Have you decided that you want to rent a house, room or apartment in the Netherlands? Here are some important facts that you should know about renting accommodation in the Netherlands.
Many Dutch host institutions are able to assist their employees and guest researchers with finding accommodation, so please do consult your contact person at the HR department or international office.
The Dutch rental market consists of public and private housing.
Private market
However expensive, private rentals are usually the first choice for expats as they can easily be rented for short-term stays by foreigners temporarily living in the Netherlands. Real estate agents ('makelaars') offer both rentals and houses for sale. If you use a 'makelaar', make sure they are registered with the National Association of Estate Agents (NVM).
- Access and Just Landed Netherlands are general expat support organizations, offering a starting point on housing options.
- Direct Wonen and Rotsvast, two large leasing agents and Funda a platform offering private rentals. Of course AirB&B can also offer various rentals.
- The Woonbond, an organisation defending the interests of tenants (in Dutch).
Relocation companies
Another option is to request the assistance of a relocation company, guiding you through the entire relocation process from finding temporary housing to scheduling utility connections and driver’s licenses. On this webpage of Expactica you find an overview of various relocation companies.
For public housing, and the rules around renating accommodation in the Netherlands , please refer to this website: Rented housing | Housing | Government.nl