Rent safely in the Netherlands

The four checks that apply to every Dutch rental

1. Who owns it. Legal ownership of a Dutch property is recorded only in the Kadaster, the national land registry. No rental platform checks it for you, and no advertisement can prove it. Before a deposit to a private landlord, match the name you were given against the deed — a match or no-match answer, which is all you need and all anyone should show you.
2. That the home exists, and is theirs to let. View it in person, or take a live video walkthrough where the person moves through the rooms on request. A landlord who cannot be seen with the property is the single most common shape of a Dutch rental scam — usually paired with being abroad and needing the deposit first.
3. How the money moves. Pay by SEPA transfer to a Dutch IBAN in the name on the contract, at contract time. Crypto, gift cards, Western Union and cash pickup are not payment methods a real Dutch landlord asks for. The deposit is capped at two months' bare rent for contracts signed since 1 July 2023 — the deposit rules cover the exceptions.
4. That you can register there. You must be able to register at the address with the municipality (BRP) from day one. A landlord who says registration is not possible is either letting it unlawfully or does not control the property — and without registration you cannot get a BSN, a bank account or health insurance.