Types of rental contracts
Depending on the type of home and the type of landlord, you will have to deal with a specific lease.
Rental agreement for an indefinite period (huurovereenkomst voor onbepaalde tijd)
This is a rental contract without an end date. A tenant with a tenancy agreement for an indefinite period enjoys rent protection and can therefore not simply be evicted from their home. This is the most common contract type. As a tenant you can, of course, cancel your rental agreement if you want to move. Take into account the notice period mentioned in your contract. The landlord may apply their own rules for this.
Campus contract
The campus contract is a special temporary lease that means that you can only live in a student residence as a student. When you have graduated, you have to leave your home so another student can take your place. This contract is often used by student housing providers.
Fixed-term lease
A fixed-term contract is a contract for a maximum of 5 years. After this period, you have to leave the house if the contract is not renewed. The landlord must notify you within the notice period that your contract period is ending. You can, of course, cancel the lease earlier. Bear in mind that you often also have a notice period.
Subletting, interim letting
If you want to travel or study abroad for a while, it is sometimes useful to keep your current living space. Some landlords offer you the option of temporarily subletting your living space to someone else. Each landlord has their own rules for this. Ask your landlord whether you can temporarily sublet your living space and what rules they apply. If you are going to temporarily rent a living space from someone else, make sure you have permission from the landlord and that the agreements are recorded in writing. Airbnb is not allowed by many landlords. In some cases, housing corporations even impose fines if you rent out your room through Airbnb. Pay attention to this! Check whether subletting via Airbnb is allowed in your rental contract and otherwise with your landlord.
Short stay contracts
Short stay is based on the provision "by its nature of short duration" (Article 232, paragraph 2, Civil Code, Book 7), a provision expressly intended as an exception to rental law. Short stay is only possible if there is no real living. This means, for example, a holiday home or a two-month summer school. Many landlords and corporations offer short stay contracts unlawfully. If you really work somewhere and therefore live for a short time, such as for six months to a year, you will need a fixed term contract. Note: Short stay contracts cannot be terminated prematurely. We recommend a fixed-term contract instead.
Anti-squatting
Anti-squatting housing is popular among students because you can get a lot of space for little money. These homes are often planned to be demolished or have been vacant for a long time. Be aware of your vulnerable position if you live in anti-squatting housing. For example, you may be evicted from your home within a fairly short time. The notice period is included in the contract, and is often very short (one month, two weeks, or even just 24 hours). To compensate for the short notice period, the fee you pay for the home is often much lower than for other rental properties. According to the law, a landlord may only pass on the utility and service costs to the tenant and therefore not charge rent or administration costs. This also has consequences for the type of contract possible. You will not receive a rental contract, but a loan agreement. Essentially, you borrow the space from the landlord, as it were. As a result, you cannot claim tenancy protection or invoke tenancy law.
Hospita room
Another form of renting is hospita rental where you share a house with the landlord/landlady. A sort of home stay. If you rent privately using this system, you will have a trial period of nine months. During this time, you can be evicted from the house for no reason. There is a notice period of three months. During those nine months, the tenant is not covered by rent protection. After those nine months, the tenant does fall under protection.