Glossary of Dutch rental terms
Dutch listings and contracts use terms that have no direct English equivalent. These are the ones you will see most often.
Last reviewed 12 November 2026. General information, not legal advice.
- Kale huur
- Base rent: the rent for the home itself, without service costs or utilities.
- Servicekosten
- Service costs paid on top of the base rent, for example for cleaning shared areas, a caretaker or furniture. Settled once a year.
- Borg / waarborgsom
- Deposit. For contracts since 1 July 2023 at most two months of base rent.
- Huurovereenkomst
- Rental contract.
- Huurcommissie
- The national rent tribunal, which settles disputes about rent, increases, service costs and maintenance.
- Huurtoeslag
- Rent allowance from the government, for tenants with a lower income who meet the conditions.
- Woningcorporatie
- Housing association: a non-profit landlord that owns most social housing.
- Sociale huur
- Social housing: regulated rent, for people below an income limit.
- Middenhuur
- Mid-rent: homes with a regulated maximum rent between social housing and the private sector (since July 2024).
- Vrije sector
- Private sector: homes where the landlord sets the starting rent.
- Puntentelling / WWS
- The points system that values a home and sets the maximum rent for regulated homes.
- Inschrijfduur
- Registration time with a housing association system, often used to decide who gets a home.
- Loting
- Allocation by lottery.
- Bemiddelingskosten
- Agency fees.
- Opzegtermijn
- Notice period.
- Oplevering / opleverrapport
- Handover of the home, and the inspection report made at the start and end of the tenancy.
- Zelfstandige woonruimte
- Self-contained home with its own entrance, kitchen and toilet.
- Onzelfstandige woonruimte
- A room that shares kitchen, toilet or entrance with others.
- Verhuurderverklaring
- A statement from your current or previous landlord that you paid rent on time.
- BRP
- Basisregistratie Personen, the municipal register of residents.
- BSN
- Burgerservicenummer, your citizen service number.
- Energielabel
- Energy label of the home, from A (efficient) to G.
Frequently asked questions
- What does "kale huur" mean?
- The base rent: the rent for the home itself, without service costs or utilities.
- What is a woningcorporatie?
- A housing association: a non-profit organisation that owns and rents out most of the social housing in the Netherlands.
- What is the difference between zelfstandig and onzelfstandig?
- A zelfstandige woning has its own entrance, kitchen and toilet. An onzelfstandige woning, such as a student room, shares one or more of these.