Every year Dutch tenants receive a letter announcing a new rent, usually for 1 July or for the anniversary of their contract. Whether that increase is allowed depends on one thing above all: which sector your home falls into. The same percentage can be perfectly legal for one tenant and too high for the next. This article explains how to work out your sector, what the 2026 limits are and how the exceptions work.
Step one: which sector are you in?
Dutch rentals fall into three groups, based mainly on the points the home scores under the official points system (woningwaarderingsstelsel, WWS) and on when your contract started.
- Social rent: homes with up to 143 points. Most homes owned by housing corporations fall here, but private landlords can rent out social homes too.
- Regulated mid-rent (middenhuur): homes with 144 to 186 points, for contracts that started on or after 1 July 2024. In 2026 the maximum rent at the top of this segment is about €1,228 a month.
- Free sector: homes with 187 points or more, and contracts that were already in the free sector before 1 July 2024.
The amounts refer to the basic rent (kale huur), without service costs. If you are not sure of your sector, the Huurcommissie has an online rent check that estimates the points for your home.
The 2026 limits at a glance
| Sector | Maximum increase in 2026 | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Social rent | 4.1% from 1 July 2026 (5% if the increase took effect before 1 July) | €25 for rents under €350; €50 or €100 for higher incomes |
| Regulated mid-rent | 6.1% | Rent may not rise above the maximum for the home's points |
| Free sector | 4.4% | A lower percentage in your contract wins |
Social rent: the exceptions explained
Very low rents
If your basic rent is below €350, the landlord may raise it by a fixed €25 even when that is more than 4.1%. Example (estimate): a rent of €320 can rise to €345, an increase of about 7.8%.
Income-dependent increases
Social landlords may ask a fixed amount from households with a higher income, instead of the percentage. In 2026 that is up to €50 for a middle income and up to €100 for a high income.
- Single-person households: €50 band from €59,504 to €70,149; €100 above €70,149.
- Households of two or more: €50 band from €68,858 to €93,531; €100 above €93,531.
The landlord needs a statement from the Belastingdienst showing your household's income category. If your income has dropped since then, you can object with proof of your current income.
Worked examples (estimates)
| Situation | Current rent | Maximum new rent |
|---|---|---|
| Social, increase from 1 July 2026 | €650 | €676.65 (+4.1%) |
| Social, increase took effect before 1 July | €650 | €682.50 (+5%) |
| Social, single, income €72,000 | €700 | €800 (+€100) |
| Social, couple, income €80,000 | €700 | €750 (+€50) |
| Regulated mid-rent | €1,050 | €1,114.05 (+6.1%) |
| Free sector | €1,800 | €1,879.20 (+4.4%) |
For the mid-rent row there is an extra check: the new rent may never exceed the maximum rent that belongs to the home's points. If the home only justifies €1,090, the rent cannot go to €1,114.05, whatever the percentage says.
Rules that apply in every sector
- The rent can rise once every twelve months.
- The landlord must inform you in writing at least two months before the new rent takes effect.
- The cap applies to the basic rent. Service costs are settled separately, based on actual costs.
- If your contract states a lower increase, the lower one applies. A higher contractual percentage cannot push the rent above the legal limit.
Rent increases after home improvements
Separate from the annual increase, a landlord can propose a higher rent after real improvements, such as a new kitchen or better insulation. This is not automatic: it has to be agreed with you, or for a complex as a whole with enough tenants. Simple maintenance or replacing worn items is not an improvement.
Why the effective date matters for social tenants
For social housing, the percentage depends on when the increase takes effect. The 5% maximum belongs to the 2025 rent round; the 4.1% maximum applies to increases from 1 July 2026. A landlord who applies an increase in, say, April 2026 is still within the old round, so 5% is allowed. A landlord who applies 5% from 1 July 2026 is asking too much. On a rent of €650, the difference between the two is €5.85 a month, or about €70 a year, and it carries on into every future year. It is a small amount that is easy to miss, which is exactly why it is worth checking the date on the letter.
What does not count as a rent increase
A change in your service cost advance, a new charge for a parking space under a separate contract, or the annual service cost settlement are not part of the rent increase. They follow their own rules. Only the basic rent is capped by the percentages above.
Practical tips
- Check the effective date in the letter: for social rent it decides whether 4.1% or 5% applies.
- Calculate the maximum yourself using your current basic rent, not the total including service costs.
- Keep the letter and your contract together; you will need both if you object.
- If the proposal is too high, object in writing before the effective date and keep paying your old rent.
The rent increase checker among the Hypozo calculators does this calculation for each sector, including the income-based amounts and a lower contract percentage. For the official background, see the rent pages on government.nl.
Key takeaways
- Your sector depends on the home's points and on when your contract started.
- In 2026 the maximum is 4.1% for social rent from 1 July, 6.1% for regulated mid-rent and 4.4% in the free sector.
- Social landlords can ask €25 for very low rents and €50 or €100 from higher-income households.
- A lower percentage in your contract always wins; a higher one cannot exceed the legal cap.
- Increases apply once a year and must be announced at least two months ahead.
All figures in this article are estimates, not financial or legal advice.