In the current housing market, private rentals in urban areas can be anything from EUR 900 up to EUR 10,000 as a base rent and frequently does not include utilities.

Rental properties fall into one of two categories: either they are owned and rented on a private basis with no rent control (Vrij sector, estate agents or landlords), or are administered through one of the over 500 (government) housing corporations (Woning Corporaties).

Housing corporations

For short-term expatriates, rentals from housing corporations are not an option. These are low to middle-income housing that are rent-controlled and require that you fulfil stringent income and resident conditions. This is the main reason prices can look especially high for expats, as they are not eligible for any of the Dutch social benefits, or access to social housing available to long-term residents.

Current waiting lists, depending on the area, can extend from two years all the way up to 20 years, after registration. The system is geared towards residents who are able to sign contracts for 10 – 20 years.

To be eligible, you must have a woonvergunning, or permission to reside, from the city housing department or Dienst Wonen (at City Hall). In general, if the rental price falls under EUR 520.12 per month, the accommodation is almost certainly from a housing corporation.

Important: some people with housing corporation properties sublet, at highly inflated prices. If you sublet a property under these circumstances, you have little or no rights. More importantly, it makes it virtually impossible to register at the GBA (municipal register), creating problems when you try to apply for any services, register within a community, pay taxes, receive a refund of taxes, or open a bank account.

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