The Dutch government has just dropped an update on how much your rent might increase next year. Surprise, surprise: it’s a lot! 💸
According to the government bulletin, both the private and social sectors will see a jump in the maximum rent allowed.
Mid-range rents on the rise
Rents that will be hit the hardest are those that fall in the mid-range category, meaning relatively small apartments where the landlord is not allowed to determine the rent themselves.
Although landlords can’t determine the maximum rent increase each year, it’s required to be (somewhat) proportional to wage increases.
Since the wage increase this year was 6.7%, landlords were allowed to increase the rent by 7.7%. This means that your €1800 apartment could cost you an eye-watering €1938.6 per month next year.
(Apparently, making wage increases actually proportional to a jump in rent would just be a step too far. 🙄)
Free rent will be far from free
New leases in the private sector, meanwhile, still leave it up to the landlord to determine the rent (and Dutch landlords can count pretty high).
However, if the tenant doesn’t change, there is a maximum increase that is determined by the government as well.
The good news? Although free rent will still see a spike in price, the expected price hike is lower than that of mid-range rents — 4.1%.
Even with less of an increase, the change is significant. You could expect to see your base rent of €1800 turn into €1873.8 per month, as of 2025. 😬
Social housing won’t be spared
If you think these large rent increases are limited to the private sector, think again.
Social housing is likely to rise by almost 5% next year, despite the housing union Woonbond’s best efforts.
What does this mean for you? Well, you could expect to see your usual rent of €800 per month jump by €40 next year.
READ MORE | The 2024 guide to private housing and social housing in the Netherlands: what’s the difference?
The Woonbond tried to negotiate to adjust that increase to inflation, which would mean a maximum of 3.1% — but their offer was shot down by the Dutch Ministry of Housing.
While the government didn’t agree to make social housing more affordable, they did offer to build more of it.
However, the Woonbond saw this as putting the burden of the housing crisis on the tenant and did not sign the agreement.
What do you think of these rent increases? Will you be spared? Let us know your thoughts!
