Netherlands
Renting & Tenant Rights
Last verified August 15, 2026
Written for U.S. passport holders
Deposit Rules
- As of July 1, 2023, the security deposit (waarborgsom) is capped at 2 months' base rent (excluding service costs).
- Under Article 7:261b of the Dutch Civil Code, the landlord must repay the deposit within 14 days of the lease ending, provided the property is returned as agreed and undamaged.
- If there's damage or unpaid rent, the landlord must specifically itemize what's being deducted; they can't just withhold a vague lump sum.
Lease Type & Notice
- As of July 1, 2024 (Wet vaste huurcontracten), landlords can generally only offer indefinite-term leases for new rentals, not fixed-term contracts, with limited exceptions for specific groups like students.
- Fixed-term leases signed before July 1, 2024 aren't affected and still end automatically at their agreed date.
- With an indefinite lease, a landlord can't simply decline to renew or end it without a legally valid reason and, in most cases, a court's involvement.
The Gotcha
A lot of general advice about renting in the Netherlands still assumes fixed-term leases are normal; as of July 1, 2024, they mostly aren't anymore for new rentals. Landlords are now required to offer indefinite contracts by default, which is a real, recent legal shift that changes how much notice-based protection you actually have compared to older guidance.
Sources
This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change, so check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.
- Woning huren: waarborgsom (Rijksoverheid (Government of the Netherlands))
- Wet vaste huurcontracten vanaf 1 juli 2024 van kracht (Rijksoverheid (Government of the Netherlands))