What to Check Before You Rent a Home in the Netherlands: A Simple Checklist

Last update 31 October 2026 • By the ExpatNL team • Housing

New to the Netherlands? Words with a have a short explanation. Tap or click them.

You found a home to rent. It looks nice in the photos, and you want to say yes before someone else does. Wait a moment. A few simple checks, before you pay or sign anything, can save you from a fake advert, a cold and damp home, or a contract that costs you money. You don't need to know anything about houses. You need your eyes, your nose, your phone and about an hour. This guide shows you what to look at, step by step.

The idea in simple words

Think of it like buying a second-hand bike. Before you pay, you look at it, you ride it a little, and you check that the person selling it really owns it.

Renting a home is the same, just bigger. You check three things: is the landlord real, is the home in good shape, and is the contract fair? Do it in that order. The first check takes five minutes and can save you all your money.

The most important facts

Never pay before you've seen the home and signed a contract. Not a deposit, not a "reservation fee", nothing.
The deposit can be at most 2 months of basic rent, for contracts signed on or after 1 July 2023.
You must be able to register at the address. Without that, you can't get a Your Dutch citizen service number. You need it for your salary, a bank account, health insurance and almost everything else..
Most new contracts are for an unlimited time. Since 1 July 2024, a short, temporary contract is only allowed in a few cases.
Damp and mould are the most common problems in Dutch homes. Use your nose: a musty smell is a warning.
On the day you get the keys, take photos of every room. They protect your deposit when you leave.

Words you need to know first

Landlord (verhuurder): the person or company that owns the home and rents it to you.
Rental agent (verhuurmakelaar): a company that finds tenants for landlords. Many homes are rented out through one.
Viewing (bezichtiging): the visit where you see the home before you decide.
Deposit (borg): money you give the landlord at the start, as a safety. You get it back when you leave, unless you caused damage or didn't pay rent.
Energy label (energielabel): a grade for the home, from A (warm, cheap to heat) to G (cold, expensive to heat). It works like a school report.
Registering (inschrijven): telling the town hall where you live. Everyone who lives in the Netherlands must do this.

Step 1: Before the viewing (at home, 15 minutes)

Is the advert real?

Fake rental adverts are very common in the Netherlands, because there are too few homes. The trick is almost always the same: a nice home, a low price, and a "landlord" who wants money before you've seen it. These are the warning signs:

The landlord is "abroad" and can't show you the home.
You must pay a deposit or a fee before a viewing, or they will send the keys by post.
The price is much lower than other homes nearby.
They ask for a copy of your passport before you've even met.
They're in a big hurry: "Three other people want it, pay today."

One easy check: the The Kadaster: the Dutch government office that keeps the records of who owns which land and buildings. (Kadaster) tells you who owns a home, for €3.70. If the name doesn't match the landlord's, ask why. A real landlord or agent will explain it. Our free rental scam check asks you a few questions and tells you how risky the deal looks.

Look up the energy label

The energy label shows how well the home keeps the heat in. Search the address on EP-Online, the official website. A, B or C is good. D is okay. E, F or G means the home is often cold and draughty, and heating it can cost hundreds of euros more each year. The landlord has to give you the label, so if you can't find it, ask.

Look at the neighbourhood

The Leefbaarometer is a free map from the Dutch government. Type in the address, and it gives the neighbourhood a colour: green is good, orange or red means more problems than usual, such as noise or crime. Also look at a normal map: is there a motorway, a railway, or a row of bars right next to the home?

Step 2: At the viewing (use your eyes, nose and phone)

A viewing is often short, and the agent may talk a lot. That's fine. Walk slowly and do these checks. Open the Property Check on your phone and tick them off as you go.

What to check	How	What's a warning sign
Damp and mould	Sniff when you walk in. Look in corners, behind furniture, inside wardrobes on outside walls, and on the bathroom ceiling.	A musty smell, black spots, peeling paint, or fresh paint in just one spot.
Doors and windows	Open and close every one. Look at the glass.	Windows that don't close, draughts, or single glass (one pane instead of two).
Water	Turn on the kitchen tap and the shower at the same time. Flush the toilet.	The water pressure drops a lot, hot water takes ages, or the drains are slow.
The boiler (cv-ketel)	Find it (often in the attic or a cupboard). The sticker on it shows the year it was made. Take a photo.	More than about 12 years old. Old boilers break down more often, often in winter.
The fuse box (meterkast)	Open the cupboard near the front door.	Old round fuses that screw in, only one or two switches, or loose wires.
Noise	Open a window for one minute and listen. In an apartment, ask what the floor above is made of.	Loud traffic, trains or bars. Hard floors upstairs mean you hear every step.
Phone signal	Look at your phone in every room.	No signal inside. That's annoying if you work from home.

Extra checks for older homes

The year the home was built tells you a lot. You'll find it in the advert as bouwjaar.

Built before 1960? There may still be lead water pipes. Lead is bad for your health, especially for children and pregnant women. Look at the pipe next to the water meter: lead is dull grey and soft, and a key leaves a shiny scratch on it. Not sure? Ask the landlord.
Built before 1994? There may be asbestos, a building material that was banned in 1993. It's often in grey roof sheets on sheds, the pipe on top of the boiler, and panels under the roof edge.

Don't touch possible asbestos

Asbestos is only dangerous when it breaks, because then tiny fibres get into the air and into your lungs. So never break, drill or sand it, and never take a piece as a sample in a rented home. Take a photo and ask the landlord if the home has been checked for asbestos.

Come back at a different time

Viewings are often on a quiet afternoon. If you're serious about the home, walk past on a weekday evening or a Friday night. Noise, parking and the neighbours can be very different then.

Step 3: Before you sign

Can you register at the address?

This is the most important question for a newcomer. Everyone who lives in the Netherlands must register their address with the town hall, and that's how you get your BSN. You need a BSN for your salary, a bank account and health insurance. Some landlords say "you can't register here". That's a big red flag: the law says you register where you really live, and a landlord who doesn't want that may not be allowed to rent out the home this way. Ask the landlord to confirm by email that you can register.

Is the rent too high?

Since 1 July 2024, most homes, including many mid-priced ones, have a maximum rent. It's worked out with a points system: the home gets points for things like its size and energy label, and the points decide the highest rent allowed. Many expats pay too much without knowing it. Our guide Is your rent too high? shows you how to check, and what to do if it is. You can even ask for lower rent after you've signed. Do it within 6 months of the start of your contract: only then do you get back everything you paid too much from the first day.

Read the contract

Ask for an English translation if you need one. Check these four things:

The deposit is at most 2 months of basic rent. Basic rent means the rent without service costs.
No agency fees for you if the agent also works for the landlord. The law forbids charging both sides.
Unlimited time, or a fixed end date? Since 1 July 2024, most new contracts must be for an unlimited time. A temporary contract is only allowed in a few cases, for example for students.
Service costs (servicekosten): what do they pay for? Cleaning the stairs, the lift, the garden? Ask for a list.

Make a move-in report with photos

On the day you get the keys, walk through the home with the landlord. Write down every scratch, stain and broken thing, and take dated photos and videos of every room. Email them to the landlord the same day. When you move out, this proves what was already there, so the landlord can't keep your deposit for it. Our guide Who fixes what in a rental home explains what happens when something breaks later.

Questions to ask the landlord

Send your questions by email, so you have the answers in writing. Here are good ones to start with:

Are you the owner of the home? If not, does the owner allow you to rent it out?
Can I register at this address with the municipality?
Have there been any problems with damp, mould or leaks?
How old is the boiler, and when was it last serviced?
How many points does the home have in the points system, and is the rent regulated or free?
Is the contract for an unlimited time? How much is the deposit?

The Property Check makes this list for you, in English and Dutch, based on what you saw. You can copy it straight into an email.

Walk away if...

they want money before you've seen the home;
you're not allowed to register at the address;
the deposit is more than 2 months of basic rent;
they won't give you a written contract;
the home smells of damp, and they say "it's nothing".

Your checklist

Check that the advert and the landlord are real. Never pay before a viewing.
Look up the energy label and the neighbourhood.
At the viewing: damp, doors and windows, water, boiler, fuse box, noise and phone signal.
Older home? Also look for lead pipes and possible asbestos, without touching.
Make sure you can register at the address, and get it in writing.
Check the rent, the deposit, the agency fees and the type of contract.
Send your questions by email.
On the day you get the keys, make a move-in report with photos.

Official sources and useful links

This is general information based on the rules in October 2026. It doesn't replace advice about your own situation. Many cities have a free tenants' help desk (huurteam) that can check your contract.