This glossary explains the key terms of Dutch tenancy law, each in one sentence, with the Dutch term in brackets and a link to a page that covers it in more detail. It helps you understand a letter from your landlord, the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) or a bailiff (deurwaarder). The definitions follow the Dutch statutes and official government information, checked on 23 September 2026. Articles cited refer to the Dutch Civil Code unless stated otherwise.
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · M · N · P · R · S · W
A
Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur)
Act which, from 1 July 2024, made the housing valuation system binding for mid-rent homes as well and laid down the points thresholds for regulated rent and mid-rent. Read more.
All-in rent (all-in huur)
A rent in which the basic rent and service charges are not shown separately; the tenant can ask the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) to determine that split. Read more.
B
Bailiff (deurwaarder)
Public official who serves writs of summons and enforces judgments, including evictions; a landlord may never evict a tenant from a home himself. Read more.
Basic rent (kale huur)
The price for the use of the home alone, excluding service charges, utilities and any energy performance fee (Article 7:237(2) Dutch Civil Code); the deposit cap is calculated on this amount. Read more.
Business premises (bedrijfsruimte)
Retail, hospitality and craft premises (Article 7:290 Dutch Civil Code) or other business premises such as offices (Article 7:230a Dutch Civil Code), each with its own tenancy regime; the deposit cap for residential property does not apply there. Read more.
C
Co-tenant (medehuurder)
Someone who is a tenant of the same home in their own right alongside the tenant, such as a spouse or registered partner, or a cohabiting partner who has obtained that status from the court. Read more.
Collection costs (incassokosten)
Extrajudicial costs a landlord may charge for late payment, but only after sending a written fourteen-day letter and within the statutory scale. Read more.
D
Defect (gebrek)
A condition or feature of the home that deprives the tenant of the use and enjoyment they are entitled to expect, such as a leak, mould or broken heating (Article 7:204 Dutch Civil Code). Read more.
Deposit (borg, waarborgsom)
Money the tenant pays at the start as security; for residential property rented on or after 1 July 2023 it may not exceed twice the basic rent, and it must be repaid within 14 days of the end of the tenancy, or within 30 days if costs are set off (Article 7:261b Dutch Civil Code). Read more.
Dissolution (ontbinding)
Termination of the tenancy agreement because of a breach; for residential property this is only possible through the court (Article 7:231(1) Dutch Civil Code). Read more.
E
Early warning of arrears (vroegsignalering)
The landlord’s obligation to report rent arrears to the municipality before issuing a writ of summons, so that debt counselling can start; if that report was not made, the court may refuse the eviction. Read more.
Energy performance fee (energieprestatievergoeding)
Monthly fee that a landlord may charge on top of the basic rent for an energy-neutral home; it does not count towards the deposit cap.
Eviction (ontruiming)
Being forced to leave the home after a court ruling, carried out by a bailiff (deurwaarder); where children live in the home, the court weighs their interests as a primary consideration. Read more.
Eviction moratorium (moratorium ontruiming)
Temporary suspension of an eviction by the court, for example to give debt counselling a chance. Read more.
F
Fixed Rental Contracts Act (Wet vaste huurcontracten)
Act which, from 1 July 2024, made the open-ended tenancy agreement the main rule again; fixed-term tenancies are now only allowed for designated groups. Read more.
Fixed-term tenancy agreement (tijdelijk huurcontract)
Tenancy agreement for a fixed period; since 1 July 2024 only permitted for groups designated by law and for at most two years, otherwise it counts as an open-ended contract. Read more.
Fourteen-day letter (veertiendagenbrief)
Written reminder in which the landlord gives the tenant fourteen days to pay before collection costs may be charged. Read more.
G
Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap)
Act which, from 1 July 2023, sets rules for landlords and letting agents (including against discrimination and intimidation), lets municipalities enforce them through a reporting point, and introduced the deposit cap of twice the basic rent. Read more.
H
Housing valuation system (woningwaarderingsstelsel, WWS)
The points system used to determine the maximum rent of a home, based on factors including floor area, facilities, energy label and WOZ value (the municipal property valuation). Read more.
I
Initial rent (aanvangshuur)
The rent agreed at the start of the tenancy; for regulated and mid-rent homes you can have it reviewed by the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) within six months of the start date (Article 7:249 Dutch Civil Code). Read more.
M
Mid-rent (middenhuur)
Rent of a home with 144 to 186 points inclusive; since the Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur, 1 July 2024) also subject to a maximum rent, with its own maximum annual increase. Read more.
N
Notice of expiry (aanzegging)
The landlord’s written notice that a fixed-term tenancy will end on its end date, to be given no earlier than three months and no later than one month before that date (Article 7:271 Dutch Civil Code); without timely notice the tenancy continues for an indefinite period. Read more.
Notice of termination (opzegging)
Ending of the tenancy by either party; the tenant gives notice equal to the payment period, at least one and at most three months, while the landlord can only do so on a statutory ground and with the tenant’s consent or a court ruling. Read more.
P
Payment arrangement (betalingsregeling)
An agreement with the landlord to pay off rent arrears in instalments, often the quickest way to avoid eviction proceedings. Read more.
Private sector rent (vrije sector, geliberaliseerde huur)
Rent of a home with 187 points or more; the rent itself is not regulated, but the annual increase is capped by law, at 4.4% in 2026. Read more.
R
Recommendation on tenancy cases (Aanbeveling huurzaken)
Guideline issued by the subdistrict court judges (Expertgroep huurrecht, LOVCK, May 2023) stating that dissolution for rent arrears will in principle be granted when three monthly instalments are unpaid, and when two are unpaid if the tenant was already ordered to pay rent arrears in the year before the hearing. Read more.
Regulated rent (gereguleerde huur, sociale huur)
Rent of a home with up to and including 143 points under the housing valuation system (woningwaarderingsstelsel); the rent is subject to a maximum and the annual increase is capped by the government. Read more.
Rent arrears (huurachterstand)
Rent not paid on the due date; arrears can lead to collection costs, a writ of summons and, through the subdistrict court (kantonrechter), to dissolution of the tenancy and eviction. Read more.
Rent increase (huurverhoging)
An increase in the rent, which must be proposed in writing at least two months before the effective date (Article 7:252 Dutch Civil Code) and is capped in 2026 at 4.1% (social housing), 6.1% (mid-rent) and 4.4% (private sector). Read more.
Rent reduction (huurverlaging)
A reduction of the rent, for example temporarily because of a serious defect or because the initial rent was too high; you can request it from the landlord, the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) or the court. Read more.
Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie)
National, independent body that, for a low fee, rules on rent, service charges and maintenance for regulated and mid-rent homes; it does not decide deposit disputes. Read more.
S
Service charges (servicekosten)
Payment for additional supplies and services, such as cleaning of communal areas; the landlord must send an annual statement no later than six months after the end of the calendar year (Article 7:259 Dutch Civil Code). Read more.
Subdistrict court (kantonrechter)
The court that always hears tenancy cases, whatever the amount at stake (Article 93(c) Dutch Code of Civil Procedure); you do not need a lawyer there. Read more.
Subletting (onderhuur)
The tenant letting all or part of the rented property to someone else; for an entire self-contained home this is not allowed without the landlord’s consent.
Substitution of tenant (indeplaatsstelling)
A request by the tenant of retail or hospitality premises asking the court to substitute another party, who is taking over the business, as tenant in their place (Article 7:307 Dutch Civil Code).
W
Writ of summons (dagvaarding)
The official document by which the landlord summons the tenant to appear before the subdistrict court (kantonrechter), for example to claim payment, dissolution of the tenancy and eviction. Read more.
Further reading: Tenancy law lawyer in the Netherlands and the deposit check. Nederlands: Woordenlijst huurrecht. Türkçe: Hollanda kira hukuku sözlüğü.
