Housing rentals in The Netherlands

What is a housing rental?

A rental property is a dwelling that you rent instead of buying. It can be an apartment, a house, a room, or a townhouse. It is a flexible solution that allows you to live in a specific area without committing to purchasing a property.

When you rent a property, you pay a monthly rent depending on the size, location, and other factors. When renting, it's crucial to read the lease agreement thoroughly, so you know what is included in the rent and what obligations you have as a tenant.

There are many advantages to renting a property. Firstly, it can be cheaper compared to other forms of housing, meaning you can save money and spend it on other things. Secondly, it can be easier to move when you rent, as you don’t need to sell your property before moving. Thirdly, in many rental properties, you receive assistance from the landlord or the property company if there are issues with the rental, such as burst water pipes, blocked drains, etc.

All in all, renting is a good solution for those who want flexibility and do not want to commit to one place. A rental can be a cheaper solution than other forms of housing, and it is easy and flexible to move again when you rent, as you do not need to find a buyer, but simply need to terminate the lease and move to a new property when the rental period expires.

There are many different types of properties one can rent, including:

Apartment for rent in The Netherlands

An apartment is a private dwelling in a multi-story building. Renting an apartment can be a good choice if you want to be close to the city, have access to public transport, and live close to other people. Read more about apartment for rent by clicking the link.

House for rent in The Netherlands

A house is a building that serves as a home or residence for individuals or families, where the resident has the right to use the land on which the building is located. A house usually has an associated garden and other outdoor areas such as a driveway. Read more about house for rent by clicking the link.

Room for rent in The Netherlands

A room for rent is a room that is rented out – typically as a sublet. Renting rooms is often time-limited, and one will typically sublet a room for rent for a shorter period, which can be from a few days to several months. Read more about room for rent by clicking the link.

How do you find a rental property in The Netherlands?

Finding a rental property can be a time-consuming and, at times, challenging process, depending on the current housing market situation in the area you are looking in. Start by defining your needs and desires. Then, explore the market for available rental properties, for example, by searching on housing portals like Boligdeal.dk or by contacting property companies, property managers, or housing associations. Next, arrange viewings for relevant rental properties, and make an agreement with the landlord once you have found the right rental property. 

You can see a detailed description of how to find and rent your new rental property via our guides for searching for apartments for rent, searching for rooms for rent, searching for houses for rent.

Find a rental accommodation for rent in The Netherlands online

The first and most important step in your search process is to gain an overview of available rental properties that suit you.  

Housingtarget.com gives you access to a wide range of available rental properties throughout Europe. Whether you are looking for a small rental, a larger rental property, an affordable rental, or a luxury rental, there are good chances to find the property you are looking for on Housingtarget.com.

You can filter your search and set up automatic search agents for housing rentals, which notify you about new rental properties that match your criteria. This saves time and allows you to quickly contact landlords who have rental properties that suit you.

Find an affordable long term rental

If you wish to find an economically affordable rental property, it's important to have as many options as possible to choose from. This is achieved by contacting various landlords of rental properties and scheduling viewings of the different available properties.

Once you have received the various landlords' price proposals, you can try to negotiate the price by presenting your own offer. By keeping several options open and contacting multiple landlords, you increase the chance of finding a landlord who is willing to match your offer.

The price you can negotiate depends a lot on supply and demand. So, by choosing an area with many available rental properties, you can increase the likelihood of finding a rental property at a favorable price.

Find a home for rent with the right size and layout

When you are looking for a new rental property, it is crucial that it can accommodate both your current and future needs. In other words, the rental property should be spacious enough for your current daily activities and plans you have for the near future. Are you expecting to expand your family, plan to live in the rental property for many years, or need space for a subtenant for a period?

The layout and floor plan of a home can significantly impact whether the property can meet your needs. Even if a rental property seems too small, optimizing the use of space through layout and good planning can often resolve this issue.

You can find inspiration for decorating your rental through these guides: Guide to furnishing your apartment, Guide to furnishing your house, and Guide to furnishing your room.

Moving into a rental home in The Netherlands

Once you have found your future rental property, the next step is the move. It is essential that the moving process is well organized, and you focus on all aspects of the move.

Moving varies significantly depending on whether you are moving to a room or apartment or moving to a house. 

We have developed these guides to help you when moving into a rental property: Guide to moving into an apartment, Guide to moving into a house, and Guide to moving into a room.

Would you like to rent out a property?

If you have properties available for rent, you can find your new tenant via Housingtarget.com, one of the leading online platforms for renting out private properties in Europe. We are used by many landlords for property rentals, including property companies, housing associations, real estate agents, and administrators, etc., for renting out properties.

Housingtarget.com is visited daily by hundreds of people looking for available rental properties. When you advertise your available properties for rent on Housingtarget.com, they are exposed to a wide range of tenants, from students to families to seniors.

If you have a property for rent, you can always create an ad directly here. You can also actively search for potential tenants here. Additionally, you are more than welcome to contact us via email at [email protected] – we are ready to assist you with advice and help in creating your property ad.

We have created a guide that describes the rental process from A-Z for you: Rent out your property through 10 simple steps.

Use your common sense when looking for housing rental

When renting a property, it is crucial to check the landlord before transferring any money to them. Always get legal help to review your lease agreement before signing it. Arrange a viewing of the property, check the landlord's background, and get documentation verifying the landlord's right to rent out the property before signing anything or transferring money to the landlord. Most importantly: Use your common sense.

We have collected several tips on what to pay attention to in this guide: Check the landlord before renting a property.

Nice to know when you are searching for rental housing in The Netherlands

You might know The Netherlands as the flattest country in the world, or the capital of windmills, wooden clogs and fields of tulips that stretch as far as the eye can see.

The Netherlands have much more to offer than these wonders though. It’s also a country of dazzling scenery, culture, and ancient architecture.

The Netherlands is located in western Europe on the coast right across Britain and has a population of 17,653,300 (estimate 2021). It’s a part of the EU and has been since 1958 and the shengen since 1995. The country was one of the 15 founders of the euro currency in 1999. They have always played a significant role in the economy of Europe, especially within the trading, shipping, fishing, agriculture and banking fields. This meant they were ranked second in the Global Enabling Trade Report in 2016. They have also been ranked greatly in terms of economic freedom.

The Netherlands has been a parliamentary democracy since 1848, and was a constitutional monarchy before that. They still have an active monarch, who is head of state. The executive power is formed by the Council of Ministers.

The Netherlands are in some languages referred to as Holland, which is somewhat a misunderstanding, as Holland is actually only a region within the country. The Netherlands is divided into 12 regions overall. 

The Capital of The Netherlands is called Amsterdam and is located in the region of North-Holland and invites more than 19 million tourists (2018) in for an experience of cutting-edge design, treasure-packed museums and last but least the characteristic canals that flow throughout the city. You can take a stroll down the streets, grab a coffee from one of the many small candle-lid cafés and admire the colorful small houses leaning against each other.

Amsterdam and many of the other large cities of The Netherlands are known for having a lively nightlife as well, so after a night of hyper creative dining, you can take the dancing shoes for a ride on the nightclubs. 

If this doesn’t exactly sound like an appealing night for you, you are not to worry. The Netherlands are known for their remarkable art scene and they certainly don’t disappoint concerning art museums and galleries. Many famous artists throughout history, such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh and Piet Mondrian were born in The Netherlands, which means the museums are more than noteworthy. 

The cities are filled with cultural and historic experiences. In Amsterdam you can visit the house of the infamous Anne-Frank and hear some of her stories from when she hid from the german soldiers in this very house during WWII. 

Unfortunately The Netherlands suffered great losses during the war, and still have many scars left from the devastating years. At The Camp Vught National Memorial in the south, you can experience some of the stories of inmates and honour the people whose lives were taken.

The nature in The Netherlands can be described as romantic with their huge fields filled with every color of tulip you could imagine, small farms and windmills scattered in the straight horizon. As the country is very flat, cycling is a very commonly used means of transformation. There are around 32,000km of cycling paths, which includes the Dutch 'motorways' of cycling.