Contracts explained

Dutch rental contract types in 2026: fixed is the norm again

By Dormetrics — DoArt (sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak)), KVK 58598464 · Last updated: 18 July 2026

Since 1 July 2024, the default Dutch rental contract is indefinite: under the Wet vaste huurcontracten (Fixed Tenancy Act), new contracts give tenants full rent protection from day one, and the generic two-year temporary contract is gone. Temporary contracts survive only for specific groups defined by the government — including some students — with a maximum of two years. If a listing offers you anything else, or a 'contract' arrives before you've seen the home, you're looking at either an outdated template or a scam prop. This guide maps what can legally be offered in 2026 and the contract red flags that matter.

What changed on 1 July 2024?

According to the Rijksoverheid, the Wet vaste huurcontracten took effect on 1 July 2024: fixed (indefinite) contracts are again the norm, and landlords can no longer offer the generic temporary contracts introduced in 2016.

Two transition facts matter in practice. Temporary contracts signed before 1 July 2024 stay valid and simply end on their agreed date. And exceptions exist by decree for specific groups — among them students moving cities for their studies and people in urgent situations — where a temporary contract of at most 2 years is still allowed, according to Volkshuisvesting Nederland.

Which contract types can you still be offered?

The realistic 2026 menu, from most to least common:

  • Indefinite contract (the norm): no end date, full rent protection from day one. This is what a standard listing should offer.
  • Temporary contract for excepted groups only, maximum 2 years — legal only if you fall in a group listed in the government decree (for example students who moved for their studies).
  • Student campus contracts: student-housing providers can tie the tenancy to your enrolment, ending it after your studies.
  • Vacancy-law (Leegstandswet) rentals: temporary use of buildings awaiting sale or redevelopment, with a municipal permit and reduced protection.
  • A homeowner temporarily abroad can rent out with a return clause (the 'diplomatenclausule') — legitimate, but verify ownership all the same.

Run a free check

What must be on paper?

According to Volkshuisvesting Nederland's rules on good landlordship (Wet goed verhuurderschap, since July 2023), the landlord must put the agreement in writing and inform you of your rights and duties. The deposit — capped at two months' bare rent — must be named in the contract, and service costs must be itemised rather than a round guess.

A contract that omits the landlord's identity and address, the deposit terms, or any service-cost breakdown is not a formality problem: it is the profile of either a rule-breaking landlord or a fake document.

What is the ROZ model contract?

Most professional Dutch landlords and agencies use the model tenancy agreement published by the ROZ (Raad voor Onroerende Zaken). According to the ROZ, its current residential model (2025) only provides for indefinite tenancies — aligned with the 2024 law.

Scammers instead send improvised PDFs: oddly translated English, no ROZ structure, no landlord address, and pressure to sign before a viewing. Recognising what a normal Dutch contract looks like is half the defence.

Contract red flags that end the conversation

Any of these should stop you before signing or paying:

  • A 'contract' offered before you have viewed the property in person.
  • A temporary contract when you're not in any excepted group — illegal since 1 July 2024 for new tenancies.
  • No landlord name and address, or a name that doesn't match who you're talking to (verify against the land registry before a deposit).
  • No deposit amount in the contract, a deposit above two months' bare rent, or 'service costs' as one unexplained lump sum.
  • A clause forbidding BRP registration at the address.
  • Payment requested to a foreign account or before the contract is signed by both parties.

Frequently asked questions

Are temporary rental contracts still legal in the Netherlands?
Only for specific groups defined by government decree — including some students — and for at most 2 years. For everyone else, new contracts since 1 July 2024 must be indefinite.
I signed a temporary contract before July 2024. Is it still valid?
Yes. Contracts signed before 1 July 2024 keep their agreed terms and end on their agreed date. The new law applies to contracts signed after that date.
Is a verbal rental agreement valid?
Don't accept one. Under the good-landlordship rules the landlord must put the agreement in writing and inform you of your rights. No written contract also means no proof when the deposit or the rent is disputed.
The landlord wants me to sign before the viewing 'to hold the property'. Normal?
No — that's the standard scam sequence. The legitimate order is view first, then sign, then pay. A contract used as pressure before a viewing is a prop, not protection.
How do I know the person on the contract actually owns the home?
Check the address against the Kadaster, the Dutch land registry. Dormetrics turns that into a simple match / no-match answer on the name you were given, before your deposit moves.

Check the listing behind the contract

A polished PDF proves nothing. Run the free red-flag check on the listing, and confirm the owner against the land registry before you sign or pay.

Run a free check

Dormetrics is a risk signal, not a guarantee. We show you which red flags fired and whether the person taking your deposit legally owns the property. Always view in person, pay by SEPA to a Dutch IBAN, and insist you can register at the address (BRP). The final decision is yours.

Sources

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