Rent increase

The rent may be increased once every 12 months, usually in July. An interim rent increase is only allowed after improvements have been made to the house or it has been made more sustainable, and with the consent of at least 70% of the tenants.

Do you rent from a social housing provider such as a housing association ? If so, the central government determines the maximum percentage of the rent increase each year. A housing corporation may not ask for more than that maximum. Of course, they are free to increase their rent less than the percentage set by the government.

In the free sector there is also a maximum rent increase. The national government has recently determined this. The landlord must comply with this. The maximum rent percentage is higher in the free sector than in the social sector. Sometimes there is a percentage in your rental contract. The landlord uses this percentage to increase your rent annually. This is called an indexation clause.

Your landlord must give you time to object to the announced rent increase. Does your rent increase take effect on 1 July? If so, the landlord must let you know what he intends to do before 1 May. By giving you two months' notice of the upcoming rent increase, you have time to object. Reasons for lodging an objection include, for example, that the rent increase is less than 12 months after the previous rent increase or that the maximum rent for the accommodation has already been reached according to the point system. Read more about lodging an objection on the website of the government. Het Juridische Loket has a sample letter on its website which you can fill in if you wish to object to the announced rent increase. They can also give you tips on how to check whether you can lodge an objection.