Basic rent and service costs
The total rent is the amount you pay every month. This amount is the total cost of the basic rent and all service costs.
The basic rent is the amount for using the house, without service costs. In the overview of available accommodation, the basic rent is stated in the advertisements. This has to do with the rules of appropriate allocation. If you click on the advertisement, you will see all the information with respect to the rent. Service costs are fixed costs for e.g. sewerage maintenance, glass fund, caretaker and cleaning costs. The subsidisable service costs are the part of the service costs that you can report to the tax authorities for rent allowance.
Local city taxes
You can expect to be billed for local taxes. You will receive a bill for Waste charges (waste collection levy), a tax that the municipality charges yearly to keep the city clean, and Water authority tax (government tax) which is, among other things, used to keep our drinking water clean and to strengthen our dikes and dams. If you have no income and no large amount of savings, you can request an exemption.
Insurances
When you no longer live with your parents, you need to arrange more things. One of them is insurance. It may not be the most inspiring subject, but it is nice to have it well arranged. We recommend that you take out at least the following insurance policies:
Health insurance
When you turn 18, you are legally obliged to have your own health insurance. This obligation commences on the first day of the month following the month in which you turn 18. It concerns a basic insurance, so that you are insured for the necessary care in any case. At that moment, you can call any healthcare insurer and enter into a contract. After that, you can switch to a new healthcare insurer before 31 December and sign a contract for one year. You are not switching? Then you will stay with your current insurer for another year. There are many different insurers in the Netherlands, and there are websites that help you compare them. Examples are:
Household contents insurance
For a small monthly amount you can insure your household effects against damage caused by fire, water, burglary and theft with an insurer of your choice. Please note: most insurers require damage caused by breaking and entering in the event of theft. If you rent a room, make sure that not only the front door of the house is locked, but also your own room door.
You can compare insurances via various websites such as Independer,
Liability insurance
With liability insurance you take out insurance for the damage you cause to someone or his or her belongings. This includes both personal injury and material damage. For example, you knock over a glass of wine on a fellow student's laptop. If you have liability insurance, your insurer will reimburse you for a new laptop or for the costs of repairing the laptop. Liability insurance is not compulsory, but it is advisable. An accident is just around the corner. This also means that an insurer will not pay out if there is intent. Each insurer has its own conditions. You can compare insurances on different websites.
In addition to the insurances mentioned above, you can also consider taking out travel and cancellation insurance, legal assistance insurance or insurance for your car, for example. Insuring something can be nice, but make sure there is not too much overlap in the coverage.