for this. Check the website of a housing corporation in your area for their current supply of private sector housing.

• Real estate agents: sometimes realtors offer rental properties in the private sector. It may help to contact a real estate agent in your area by phone or email. Together you can check for suitable homes.

• Advertisements: Free-sector housing is often offered through advertisements in newspapers, on social media or through dedicated websites such as Funda, Pararius, Trovit and Kamernet.

Please note: online platforms such as Facebook and Marktplaats are not always trustworthy places to find a home. Look carefully to see if the photos of the property match the description. Do not pay a deposit until you have seen the property and signed a lease. Also, do not agree to anonymous payment methods, such as Western Union, Airbnb and Moneygram. If an ad seem too good to be true, it usually is.

Do you fall under the

• You usually need a housing permit. You can only apply for this from the municipality if you have a residence permit.

• You must be registered with a housing association or another organisation that provides social housing. You can check with your municipality to see which organisations these are.

• Housing corporations may set requirements for the size of your family or the amount of your income. You must meet these requirements if you want to rent from this housing corporation.

• In most cases, your income in 2025 may be up to €49,669 per year if you live alone and up to €54,847 per year if you live together.

In order to rent social housing, you must have accumulated enough 'wachttijd' (waiting period). This means you must register for the waiting period for social housing in the municipality or region where you are looking for housing. Houses are usually rented to people who have been on the waiting list the longest. The waiting period varies by municipality and can be very long. For example, the waiting period for social housing in Amsterdam is more than 13 years on average.

Even without a residence permit (and housing permit), you can already sign up for the waiting list. Sometimes this costs money. If you do get a residence permit in the future, you have already built up a waiting period. Whether you can get a residence permit in the future is different for each person.