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Rent allowance (huurtoeslag) is money the Dutch government gives you every month to help pay your rent, if you don't earn much. Many expats think it's only for people in cheap government-supported housing. Until 2025, that was nearly true: if your rent was above a legal limit, you got nothing. But since 1 January 2026, that limit is gone. Tenants with a higher rent can now get rent allowance too, as long as their income and savings are low enough. This guide explains, from the start, who can get it in 2026, how the amount is worked out, the rules that matter most for expats, and how to avoid having to pay it back.
The idea in simple words
If your rent is high compared with what you earn, the government helps. Each month it sends you some money for your rent. The less you earn, the more you get.
There are a few rules: you must rent a home with your own front door, kitchen, toilet and shower, be registered there, and not have too much in savings.
The money is paid in advance, based on what you think you will earn. If you end up earning more, you have to pay some back. So guess your income carefully.
The most important facts
- What it is: a monthly payment towards your rent from the The part of the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst) that pays allowances, such as rent allowance, healthcare allowance and childcare allowance. (the allowances office of the tax office).
- New in 2026: no maximum rent any more. But only Only the money for the home itself, without service costs, energy or furniture. In Dutch: kale huur. up to €932.93 a month counts in the calculation.
- Who: tenants aged 18 or over, in a A home with its own front door that locks, its own kitchen, its own toilet and its own shower or bath. A room in a shared house is not self-contained., registered at the address, living here legally, with a low enough income.
- Savings limit: €38,479 per person, or €76,958 for partners together, on 1 January 2026.
- Rooms don't count: you need your own front door, kitchen, toilet and shower or bath.
- Deadline: you can apply for a year until 31 December of the next year.
What changed in 2026
| Until 2025 | From 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum rent | If your rent was above the limit, you usually got no allowance at all | No limit. Rent up to €932.93 counts, and anything above that is simply ignored |
| Extra costs on top of the rent for things the landlord arranges, like cleaning shared areas. In Dutch: servicekosten. | Some service costs counted as rent | Only the basic rent (kale huur) counts |
| Lower limit for young people | For people under 23 | Only for people under 21: for them, rent up to €498.20 counts |
| Deadline to apply | 1 September of the next year | 31 December of the next year |
The first change is the important one for expats. Rents in Amsterdam, Utrecht or The Hague are often well above €1,000, so most expats couldn't get it under the old rules. Now, someone with a modest salary renting a €1,200 flat can qualify. They get an allowance based on the first €932.93 of their rent.
Who can get rent allowance
You can get huurtoeslag if all of these are true:
- You are 18 or older.
- You rent a self-contained home (zelfstandige woonruimte): a home with its own front door that locks, its own kitchen and toilet, and (since March 2024) its own shower or bath. A room in a shared house usually doesn't count, even if the rent is high. Houseboats and most holiday homes don't count either.
- You are registered at the address in the population register (Basisregistratie Personen: the Dutch population register at your municipality.). If your landlord won't let you register, you can't get rent allowance.
- You, your partner, and everyone else living with you live here legally. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland are fine because of their nationality. Others need a valid The document that allows you to live in the Netherlands if you are not from the EU.. If even one person in your home doesn't live here legally, nobody in the home gets the allowance.
- Your income is low enough. There is no fixed income limit. The allowance gets smaller as your income goes up, until it reaches zero. Where it stops depends on your rent, your age and who lives with you.
- Your savings are below the limit: €38,479 per person, or €76,958 for partners together, on 1 January 2026. Savings of children under 18 are added to your total.
How the amount is worked out
The Dienst Toeslagen doesn't pay a share of your whole rent. It looks at your basic rent up to €932.93 and cuts it into parts. You always pay the first part yourself. This is called the basishuur. It's around €200 a month for the lowest incomes, and more as your income goes up. Above that, the allowance pays:
| Part of your basic rent, 2026 | How much rent allowance pays |
|---|---|
| From your own part (basishuur) up to €498.20 | 100% |
| From €498.20 up to €713.02 (1 or 2 people) or €764.14 (3 or more people) | 65% |
| From there up to €932.93 | 40% |
| Above €932.93 | Nothing |
So for the lowest incomes, a single person who pays €900 or more in basic rent can get about €500 a month. As income goes up, your own part grows and the allowance gets smaller. The exact amount also depends on who lives with you. So always check with the official test calculation (proefberekening) on the Dienst Toeslagen website before you apply. It takes about 10 minutes and doesn't commit you to anything.
Rules that matter for expats
The 30% ruling helps
The allowance is based on your taxable income (Toetsingsinkomen: the income the tax office uses to decide if you can get an allowance and how much.). The 30% ruling is a tax benefit for some expats: part of their salary is tax-free. If you have it, that tax-free part doesn't count. So your income for allowances is lower than your salary before tax. This can matter for rent allowance, healthcare allowance and the child budget.
Your first year: income from abroad counts
For the year you move here, the Dienst Toeslagen looks at your income for the whole calendar year. That includes what you earned abroad before you arrived, as if you had lived here all year. So someone who earned a full salary abroad until June may find their income is too high for allowances that year, even if they earned little here. Guess your income for the full year, not just the Dutch part.
Partners and housemates count too
The income and savings of your partner for allowances (toeslagpartner) count. So does the income of other adults registered at your address, such as an adult child or a friend you share a flat with. A partner who still lives abroad, or who doesn't live here legally, can change whether you can get it. Report your household exactly as it is registered.
It doesn't harm your residence permit
The Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst: the Dutch immigration office. (immigration office) doesn't count rent allowance, healthcare allowance or childcare allowance as living on government help (bijstand). Getting them doesn't put your residence permit at risk. But it works the other way round: if your permit ends or is taken away, the allowance stops. Any allowance paid after that date must be paid back.
How to apply
- Check your rental contract for the basic rent, without service costs, energy or furniture.
- Do the test calculation on the Dienst Toeslagen website.
- Log in to Your personal online page for allowances on the tax office website. with your DigiD (your login for government websites) and apply. You need your rent, the income you expect this year, and your partner's details.
- Get the money every month, usually around the 20th, in advance for the next month.
You can apply for a year until 31 December of the next year. So you can still apply for 2026 until 31 December 2027. If you apply late, you get the allowance for the earlier months of that year in one payment.
Avoid a bill later
Rent allowance is paid in advance, based on the income you expect. After the year ends, the Dienst Toeslagen compares it with your real income from your tax return. If you earned more, you pay back the difference. Sometimes that's thousands of euros. So guess your income on the high side, include bonuses and In Dutch: vakantiegeld. Extra pay of at least 8% of your yearly salary, usually paid in May., and report changes within 4 weeks: a pay rise, a new job, a partner moving in, or a change in rent.
Can you get it for a room?
Usually not. A room where you share the kitchen, toilet or shower is not a self-contained home, whatever the rent. There are a few exceptions, for example some student housing buildings and special forms of group living. If you're looking for a home and want to qualify, rent a studio or flat with its own kitchen and bathroom, and make sure you can register there. Our guide to renting an apartment or house in the Netherlands explains rental contracts, deposits and rent limits.
Other allowances to check at the same time
- Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag): money towards your health insurance, if your income is below about €40,857 a year (€51,142 with a partner) in 2026. Read our guide to health insurance in the Netherlands.
- Child budget (kindgebonden budget): extra money for families with children under 18. See our guide to child benefit in the Netherlands.
- Childcare allowance (kinderopvangtoeslag): for registered daycare and after-school care. See childcare in the Netherlands.
Our cost of living calculator shows normal rents and monthly costs in each Dutch city, so you can see what's left after the rent.
Your rent allowance checklist
- Check that your home is self-contained and that you're registered at the address.
- Find the basic rent in your contract.
- Check your savings against the €38,479 limit (€76,958 for partners).
- Guess your income for the whole year, including income abroad in your first year.
- Do the test calculation, then apply in Mijn toeslagen with DigiD.
- Report changes within 4 weeks, and check the final decision after each year.
Official sources and useful links
- Dienst Toeslagen: what changes in rent allowance from 2026 (Dutch)
- Dienst Toeslagen: can I get rent allowance? (Dutch)
- Dienst Toeslagen: test calculation for allowances (Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: more people can get rent allowance (Dutch)
- IND: government help and your residence permit
This is general information based on the 2026 rules. The amounts change every year on 1 January, and your own result depends on your income, your household and your rent. Always check with the official test calculation before you apply.
