Rent, buy or refinance

Smart housing starts with numbers

Compare renting with buying, check your rent increase or see what refinancing saves.

Rent or buy Netherlands: which suits you best?

This rent or buy Netherlands calculator puts renting and buying side by side with your own numbers and the 2026 rules. You can also check whether your rent increase is allowed, see what refinancing or overpaying your mortgage saves, what a better energy label is worth and whether you could get housing benefit (huurtoeslag).

Renting and buying are two very different money flows. Rent is a fixed cost that usually rises a little every year. When you buy, you pay interest, upkeep and one-off costs, but you also build up wealth in your home. This calculator puts both side by side and adds everything up year by year.

What counts for renting

Your monthly rent, rising by the percentage you choose. We subtract one thing: as a renter you do not pay buyer costs (kosten koper), so that money can stay invested. The return you make on it lowers the cost of renting.

What counts for buying

Buyer costs at purchase: 2% transfer tax (0% for starters aged 18 to 34 buying a home of up to € 555,000), notary, valuation, mortgage advice, a bank guarantee and NHG where possible.
Interest on a 30-year annuity mortgage for the full price, minus Dutch mortgage interest relief (at most 37.56% in 2026), taking the notional rental value (eigenwoningforfait) into account.
Maintenance of 1% of the home value per year and € 300 for buildings insurance.
Selling costs of 1.5% at the end, and the value growth you built up.

Repayments are not a cost. That money is not gone: it sits in your home and comes back to you when you sell.

Reading the timeline

The two lines show the running total cost of renting and of buying. Where the buying line drops below the renting line is the break-even point. Buying is almost always more expensive at first because of the buyer costs. The longer you stay, the more those one-off costs are spread out and the more value growth counts.

Do try different value growth figures. With 0% growth the picture looks very different from 3%. Nobody knows where Dutch house prices will go, so look at the cautious scenario too. Not sure you can get the mortgage? Our sister site hypoq.nl works out how much you can borrow.

Worked example

You and your partner rent for € 1,500 a month and are looking at a € 400,000 home. You borrow the full price at 3.9%. You plan cautiously with 2% value growth and 3% rent increases per year, and you expect to stay at least ten years.

Buyer costs: € 15,300.
After 1 year, buying has cost about € 27,900 against € 17,500 of rent. Renting is still cheaper.
In year 2 the buying line already drops below the renting line.
After 10 years renting has cost about € 201,100 (after the return on your savings) and buying about € 75,300.

In this example buying is roughly € 125,800 cheaper after ten years, mainly because you stop paying rent and the home gains value. With 0% growth the break-even point comes later and the gap is much smaller.

Source: Wijzer in geldzaken: wonen 2026, Belastingdienst: eigenwoningforfait

Rent increase in the Netherlands 2026: is yours allowed?

Each year the Dutch government sets how much rent may rise at most. For 2026 the limit depends on the type of rental. Your landlord may raise the rent once a year and has to tell you in writing at least two months in advance.

The 2026 limits

Social housing: 4.1% from 1 July 2026. If your rent goes up earlier, last year's maximum of 5% still applies. The 4.1% is the average inflation of the past three years plus 0.5%.
Mid-rent (middenhuur): 6.1% in 2026, which is collective wage growth plus 1%.
Free sector: 4.4% in 2026: the lower of inflation (3.4%) and wage growth, plus 1%.

Exceptions in social housing

If your basic rent is below € 350, the landlord may raise it by up to € 25, even if that is more than 4.1%. Tenants with a higher income can be asked for a fixed amount: up to € 50 for a middle income and up to € 100 for a high income. For a single-person household the € 50 band runs from € 59,504 to € 70,149, with € 100 above that. For households of two or more it is € 68,858 to € 93,531.

What about your contract?

If your contract states a lower percentage, the lower one applies. If it states a higher percentage, or a formula such as “inflation plus 3%”, your landlord still cannot go above the legal maximum.

What if the increase is too high?

First object in writing to your landlord, before the date the increase takes effect. If you cannot agree, social and mid-rent tenants can go to the Huurcommissie, the rent tribunal. In the free sector you can go to the subdistrict court. Keep paying your old rent while the objection runs.

Worked example

You rent a social home for € 780 a month. Your landlord raises the rent to € 820 from 1 July 2026.

Maximum allowed: 4.1% of € 780 = € 31.98.
So the new rent may be at most € 811.98.
The proposed € 820 is € 8.02 too high.

If you rent in the free sector for € 1,400, at most 4.4% may be added: € 61.60. Your new rent is then at most € 1,461.60.

Source: Rijksoverheid: maximale huurverhoging 2026, Aedes: huurbeleid 2026

Refinance your mortgage in the Netherlands: is it worth it?

A lower rate sounds great, but if your rate is still fixed, your Dutch lender will usually charge a fee for paying off early: the prepayment penalty (boeterente). It covers the interest the bank loses. Refinancing only pays off when your savings are bigger than the penalty plus the costs.

How Dutch banks calculate the penalty

Most lenders follow the same method, within the rules of the Dutch financial regulator (AFM):

The penalty-free part comes off first. Usually you may repay 10% (sometimes 15 or 20%) per year without penalty.
On the rest, the bank looks at the gap between your rate and today's rate for a comparable period. If your remaining period falls between two fixed periods, the rate of the longer one applies.
That rate gap counts for every month until your fixed period ends. With an annuity mortgage the amount the penalty is based on shrinks a little each month because of your repayments.
All months together are discounted to what that amount is worth today.

If your current rate is equal to or lower than the comparison rate, there is no penalty.

What you get in return

After refinancing you pay less interest each month. We use the same remaining term so you can compare payments fairly. Because you pay less interest, you also get less mortgage interest relief, which is why we show the saving net. The penalty itself is usually tax-deductible as a financing cost of your own home.

Why it often does not pay off

The penalty is built to roughly equal the interest difference you would save over the coming years. Refinancing mainly pays off when your fixed period is nearly over, when you have already repaid a lot penalty-free, or when you lock the new low rate in for much longer. Also ask about rate averaging (rentemiddeling): your bank spreads the penalty over a new rate, without notary or advice costs.

Worked example

You still owe € 250,000 on an annuity mortgage at 4.8%, fixed for another 5 years, with 25 years left in total. A comparable 5-year rate is now 3.7%. You may repay 10% penalty-free.

Prepayment penalty: about € 10,600. After tax relief (37.56%) it costs you about € 6,630 net.
Advice, notary and valuation: € 3,150.
Your gross monthly payment drops from € 1,432 to € 1,279.
Net you save around € 70 a month, € 4,200 over 5 years.

Over the remaining 5 years refinancing would cost you about € 5,600. If you wait until your fixed period ends, you can move to the lower rate without a penalty.

Source: Van Bruggen: rekenmethode boeterente, Belastingdienst: tarieven 2026

Overpay your mortgage in the Netherlands: what does it save?

Overpaying means paying off your mortgage faster than agreed. A smaller debt means less interest. Simple in principle, but a few Dutch rules matter before you put your savings into your home.

Two ways to benefit

Shorter term: your monthly payment stays the same, but you finish sooner. This saves the most interest.
Lower payment: the bank recalculates your payment over the remaining term. You keep more each month but save less interest overall.

If you pick a lower payment in the calculator, we only use the lump sum. A monthly extra always works as a shorter term.

The role of tax

In the Netherlands you get tax back on mortgage interest: at most 37.56% in 2026. Overpay and you pay less interest, but you also get less back. That is why we show the saving net. Of every euro of interest you save, you really keep about 62 cents.

Penalty-free overpaying

Most Dutch lenders let you repay 10% of the original mortgage per year without penalty. Repay more while your rate is fixed and the bank may charge a prepayment penalty. The calculator warns you when you go over that limit.

Overpay or save?

Compare the net interest you save with what a savings account pays. With a 4% mortgage rate the net saving is about 2.5% a year, guaranteed. Always keep a cash buffer though: money in your home is not easy to get back. Savings above the tax-free allowance also count in box 3, while money in your home does not.

Worked example

You still owe € 250,000 at 4% with 25 years to go. Your monthly payment is € 1,320. You pay off € 10,000 once and then € 100 extra every month.

Without overpaying you would still pay € 145,900 in interest.
With overpaying that becomes € 113,700.
Gross you save € 32,200, net about € 20,100.
Your mortgage is paid off 50 months (just over 4 years) sooner.

If you only pay the € 10,000 and choose a lower payment, your monthly payment drops by about € 53.

Source: Belastingdienst: tarieven 2026, Belastingdienst: eigenwoningforfait

Energy upgrades with your Dutch mortgage: what do they bring?

Insulation, a heat pump or solar panels cost money, but your energy bill goes down. For such measures Dutch rules let you borrow extra on top of your normal maximum mortgage in 2026. How much depends on your home's current energy label.

How much extra can you borrow?

Label now	Extra for upgrades
E, F or G	up to € 20,000
C or D	up to € 15,000
A, B, A+ or A++	up to € 10,000
A+++ or better	€ 0

A good label also counts on your next mortgage. With label A or B you may borrow € 10,000 more than with label E, and with A+ or A++ even € 20,000 more. We show that as extra borrowing room.

How we estimate the saving

Each label stands for a range of energy use per square metre. We use the middle of that range and an average price of € 0.13 per kWh of primary energy. Because people use less in practice than the label predicts, we take 70% of that. The result is a cautious estimate, not a promise.

Net per month

If you add the amount to your mortgage, you pay interest and repayment on it. That interest is tax-deductible. We put the net monthly cost of the extra loan next to your saving. If the difference is positive, you are better off from the first month.

Also look at subsidies such as ISDE for heat pumps and insulation, and at the Warmtefonds if you prefer not to finance through your mortgage.

Worked example

You live in a 100 m² terraced house with label E and want label B. Insulation and a hybrid heat pump cost € 18,000 in total. The mortgage rate is 3.9%.

Estimated saving: (312 − 175) × 100 × € 0.13 × 0.7 = € 1,247 a year, just over € 100 a month.
With label E you may borrow up to € 20,000 extra, so the € 18,000 fits.
The extra loan costs you about € 63 a month net.
You keep around € 41 every month, and the payback time is about 14 years.

On a next mortgage, label B also adds € 10,000 of borrowing room.

Source: Staatscourant 2025, 36471 (Regeling hypothecair krediet 2026), Nibud-advies leennormen 2026

Housing benefit calculator: how much huurtoeslag do you get?

Housing benefit (huurtoeslag) is a contribution towards your rent if your income is not too high. The scheme was simplified in 2026. A rent above the maximum no longer excludes you: you get benefit up to that maximum and pay the rest yourself. Young people from age 21 now get the full benefit, and shared service charges no longer count.

Step by step

Rent used: your basic rent, capped at € 932.93 a month. If everyone in the home is under 21, the cap is € 498.20.
Base rent: you always pay this part yourself: € 202.52 for a single-person household and € 200.71 for a household of two or more.
Three slices of rent: the part between the base rent and € 498.20 is covered 100%. The part up to the cap limit is covered 65%; that limit is € 713.02 for one or two people and € 764.14 for three or more. The part above it, up to € 932.93, is covered 40%.
Income: if your income is above € 23,425 (single) or € 31,500 (together), part of your benefit comes off. Under the new rules that is 27% of the income above that threshold for a single person and 22% for larger households, per year, divided by twelve.

Savings

If on 1 January 2026 you have more than € 38,479 in savings and investments (or more than € 76,958 together with your benefit partner), you do not get housing benefit. The value of a home you own does not count here.

Which income do you enter?

Your assessment income: the combined taxable income of you and your benefit partner. For housemates under 23 only part of their income counts. If you do not know your 2026 income yet, enter an estimate and update it later with the Dienst Toeslagen, so you do not have to pay money back afterwards.

This is an estimate. Only the Dienst Toeslagen's own trial calculation and decision are binding.

Worked example

You live alone, are 28 and pay € 800 basic rent. Your income is € 28,000 a year and you have little savings.

Part up to € 498.20: 498.20 − 202.52 = € 295.68 (100%).
Part up to € 713.02: 65% × 214.82 = € 139.63.
Part up to € 800: 40% × 86.98 = € 34.79.
Income reduction: (28,000 − 23,425) × 27% ÷ 12 = € 102.94.

Your housing benefit is then about € 367 a month, over € 4,400 a year. A household of three with € 31,500 income and the same rent would get about € 484 a month.

Source: Volkshuisvesting Nederland: huurtoeslagparameters 2026, Volkshuisvesting Nederland: wijzigingen huurtoeslag

Housing in other countries

Moving abroad, or comparing with the country you come from? The country buttons above the calculator switch every tab to the rules of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Portugal or Austria: their transfer taxes, rent rules and early repayment rules. Where a country has no simple national formula for housing support, we do not show a made-up amount. Instead you see who is likely to qualify and where to apply.

United Kingdom

In England and Northern Ireland buyers pay Stamp Duty: nothing up to £125,000, then 2%, 5%, 10% and 12%. First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% up to £500,000. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) have their own bands, so pick your region next to the country buttons. Landlords can raise the rent once a year with no fixed cap; in England that only works through a section 13 notice since 1 May 2026. There is no tax relief on mortgage interest for your own home.

Sources: GOV.UK: Stamp Duty rates, Renters' Rights Act roadmap, Shelter: section 13 increases

Ireland

Stamp duty is 1% up to €1 million, 2% up to €1.5 million and 6% above that. Since 2025 the whole country is a Rent Pressure Zone, so rent can rise once a year by at most 2%, or by inflation when that is lower. For tenancies starting from 1 March 2026 the rent can only reset to market level for a new tenant or after six years. HAP helps tenants on a low income.

Sources: Revenue: stamp duty rates, RTB: rents from 1 March 2026

Italy

Buying your main home from a private seller (prima casa) costs 2% registration tax on the cadastral value rather than the price, plus two fixed fees of €50. You can deduct 19% of your mortgage interest on up to €4,000 a year. Repaying early or moving your mortgage to another bank costs no penalty. Rents follow the ISTAT index only when the contract provides for it, and not at all under cedolare secca.

Sources: ISTAT index September 2026, Tenant deduction 2026

Portugal

For a home you live in, IMT follows a rising table (0% up to €106,346) plus 0.8% stamp duty. If you are 35 or younger and buy your first own home, you pay nothing up to €330,539 (IMT Jovem). Rents may rise by 2.24% in 2026. Repaying a mortgage early costs at most 2% on a fixed rate or 0.5% on a variable rate. Tenants deduct 15% of their rent from income tax, up to €900.

Sources: IMT table 2026, Rent coefficient 2026

Austria

Buyers pay 3.5% real estate transfer tax, 1.1% for the land register and 1.2% to register the mortgage. Rents under the Tenancy Act (MRG) may rise by at most 1% in 2026 and 2% in 2027, each time from 1 April. Repaying a fixed-rate mortgage early costs at most 1% of the amount. Each federal state runs its own housing allowance (Wohnbeihilfe).

Sources: MieWeG in practice, § 20 HIKrG

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to rent or buy in the Netherlands?

It mostly depends on how long you will stay and how much the home gains in value. Because of the buyer costs, buying usually costs more in the first years. If you stay more than a few years and prices rise a little, buying often comes out ahead. Run your own numbers with the calculator above.

Can expats buy a house in the Netherlands?

Yes. There are no restrictions on foreigners buying property. Lenders usually ask for a BSN, a Dutch bank account, a residence permit if you need one, and an employment contract. Some banks offer mortgages in English.

How much can my rent go up in 2026?

Social housing at most 4.1% from 1 July 2026, mid-rent 6.1% and the free sector 4.4%. For social homes below € 350 an increase of up to € 25 is allowed, and higher incomes can get a fixed € 50 or € 100.

How is the prepayment penalty calculated in the Netherlands?

Take the penalty-free part (often 10%) off your remaining debt. Multiply the rest by the gap between your current rate and the rate for the remaining period, for every month until your fixed period ends, and discount that to today. The calculator above does this for you; your bank gives an official calculation on request.

How much can I overpay without a penalty?

With most Dutch lenders 10% of the original mortgage per calendar year; some allow 15% or 20%. Check your mortgage terms. Once your fixed period ends, you can repay everything penalty-free.

How much extra can I borrow for energy upgrades in 2026?

It depends on your current label: up to € 20,000 with E, F or G, up to € 15,000 with C or D and up to € 10,000 with A to A++. With A+++ or better there is no extra room. This comes on top of your normal maximum mortgage.

What is the maximum rent for housing benefit in 2026?

There is no hard limit any more in 2026. Your rent may be higher, but the benefit is calculated on at most € 932.93. For households with only people under 21 that is € 498.20.

Can expats get huurtoeslag?

Yes, if you have a valid residence permit (or EU citizenship), are registered at your address, have a rental contract in your name and meet the income and savings rules. Your benefit partner and housemates also need a valid residence status.

Updated: 29-10-2026 · Source: Rijksoverheid, Belastingdienst, Volkshuisvesting Nederland, Staatscourant, Nibud; GOV.UK, Revenue (IE), RTB, ISTAT, Diário da República, HIKrG/MieWeG. All results are indicative and not financial advice.