Moving to Eindhoven for work? Have your rental contract checked before you sign, and plan how you will get your deposit back before you leave the country. Dutch tenancy law applies to knowledge migrants in the same way as to Dutch tenants: the deposit for a contract signed on or after 1 July 2023 is capped at twice the basic rent, and an end date in your contract is not automatically valid. Eindhoven has a Meldpunt Goed Verhuurderschap with a walk-in consultation hour, and a free Huurteam for residents.
Before you sign: five clauses to check
Relocating to the Brainport region can mean signing a lease from abroad, sometimes before you have seen the home. A clause you signed is not automatically valid: most residential tenancy rules are mandatory law. These are the clauses we look at first.
| Clause | What the law says |
|---|---|
| End date | For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2024, a fixed term only for designated groups and for at most two years. Being a knowledge migrant is not one of those groups. |
| Deposit | Maximum twice the basic rent (rent excluding service charges) for contracts concluded on or after 1 July 2023 |
| Deposit repayment | 14 days after the tenancy ends, or 30 days with a full written specification if costs are set off. “Within one to two months” does not override this. |
| Service charges | An advance, settled in an itemised statement no later than six months after the end of each calendar year |
| Rent increases | In writing, at least two months before the date it takes effect, within the statutory 2026 caps |
Also check who the tenant is. If your employer or a relocation agency signed the lease, your position can differ from a lease in your own name. And check the rent itself: you can ask the Huurcommissie to assess the initial rent within six months of the start date (Article 7:249 DCC). For a fixed-term contract concluded before 1 July 2024: during its term and up to six months after it ends.
Knowledge migrants and fixed-term contracts
Since 1 July 2024 a fixed-term lease is only possible for designated groups (Decree on specific groups) and for at most two years; otherwise the lease counts as open-ended. Contracts concluded before 1 July 2024 keep the old regime (max. two years self-contained / five years for a room). Being an expat is not one of those groups, and a work permit or a fixed-term job does not change that.
If a fixed term is permitted, the landlord must notify you in writing, no earlier than three months and no later than one month before the end date (Article 7:271(2) DCC). Without timely notification the lease continues for an indefinite period. An open-ended lease also means you can give notice yourself when your assignment ends, so it works in both directions. The 2026 caps on rent increases are: social housing max. 4.1% (from 1 July 2026), mid-rent max. 6.1% and private sector max. 4.4% (from 1 January 2026). Source: Dutch government, 15 December 2025. The private sector therefore also has a statutory cap.
Leaving the Netherlands: the deposit deadlines
The deposit must be repaid within 14 days of the end of the tenancy; within 30 days if the landlord sets off damage or unpaid rent or service charges, in which case he must give you a full written specification of the costs (Article 7:261b(3)-(4) DCC). A clause promising repayment “within a reasonable period” or “within one to two months” does not override these deadlines. These deadlines apply whether you still live in Eindhoven or have already moved abroad.
Before you leave, give notice in writing, attend the final inspection, and take dated photos and video of every room. Give the landlord your new address, e-mail address and bank details in writing, and keep your Dutch correspondence reachable. Normal wear and tear is not a valid deduction.
Deposit not repaid after you left
If the money does not arrive, a written demand with a deadline is sensible; whether it is legally required depends on the claim and the applicable deadlines. The Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) does not decide deposit disputes. You claim repayment before the subdistrict court (kantonrechter), which for a home in Eindhoven sits at the Stadhuisplein. A lawyer in the Netherlands can act for you while you are abroad. Read how expats can get their deposit back after leaving the Netherlands, try the deposit check, or see everything you need to know about the security deposit.
Where to go in Eindhoven
| For | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Subdistrict court (kantonrechter) | District Court of Oost-Brabant (Rechtbank Oost-Brabant), location Eindhoven, Stadhuisplein 4, 5611 EM Eindhoven | Deposit claims, disputes about the lease, termination and eviction for homes in Eindhoven |
| Reporting point (Good Landlordship Act) | Meldpunt Goed Verhuurderschap Eindhoven; walk-in on Fridays 10:30 to 13:30, Green Room, Atlas building, TU/e, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ Eindhoven; phone or WhatsApp 085 11 55 587 | Report discrimination, intimidation, no written contract, missing information, a deposit above twice the rent, no yearly service charge statement, too high a rent or increase, or double agency fees |
| Free tenant support | Huurteam Eindhoven; Het Juridisch Loket | The Huurteam is free for residents of Eindhoven; the Juridisch Loket gives free legal information |
| Huurcommissie (national) | huurcommissie.nl | Initial rent, rent increases, service charges and defects; not deposit disputes |
| Arslan Advocaten Eindhoven | Croy 7C, 5653 LC Eindhoven, 040 711 3099 | Contract checks before signing, deposit claims from abroad, proceedings |
More on our tenancy law page. Nederlands: Huurrecht in Eindhoven
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord give me a two-year contract because I am a knowledge migrant?
Not on that ground. For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2024, a fixed term is only possible for designated groups, and being an expat or knowledge migrant is not one of them. Otherwise the lease counts as open-ended.
Should I have my contract checked before I sign?
It is sensible, especially if you sign from abroad. Clauses on the end date, the deposit, repayment terms and service charges are the first to compare with mandatory law.
I have left the Netherlands and my deposit has not been repaid. What now?
Send a written demand with a deadline. If that does not work, the claim goes to the subdistrict court in Eindhoven. A lawyer in the Netherlands can act for you while you are abroad.
Where can I report my landlord in Eindhoven?
At the Meldpunt Goed Verhuurderschap, online, by phone or WhatsApp, or at the walk-in hour on Fridays from 10:30 to 13:30 at Den Dolech 2 on the TU/e campus.
About to sign, or about to leave? Send us your contract or your correspondence with the landlord. Call our Eindhoven office on 040 711 3099 or use the contact form. The first consultation is free of charge and confidential.
Sources: Rechtspraak: Rechtbank Oost-Brabant; Overheid.nl: Rechtbank Oost-Brabant, locatie Eindhoven; Gemeente Eindhoven: Meldpunt Goed Verhuurderschap; Huurteam Eindhoven; Rijksoverheid: waarborgsom; Rijksoverheid: rent increases 2026; Dutch Civil Code Articles 7:249, 7:252, 7:259, 7:261b and 7:271. Checked on 23 September 2026.
