Dutch rental contracts: lease types, notice and what to check

You’ve found a home you like and the rent fits your budget. Before you sign, there are two more things to pin down: how long you can stay and how you can leave. “Minimum 12 months”, “temporary” and “suitable for expats” tell you very different things—and an advert rarely tells the whole story.

Since 1 July 2024, most new residential rental contracts in the Netherlands have no fixed end date. Temporary contracts are still possible in certain circumstances, and older agreements have their own rules. The sections below will help you work out which questions to ask about yours.

This is general information based on sources checked on 26 September 2026. For advice on your own agreement or a dispute, take the full contract to a qualified housing adviser or lawyer.

Start with the type of contract

These contracts have different rules about leaving or being asked to leave. The government’s rental-contract overview is a useful reference when checking the wording in your agreement.

An indefinite contract gives you no fixed move-out date

With an indefinite contract, the tenancy continues until it is properly ended. You can give notice if you want to leave; you are not committing to stay forever. The usual tenant notice period is one month, but check the rules that apply to your contract and how to send the notice.

The landlord also has rules to follow. They cannot simply choose a date and require you to move out: they need a legal ground and must follow the termination process. If you disagree with their notice, get advice on your rights before agreeing to leave. The government explains both how tenants give notice and when landlords can end a tenancy.

Can a landlord still offer a temporary contract?

Yes, but since 1 July 2024, the ordinary temporary scheme has been limited to specific situations. Examples include a student renting temporarily in another municipality for their studies, or someone needing another home while their own is being renovated. Being an international employee is not, by itself, one of those exceptions. Ask which exception the landlord is relying on, then compare it with the official list.

For a contract under this scheme:

• The agreed term is at most two years. You can give notice before the end date, following the applicable notice rules.
• The landlord must remind you in writing one to three months before the contract ends.
• If the contract is extended, it becomes indefinite. Missing the required reminder can also make it indefinite.

These rules are for the ordinary temporary scheme. Do not assume they also apply to a diplomatic-clause contract or a Leegstandwet tenancy.

If you signed before 1 July 2024, the new law did not automatically turn your ordinary temporary contract into an indefinite one. Under the old rules, these contracts could last up to two years for self-contained homes and five years for accommodation with shared facilities, such as rooms. Check when the agreement was made, what it says and whether it has been extended. The government’s explanation of the 2024 change covers existing contracts too.

“Minimum 12 months” does not mean “leave after 12 months”

A minimum-term clause, or minimumduur, tries to stop you leaving during the first part of the tenancy. An end date says when the tenancy is supposed to finish. So “indefinite, minimum 12 months” does not, on its own, mean you must move out at the end of the first year.

There is a separate question: is that minimum term enforceable? Het Juridisch Loket says minimum terms in indefinite contracts are probably not permitted, citing a growing number of court decisions. It also says ordinary temporary contracts cannot have a minimum term. Its guide to fixed and temporary contracts explains this uncertainty.

If you want to leave during a stated minimum term, ask a housing adviser or lawyer to check your agreement before deciding when to give notice or paying a penalty. The presence of a clause does not settle whether it is valid.

Student housing, returning landlords and other special cases

Student housing can come with an indefinite contract. A campuscontract is a type of doelgroepencontract: housing reserved for a particular group. The landlord has an extra legal ground for ending it when you no longer qualify—for example, when you stop studying. That does not make it an ordinary two-year temporary lease, and the landlord still has to follow the required process. Check the rules for designated housing and any requirement to show proof of enrolment.

The landlord may be renting out their home while away. With tussenhuur, also called a diplomatenclausule, the agreement provides for the landlord or a previous resident to return. Under the arrangement described by the government, you cannot end the tenancy early on your own, and the landlord must give notice for the return. This is different from a separately negotiated clause allowing you to leave if your employer relocates you. Read the clause closely: whose move does it cover?

An empty home may be let under the Leegstandwet. A planned sale or renovation is not enough on its own. The landlord needs a municipal permit. Ask to see it, and check that the contract names the scheme and records the permit’s validity. Minimum duration, notice and the permit’s expiry all need a separate check. The government’s contract overview explains this arrangement.

“Short stay” and antikraak need care. The category naar zijn aard van korte duur covers use that is inherently short, such as a holiday stay. Calling an ordinary home “short stay” in an advert does not establish that it belongs in this category. For an antikraak offer, find out whether you are being offered a tenancy or a bruikleenovereenkomst—an agreement to use the property. Have someone check what the actual arrangement means for your right to stay and the notice you would receive. A use agreement should not be assumed to carry the same protections as a residential lease.

Living with your landlord has its own rules. If you rent a room in the landlord’s home, hospitaverhuur may apply. Protection against termination is different during the first nine months. This is not the same as simply sharing with other tenants; see the government’s guide to tenant protection.

Furnishings and rent regulation tell you something else

A listing may also say gemeubileerd (furnished), gestoffeerd (usually with some fittings) or kaal (bare). Those words describe what comes with the home. They do not tell you how long you can stay. Ask for an inventory, record the condition and check what you are being charged for furniture and services; adverts do not all use these terms consistently.

The labels sociale huur, middenhuur and vrije sector concern rent regulation. The correct sector depends on details such as the contract date, the initial basic rent (kale huur) and the home’s housing points. You cannot establish it from the advert’s label or the total monthly bill, and furnished homes are not automatically in the free sector.

Use the government’s explanation of rental sectors to check the relevant rules. The Huurcommissie Rent Check can help you work out the housing points.

Six things to settle before signing

1. Get the whole contract, including attachments. Check the landlord’s details, address, start date and contract type. If it uses a special arrangement, ask why it applies.
2. Know how you can leave. Separate any end date from a minimum term. Check notice for both parties and any clause about a move for work.
3. Understand the full bill. Look for basic rent, service costs, utilities, furniture charges, deposit and rent increases. Ask for the housing points calculation.
4. Check who can live there and what you can use. Confirm the named tenants, permitted occupants, shared facilities and the municipality’s address-registration requirements.
5. Keep a record of the home at move-in. Save the signed agreement, inventory and condition report. Take dated photos of existing damage.
6. Ask about anything you do not understand. Get explanations in writing. A local tenant advice service, Het Juridisch Loket or a housing lawyer can help you check the full agreement.

You can work through the government’s contract checklist alongside your draft.

If you later disagree about rent, service charges or maintenance, check whether the Huurcommissie can handle your case. It does not decide whether a tenancy can be terminated; that is a matter for the courts. The housing ministry’s tenant-protection guidance explains where to take that kind of dispute.

Work out your budget, then start looking

Our Dutch net salary calculator can help you estimate your take-home pay and decide what to set aside for housing. Landlords may have their own income requirements, so check those separately.

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