Know your maximum rent

The Dutch points system (WWS) explained: is your rent even legal?

Last updated: 25 July 2026

In the Netherlands, most rents are not free-market numbers: the woningwaarderingsstelsel (WWS) scores every home in points — surface area, energy label, WOZ value, facilities — and those points set a legal maximum rent. Since the Wet betaalbare huur took effect on 1 July 2024, homes scoring up to 186 points fall under regulation, according to the Rijksoverheid; only homes at 187 points or more are free sector. You can score any home yourself with the Huurcommissie's free huurprijscheck. Two reasons to care: you may be overpaying legally — and a rent far above or below what the points support is also a fraud signal.

Gauge showing the 143-point WWS threshold that separates a regulated…Gauge showing the 143-point WWS threshold that separates a regulated rent you can challenge from the free sector.14305025012
  1. Regulated≤ 143 points: regulated rent, you can challenge the price
  2. Free sector

WWS points (puntentelling)

Key takeaways

  • Most Dutch rents are not free-market numbers: the WWS points system scores surface area, energy label, WOZ value and facilities, and those points set a legal maximum rent.
  • Since the Wet betaalbare huur took effect on 1 July 2024, homes scoring up to 186 points are regulated; only 187 points or more is free sector.
  • You can score any home yourself for free with the Huurcommissie's huurprijscheck, and challenge an excessive rent through the Huurcommissie.
  • A rent far above or far below what the points support is also a fraud signal — a scammer prices to attract, not to comply.
On this page
  1. 01How does the WWS points system work?
  2. 02What changed with the Wet betaalbare huur?
  3. 03How do you check and challenge your rent?
  4. 04Why is an inflated rent also a scam signal?
  5. 05Frequently asked questions

How does the WWS points system work?

Every self-contained home earns points for measurable features: square metres, energy label, kitchen and bathroom quality, outdoor space, and the WOZ value (the municipal property valuation). Bring the figures from your rental contract. The total translates to a maximum legal rent via a national table that is indexed every year.

According to the Huurcommissie, the free huurprijscheck walks through exactly these features and tells you the points and the corresponding maximum — for rooms (unselfstandige woonruimte) a separate, similar system applies.

What changed with the Wet betaalbare huur?

Until mid-2024, only the social segment was regulated; anything above it was free sector, whatever the points said. According to the Rijksoverheid, the Wet betaalbare huur (1 July 2024) extended rent regulation to the middle segment: new tenancies for homes up to 186 points are capped at the price their points dictate, and the Huurcommissie can enforce it.

The euro amounts attached to those point boundaries are re-indexed every 1 January. At the 2025 indexation the Huurcommissie put the 186-point ceiling — the liberalisation threshold — at €1,184.82 a month, and the 143-point social ceiling at €900.07. Treat the point counts as the stable frame. Look up the current euro figures when you check, rather than trusting a number in an article — including this one.

SegmentPointsWhat it means for the rent
Social (low) segmentup to 143Regulated: points cap the rent; Huurcommissie handles disputes.
Middle segment144–186Regulated for new tenancies since 1 July 2024 under the Wet betaalbare huur.
Free sector187 or moreRent is negotiable; points don't cap it, but the WWS score still shows what the home objectively offers.

Run a free check

How do you check and challenge your rent?

The route is free and does not require a lawyer:

  • Run the huurprijscheck on huurcommissie.nl — 15 minutes with your contract and floor details. Do it before the deposit moves, not after.
  • New tenancy? You can ask the Huurcommissie to test your starting rent — do it early in the tenancy; for regulated homes the points outcome is binding.
  • Service costs are checkable too: the landlord must settle them annually against real costs, and the Huurcommissie rules on disputes.
  • Municipalities enforce good-landlordship rules — the local huurteam (or !WOON in Amsterdam) helps for free.

Why is an inflated rent also a scam signal?

Fraud and rule-breaking cluster together. A 'landlord' quoting €1,400 for a 40 m² flat whose points support far less is telling you they either don't know Dutch rules or don't plan to be around when you learn them — the same profile that skips contracts, blocks BRP registration and demands deposits before viewings.

The reverse also holds: a rent dramatically below the city's €/m² benchmark is bait. Dormetrics' free check compares a listing's price against the local benchmark automatically, and the city pages list what normal looks like in 20 Dutch cities.

Frequently asked questions

How many points does my home need for the free sector?
Since 1 July 2024, only homes scoring 187 points or more are free sector for new tenancies, according to the Rijksoverheid. At or below 186 points, the points table caps the rent.
Can the Huurcommissie rule on my service costs, not just the rent?
For a regulated tenancy, yes — the Huurcommissie handles disputes about rent and about service costs. It does not handle the deposit, which goes to the subdistrict court. Before you get that far, ask the landlord for the breakdown: under the Wet goed verhuurderschap service costs have to be itemised in writing, not billed as a round number, and a landlord who cannot produce the itemisation usually cannot defend the amount either.
Is the huurprijscheck really free?
Yes — it's the Huurcommissie's own public tool. You answer questions about surface, energy label and facilities, and it returns the points and the maximum legal rent.
My contract is from before July 2024. Does the new law apply?
The Wet betaalbare huur mainly regulates new tenancies in the middle segment. Existing contracts keep their regime, with transition rules — run the huurprijscheck and ask the Huurcommissie or your huurteam what applies to your case.
Do points matter in the free sector?
They don't cap the rent there, but the score still tells you what the home objectively offers for the price — useful negotiation material, and a sanity check against overpriced listings.
Can a scam listing have a 'legal' rent?
Yes — scammers copy real listings, realistic price included. A plausible rent removes one red flag, not the need to view in person and verify the owner before paying.

Price is one signal — check them all

The free check compares the listing against the local rent benchmark and scans for scam-script red flags. When it matters, confirm the owner against the land registry too.

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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