2024 was a significant year for rental regulations in the Netherlands due to the implementation of several new laws aimed at increasing housing affordability and protecting tenants.

Affordable Rent Act (Woonakkoord)

It was introduced to make renting more affordable for people with middle or lower incomes. It was officially passed on July 1st 2024.

While intended to help more people access reasonably priced housing, the Act has led, in some cases, to higher rents—especially for new rentals in popular areas. Here’s why that happens.

The Affordable Rent Act primarily aims to:

  1. Cap Rent Increases: Limit how much a landlord can raise the rent each year. This helps existing tenants, especially in social housing, by keeping rent increases in check.
  2. Regulate Mid-Market Rentals: Create more affordable options for people who earn too much to qualify for social housing but not enough to afford high market rents.
  3. Encourage Property Upgrades: Landlords are incentivized to improve properties through energy-efficient upgrades, maintenance, and more, since improvements can sometimes justify a higher rental price.

Before this law, any property that had reached 143 points- it qualified for the free sector, meaning the rent would not be capped, the landlord was free to decide how much to charge. After this law, only properties that have 187 points qualify for free sector.

This means that thousands of properties suddenly entered the ‘regulated market’ - so called middle segment. This mostly included small-sized properties, and properties with low-energy label. The landlords are now allowed to charge a maximum of €1165. Some local policies allow higher rent(if the property is in a prime location or has high energy efficiency, the rent might be €1250-€1350).

While this move aimed to secure affordable options, some landlords responded by removing rentals from the mid-market category, as rents were often capped below what landlords felt necessary to cover costs. To escape rent controls, some landlords upgraded their properties to push their points above the threshold for regulated rent or sold their houses taking out the mid-market rentals from the market altogether.

As a result the supply of mid-market rentals overall dropped.

Free-sector properties are now facing a huge demand. In urban areas like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht, where there is high demand from working locals and expats, landlords set rents significantly higher. This results in fewer affordable options for those in need.

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If it was still quite possible two years ago to find a 1-bedroom apartment in Amsterdam for €1600, right now the minimum landlords expect is around €2000.

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Mandatory Law Enforcement

The housing points system became "mandatory law," meaning that landlords must comply with these regulated rental rates, and municipalities have the power to enforce compliance. This means tenants are better protected against excessive rents, as authorities can intervene without the tenant initiating action. The landlord must provide the tenant with point allocation from the housing valuation system (WWS) .

Ban on Temporary Contracts

New rules restricted temporary rental contracts for independent living spaces to improve tenant security. Under the new law, indefinite rental agreements are the standard, providing renters with long-term stability and preventing landlords from cycling through tenants to increase rents.

Such contracts(type A) typically mean a mandatory minimum stay of 12 months, after which the contract is indefinite.