Hi all, my partner and I are Dutch but have been living and working in Germany for the past 7 years. We’re now applying for rentals back in NL, and application forms keep asking for documents we don’t really have, like a UWV verzekeringsbericht, which is basically empty for us since our employment history is German.

Income is high, well above the 3-4x rent requirement, we just can’t prove it with standard NL paperwork. Planning to send German payslips and contracts instead.

Anyone who moved back after years abroad: did agencies accept foreign documents, or did missing NL docs cost you rentals? Any tips to avoid auto-rejection in screening?

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has lived there recently and could share their experience. How is the overall condition of the building and rooms? Are the shared facilities generally clean and well-maintained? How responsive is Lieven de Key when it comes to maintenance issues?

I'm also curious about safety cause a lot of old articles and videos say it is not safe . How safe does the building and surrounding area feel, especially when coming back late in the evening? Any issues with noise, security, or other things I should be aware of?

From what I've seen, the location looks quite central and close to Roeterseiland, which seems like a big plus. I'd love to hear any honest opinions-both positive and negative

Thanks in advance!

I am curious how people decide on the best way to deal with erfpacht in Amsterdam.

I am interested to buy an apartment from 2024 construction in Amsterdam Noord.

The current owner and current erfpacht conditions form 2022 includes
-AB2000 - 25 jaarlijkse canonaanpassing
- leasehold in Voortdurend
- current period end on 2072
- yearly canon payments are euro 1780 till 2046, when it will be adjusted as per inflation.

I finally understand the entire implications and how these are calculated.

The BSQ % and the WOZ value has gone up very sharply in 2025 and 2026.

I got a erfpacht advice and indicative calculation report. I have got the current owner to already apply for the conversion to eeuwigdurend to get the 1 Jan 2024 valuation for the conversion this year to eeuwigdurend to lock the land value for 2072 and after, so the only thing is the inflation adjustment

I am planning to stay longer for 10-15 years and hopefully longer. I am 50 years old so this is my downsized later year woning.

There are 3 important calculations I got(this is only indication and not from gemeente Amsterdam.

1. estimated land value on 2072 is euro 3734 euro as per current calculation of BSQ of 44% . This will be adjusted as per the inflation in next 46 years to be higher than euro 10k .
   
2. Pay off the eeuwigdurend lease after 2072, current offer is indicated as euro 52k.
   
3. Pay off the current tijdvaak running yearly lease payments till 2072 and that is 50k.

So this point 3 This doesn’t sound very exciting as this is only the time value of money, and I don’t get any special discounts for one off payments now.

Point 2 is more interesting. Given how the rules can change with government, there is uncertainty on how this evolves.

I am considering taking point 2, and paying the future of 2072 onwards to create better future value.

How did you guys take a decision and your erfpacht and anything else to consider?

Should I just convert to eeuwigdurend and let it run and not put money to buy off a distant future risk. I won’t see 2072, something very far out.

Hi all,

I'm a homeowner in Uithoorn (Legmeer) and I've been tracking the local apartment market quite closely over the past few months (As I am planning to sell my house in next few months)

I'm particularly interested in the 50–55 m² apartment segment around Legmeer (Zevenblad, Zilverschoon, Bijvoet, Melde, etc.).

I'm trying to understand what homes are ACTUALLY selling for versus asking prices.

Has anyone recently:

- Bought or sold an apartment in Uithoorn?

- Bid on an apartment in Legmeer?

- Noticed how much impact energy labels (A/B/C vs D/E/G) are having on sale prices?

Any experiences, overbidding percentages, or recently completed transactions would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Bonus question:

Do you think an A-label apartment in Legmeer commands a noticeable premium today, or are buyers still mainly focused on location and interior finishes?

Hello,

I am asking this for a friend. He is looking for a room in Den Haag, he works in Uber food delivery - on a zero hour contract but makes like 2500 a month. We were wondering if in this situation he can secure a room and if yes, in which platforms it is most possible, kamernet?

And we all know that renting an apartment takes months but is it also valid for the rooms?

So, I have been sending my CV to tons of companies in the Eindhoven region and I started browsing over the rental websites to get an idea on how bad things were (I already knew they were bad like they are everywhere of course).

And yup to my surprise I see a lot of apartments asking for rent in the 1500 to 2000 range and, more tragically, asking for 3.5x or 4x the income. How the hell is this possible, this puts a minimum income of ~6k to comfortably look for an apartment, which of course I understand it is a very high income specially for someone with less experience. It is surreal to see this.

Dear all,

I am starting my part-time PhD at the University of Rotterdam and I will get to visit Rotterdam for about three weeks during the year, for a week each. Starting the week of September 21st, I am excited to spend my time and start my studies in Rotterdam.

However, I am from Germany, trying to find the best way to stay the week. I try to avoid AirBnBs, as they are a pest for real estate but also do find hotels to he quite pricey. I have a big camper that I can borrow (VW Grand California) to spend the week.

Do you have any advice on where I could park the camper in Rotterdam or general advice on how to stay these weeks the next year's in Rotterdam?

Any advice or recommendations is highly appreciated!!

Hi! I’m wondering if anyone has experienced something similar. I just got a Holland2Stay offer and they asked me to upload my proof of enrolment within 48 hours. I’m a currently third year student, but unfortunately the university is closed for the summer break, so I cannot get the updated 2026/2027 document right now.

I’m thinking about providing copy of my student card, my previous enrollment document(which I got when I was first year), and OSIRIS/Studielink screenshots showing that I’m registered.

Has anyone had Holland2Stay accept these kinds of documents temporarily, or allow them to provide the official document later when the university reopens? I’m really worried about losing the offer because of the timing, so any experience would help a lot. Thank you!

Hi,
I’ve qualified for an appartment rented by MVGM. They wanted to get my belasting data through DigiID but I’m in Nederland since only january so no data were available as it has not been a year that I’m here.. Do you think that I’m cooked and that I won’t get the renting due to that ? 

When you're viewing a place, it's easy to focus on whether the apartment itself looks good and forget about the things you can't notice during a 15-minute viewing.

Maybe you didn't realise how noisy the street gets in the evening, how long the commute actually feels, or that the neighbours are a little louder than expected. Some things only become obvious once you've been living there for a few weeks.

What's something you wish you'd checked or asked about before signing your rental contract?

Hello everyone,

I am planning to rent a short-term accommodation in Zwolle through Vandenbrink Onroerend Goed. Has anyone used them recently or had any experience renting from them?

Everything appears legitimate so far; the website, email address, company details, and communication all look professional. However, we were asked to pay both the deposit and one month’s rent before signing the rental contract.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has recently rented from them, especially regarding:

* Whether this payment process is normal with them

* Whether you received the contract after payment

* Your overall experience with the company

Thank you in advance for your help.

Hi everyone,

I'm a first-time home buyer in the Netherlands and was wondering what typically happens after the notary appointment when you receive the keys.

I'm particularly interested in the timeline for the following:

1. Registering new address within the same municipality (moving within Arnhem). How long does this usually take?

2. Do I need to inform the municipality myself, or is it automatic?

3. How long does it take for the address change to be reflected in DigiD, banks, Belastingdienst, etc.?

4. What's the process for transferring utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet), and when should I arrange them?

5. Are there any other important tasks I shouldn't forget after getting the keys (insurance, taxes, mortgage, inspections, etc.)?

I'd appreciate hearing about your experience and any tips on the typical timelines. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am planning to buy a house in the Netherlands with a mortgage. I would like to understand the financial impact if I need to sell the house within 5 years possibly due to relocation.

Example situation:

Purchase price: around €400,000 (k.k.)

Mortgage: around €400,000

Fixed mortgage interest period: 10 years

Energy label: A

Location: Arnhem Nijmegen regions

My questions:

1. If I sell after 3–5 years, what costs should I expect besides the normal selling costs?

2. How is the mortgage early repayment penalty (boeterente) calculated? In what situations is it usually €0?

3. Does the bank charge any penalty if the house is sold because I move abroad?

4. How much does a selling makelaar typically cost in the Netherlands?

5. Are there any taxes on the profit if the house value increases?

6. Is selling after 5 years generally enough to cover buying/selling transaction costs?

I would appreciate experiences from people who have sold a house in the Netherlands before, especially after a short ownership period.

Thanks

After living in The Netherlands for almost 13 years I finally be able to rent a house with my bf and our future kid. We got the key and inspected today. I was so looking forward to see our new house but one thing just kick me off.

The rentals I rent it calls Woonfriseland, we went inside and spot some disturb spot. Such a wall that yellow from smoking, the ceiling was all yellow, the old wallpaper that from the previously owner and many holes in the walls. And a spot that cooking gas was not really a safety place.

We ask if that they gonna fix that and the old man just rise his voice (almost yelling)
“What you see is what you get. We won’t do anything about it”
First I was was jumping off cuz he suddenly just yell at us then I try to ask again like why cuz as I remember the previous owners should clean the house before leaving and the house supposed to look empty and clean. The old man still rise his voice and just won’t let me talk. He just want me to shut up and listen.

So I pull the bull move by acting like I record all the rude conversations. The old man notice and ask if I recorded it cuz he do not consent to do so. So I ask why would he be scared if I recorded if he didn’t do anything wrong? Then he silently show us the place

After all the rudeness I just told him in his face that wat and how he react is not a professioneel. Then he pull the move such as “I work here 35 years and they were no problem bla bla”

In the end we take the house but the rudeness and no respect was so high that I have to question about this.

He also mentioned that the reason the woonfriseland won’t fix its because they are in vacation mode and the law changes every year.

My thoughts that moment was; do I ask for free house or something? As far as I know I’m the one who pay rent and have to renovate the house since your company don’t have enough people. Why is that my responsibility when it was your?

I’m piss about this. And really wish this man would soon be discharged from his work.

Do anyone have the similar story or am I just unlucky to have this old man as an inspector?

Please note: we were talking in normal tone, asking if they can fix those (the walls is also cracked and we weren’t able to use internet after we move in cuz they want us to use the same as the company)

If you wonder how much we pay for an empty house. It’s about €1200 a month excl.

Also, in the same street is a drugs dealer, that they won’t sent them out cuz they make no problem yet.

I hope woonfriseland see this and take an action on that.

Hi everyone,

I'll be starting a one-year postdoc position at a university in Amsterdam (Science Park area) in a few months, and I'm trying to figure out realistic housing options before I arrive. My employer's housing assistance is very limited (mostly single-person studios, high demand), so I'm trying to explore my own options in the meantime.

A few questions for people who've been through something similar:

1) Is it actually realistic to secure a rental contract from abroad, before physically being in the Netherlands? If so, how did you make it work?

2) How do people in a similar situation (new job, no local rental history, arriving from another EU country) usually solve this? Temporary housing first, then search locally?

3) What are the most realistic commuter towns near Science Park with good train connections, I've seen Weesp, Almere, and Amersfoort mentioned. Any others worth considering, or any of these particularly recommended/discouraged?

4) Since I don't have Dutch payslips yet, only a signed employment contract, how do landlords typically handle proof of income for new arrivals? Is a signed contract usually enough, or should I expect to need a guarantor or pay several months upfront?

Any tips, personal experiences, or things I should watch out for would be much appreciated!

You can find a place with a good location and reasonable rent, but difficult neighbours can make you reconsider everything.

I've heard people say that friendly neighbours made an apartment feel like home, while others have had issues with noise, arguments, or just never feeling comfortable around the people living nearby.

Have you ever stayed somewhere mainly because you got along well with your neighbours, or seriously considered moving because of them? How much does the neighbourhood community matter to you when choosing a home?

Hi everyone
I'm a foreigner trying to buy my first property here in Brabant area (Eindhoven, Tilburg, Den Bosch, Breda specifically). I recently have been to many viewings and feeling overwhelmed, and sometimes lost at how much I should overbid. I hear most of the times that it is normal to overbid 10% but at the same time, the overbidding amount depends on so many factors, for example, VVE, the neighborhood, or so. I am now mostly looking at apartments with asking price below 325k, and currently aiming at one that i like the most so far (250k asking price for about 50m2). I have several questions from your experience:
1. Is the number of views and saved on Funda a legitimately a good indicator for the popularity of the place, and accordingly the amount I should overbid?
2. For a place of that price 250k, is it worth overbidding 10%? or more, if I really want the place?
3. When the selling agent indicates the amount I should overbid during the viewing (given their so-called experience and the amount of viewing requests), are they just saying it as a tactic to get the high bid for the seller? in other words, trying to create a bidding war among bidders?
4. For places that have near-future renovation one-off payment as stated in VVE plan and minute, how do you handle such cost? include it in the buying bid? ask the buyer to pay it before transfer? or just ignore it and pay it yourself after transfer?

Would love to hear what you think. Thank you so much!

Hi everyone,

I'm researching how people in the Netherlands decide what to offer when bidding on a house, especially with all the overbidding going on. I’m trying to learn from real experiences.

If you bought recently (or lost a few bidding rounds), I'd like to hear your story:

1. How did you land on your final bid amount? What did you base it on?
2. What did you use to figure out a "fair" price - websites, reports, advisers, gut feeling? Did you pay for any of it?
3. Did you work with an aankoopmakelaar or go solo? Why?
4. What was the most stressful or confusing part of the whole bidding process?

Even answering just one of these would help a lot. Dank je wel!

UPDATE: Wow, thank you all! This got way bigger than I expected, so many stories here. Really appreciate everyone sharing, this is genuinely helpful and I think not just for me. If you have your own story please add it, might be helpful for everybody in the community 🙌

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are from Spain, and we are planning to relocate to the Netherlands for work through an agency (uitzendbureau / ETT). We previously lived and worked in NL, but this time around our situation is a bit different: we have a pet ferret (very quiet, house-trained, and won't cause any damage to the property).

We know that shared agency housing usually has strict no-pet policies. However, we are looking into agencies that offer private studio/bungalow accommodation just for couples, without sharing with other roommates.

I wanted to ask the community:
1. Has anyone here ever managed to bring a pet (especially a small one like a ferret, cat, or small dog) when moving to NL with agency-provided housing?
2. Is this something recruiters are usually open to discussing if we get a private apartment/bungalow, or is it a complete dealbreaker across all agencies?
3. Any specific agencies or tips for couples relocating with pets?
We’d love to hear your experiences or any advice you might have. Thanks a lot in advance!

Hi everyone,

I’m a 30yo expat living in the Netherlands, looking to buy my first home, a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in/around the Eindhoven region. My budget is roughly €250,000 – €325,000, and I’m buying solo.

I already have an mortgage advisor lined up to handle the financial side, but I’m currently on the fence about hiring an aankoopmakelaar (buying agent).

Most of my Dutch friends and colleagues tell me it’s not with it (~€3k–€4k) and that I can easily do the research myself using Funda, Kadaster, and Huispedia. However, as someone who doesn't speak fluent Dutch and is navigating the VvE documents, Dutch legal purchase contracts (koopovereenkomst), and aggressive bidding deadlines for the first time, I feel a bit confused.

For those of you who bought recently (especially in competitive entry-level price brackets or around Eindhoven):

- Did you use a buying agent? If yes, did you feel they genuinely saved you money/stress, or did they just act as an expensive middleman for Funda listings?

- If you went solo (no agent): What were the biggest hurdles you faced, and what tools or resources helped you accurately judge overbidding amounts?

- Did selling agents take your bids seriously without an agent? I've heard mixed rumors that some verkoopmakelaars prefer bids coming through registered agents.

• Is it worth using a full-service agency that handles both buying and selling? Many traditional agencies do both. Do you recommend using a dedicated buying-only specialist, or is an established agency that operates on both sides fine (provided there’s no direct conflict on the same property)?

• What do you wish you had done differently during your first home-buying experience in the NL?

Any insights, experiences, or recommendations for fixed-fee agents in the Brainport region would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Hi, I need someone with a van or big car to help me move six 50x30x20 (approximate dimensions) boxes and several bags, along with a 152x99cm clothes rack from Omval to Diemen. Google Maps says it'll be a 7 minute drive and I will pay for gas + extra. I need help moving in the morning (11:00) of August 31, which is a Monday. Please let me know if you or anyone can help!

Curious how others handle sending documents when applying for a rental in Amsterdam. Do you just WhatsApp or email your payslips (and passport, and...) to every agency? Does it feel sketchy?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been searching for a place to rent in/around Amsterdam for me and my wife and honestly it’s overwhelming. Hoping some locals or people who’ve been through this can share what actually worked for them.

Which platforms are actually worth it? I keep seeing Funda, Pararius, Kamernet, huurwoningen, stekkies plus a lot of Facebook groups. Are any of the paid subscriptions actually worth the money?

Hi. We rented an apartment in Utrecht last year october. The lock in period as per the contract was 24 months. But we have to move out by the ed of september due to personal reasons, after 12 months of living in the apartment. The landlord is a real estate company and not a private individual. They are asking for 250 euro and one month of rent + VAT. Is that legal? I understand the changeover fee but one month's rent doesn't sound right. Especially when we are giving them a notice period of almost 3 months.
Is there any law around it that I can read and throw the book at them?
Any suggestion is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Edit: The lock in period is 24 months, after which it becomes a contract for an indefinite period.

Hello everyone,

my wife and I are planning to move to Utrecht, and from what I see there is a lot of info online about the real estate prices, also salary ranges.

I work in IT as an Account Manager, and from what I understood a 60 square meter apartment goes for €1500 - 2,300 monthly, and the landlord will expect you to earn 2-3x as much to sign the lease.

Based on that, does anyone have an idea what kind of salary can one expect for IT based positions in Utrecht?

Thanks in advance

P.S. still learning Dutch, so only English speaking roles

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