Expat housing in the Netherlands

What do you need before you can buy, rent or share a house or apartment?

Buying or renting/sharing a house or apartment is the start of your stay in the Netherlands. The only things you will need before you can rent or buy a home are:

Valid passport
Valid employment contract
If you want to rent, you will need a salary requirement of 3.5 to 4 times the rent amount (before taxes). You can include your partner’s income in the calculation

Important: Many websites state that you need a BSN number before renting or buying. That is not correct.

Start looking for a place to live

Decide where you want to live
Decide whether you want to rent or buy

Is this the first time you will be coming to the Netherlands to live and/or work and are not so familiar with the Dutch housing market? If that is the case we advise you to first rent a place temporarily, like a room or apartment. This will allow you to get some things done right away, like requesting a BSN number, opening a bank account and getting a Sim Only plan. Do you like it here? And do you want to stay in the Netherlands for a few years? Then buying is an interesting option.

Important: If you move to the Netherlands without a job, it will be extremely difficult to find a place to live.

Renting

There are different rental types. You could do a shortstay or AirBnB rental, which is convenient if you are only staying in the Netherlands for a few weeks or haven’t yet found a permanent home. You can also rent for a longer period, for example several years. Most dwellings in the Netherlands are rented out unfurnished and sometimes even bare, i.e. without flooring or window dressings. Renting has its pros and cons. We have listed them for you.

Pros

You can often cancel your rental contract on short notice. If you buy, it’s a different story. Are you only planning to stay in the Netherlands for a couple of years? Then renting is probably the better option.
You are not dependent on the situation of the housing market. Has the value of your home dropped? That is the landlord’s problem, not yours.
Tenant protections: You have legal protections as a tenant: the landlord cannot just kick you out.
No maintenance: Did something break in your rental home? Major maintenance repairs are covered by the landlord, so for you it means no unexpected costs.

Cons

Customizing your home: It’s not always possible to customize your home to your taste. Did your landlord give you permission? Keep in mind that you may not get back any investments you made in the renovation.
Rent hikes: Assume that your rent will go up every year.
Long waiting times: Because of the limited availabiltiy, waiting times for rentals tend to be long, especially in the large cities.
In contrast with owning a property, when renting you’re not building your assets.

Looking for a place to live in the Netherlands? The following websites have a wide range of rental homes throughout the entire country.

Pararius
Funda
Huurwoningen

Shortstay

Are you looking for temporary accommodations? Take a look at these options.

The Social Hub
Serviced apartments

Sharing a place/renting a room
Do you want to share a dwelling or living space temporarily? Via Kamernet or AirBnB you can look for a room anywhere in the Netherlands.

Kamernet
AirBnB

Buying

Buying a place takes a lot of time and energy. You would be well served by engaging a reliable partner who can advise you from A to Z in all real estate matters, especially if you are not familiar with the Dutch housing market. Buying has many pros and cons. We have listed them for you.

Pros

If you own a home, you can decide how to design and/or renovate it.
You have stable monthly costs. Your monthly mortgage payments remain relatively stable, especially if you opt for a longer mortgage with fixed interest. Mortgage costs are often lower than the rent you would pay for a comparable dwelling.
By paying part of the mortgage every month you are building your assets. And if your home gains value, you benefit financially.
The availability of homes for sale is larger than that for rentals.

Cons

You would pay for any maintenance costs.
If your home loses value, you risk incurring debt.
Buying a home involves many extra costs, such as the buying agent, mortgage broker, notary, appraiser, and any transfer tax.

How much does renting cost?

The average rents in the free sector rose to €1,184 in the fourth quarter of 2021

What does an average home cost in the Netherlands?

The demand for homes for sale in the Netherlands is enormous. By contrast, the availability is very limited. This has caused home prices in the Netherlands to rise very quickly. In August 2022, the average price for a home was €428,000.