Renting: using an agent
 
A good agent should be able to tell you about the market, city, price and quality of housing--as well as restrictions that apply to expats, arrange visits for you, negotiate with landlords and provide a contract in English. Make sure they have a good choice of properties on their books.

There are three sectors:

• Distribution sector: these are properties that have restrictions on them such as income level, place of work, and visa type/status. These restrictions are applied by the local authority and which all intermediaries should be aware of and also apply.

  You are only allowed to rent a property in this sector when your total taxable income is € 43.000 or less. This is including holiday allowance, bonuses  etc.

• Liberalized sector: Most expats end up living in accommodation in these sectors as there are fewer restrictions.
• Housing corporations: Rent-controlled property mainly owned by housing corporations. While these properties are often considered to be the best value, there are many restrictions regarding who may live in them and waiting lists can be several years long.

Rules and regulations

The Dutch rental system for housing, tenants and agents is intensely regulated but not necessarily reflective of current market conditions. The points system is the framework within which base rents (kale huur) is determined. However, the reality is there are too few rental properties, which puts upwards pressure on some types of accommodation.

• Dutch base-rents are calculated using a  ‘points’ system, woningwaarderingsstelsel, which scores everything from the floor space and heating system to the size of the kitchen sink. See www.vrom.nl for more information on the House Value Rating System.
• The government regulates base-rents up to EUR 663.70 a month (2012) and anything over this price is in the ‘liberalised’ sector (assuming it has the correct points/price ratio).
• Signed the contract but now think you are paying too much? Contact a local huurteam.
• Some landlords expect your employer to act as a guarantor.
• Generally income and residency conditions for cheaper housing apply, and you need an economic tie to the region.
• Be cautious of sub-lets when searching solo. You may have problems registering with the GBA and be evicted with little notice. 

• Status: is the property furnished, semi-furnished or empty? There may be an inventory and/or photos.
• Duration of lease (e.g. one year).
• Notice period and stipulations about how notice should be provided.
• Service charges (check “all-in”. What portion is rent?).
• Utilities (apportioned how?). If you agree to a monthly fee, including an advance for utilities, then make sure that utility use is metered for your property. In this way, you can make sure you're not paying too much (and the landlord can ensure that he/she is not receiving too little).
• A diplomatic clause if you have to leave because your employer has relocated you elsewhere. You need to be clear on when and how this clause can be used to allow you to escape your rental obligations.

Agent tips from Perfect Housing

• Discuss your needs explicitly.
• Select one, at most two, agencies: “we all talk to each other”.
• Arrange viewings three weeks before you need to move in, no earlier. Oh, and have vision: “You may still have to look through the crap of the current tenant strewn randomly throughout every room.”
• Make your mind up. You like the place. You agree terms in writing. You take it.
• Don't be pressured, but be ready to move quickly.

Renting: other options

If the agent brokerage commission seems one financial burden too many, there are other ways to find property but you will need to put in lots of legwork and don't expect the monthly rental price to be much cheaper. Most of all, you will need luck and timing is important. If you start your search too early (say a couple of months before you need to move in) good properties won't be available. Every avenue is worth exploring. Post a notice in the housing section of expat forums or Dutch internet sites with housing or reply to postings from private landlords. Steer clear of anyone asking for a cash payment or commission.

Given the competition for housing, you need to be able to respond to adverts quickly and, if you can, take someone along with you when viewing. If you see a flat advertised in an estate agency window or in a newspaper with an estate agent contact number, make it clear you are only interested in that property and you shouldn't have to pay a commission but you will still have to pay a deposit, share utilities etc. There may be room for negotiation. Always check that you can register with the GBA and check the contract. The standard NVM (Dutch estate agent association) contract has an English version for comparison.

Students

Universities try their best to help students with housing but don't play down the shortage issues. There are non-commercial agencies for students, housing corporations and anti-kraak (anti-squat) agencies that rent out accommodation. Check the city housing department or Dienst Wonen for more information about low-priced housing. There are often links to other useful room (kamer) internet sites and other sources.

Shorter-term housing

Many cities in the Netherlands have aparthotels for corporate clients which can sometimes be less anonymous than hotels. If you are looking for a private apartment for a couple of months, the websites aimed at tourists are also worth scouring and they have a wide choice of accommodation including property in the choicest of locations, which will be priced accordingly. New short-stay rules in Amsterdam mean that it is ‘illegal’ to rent the majority of properties for less than six months. The only exceptions are where a property has been explicitly exempted or where the landlord has a short-stay permit and when a property is built after 1 January 2008. Despite this, there are many properties listed for less than six-month stays which are illegal due to new rules.

Living on the water