Subletting in Amsterdam: Check a Room Before You Pay

1. The main tenant still lives there

A tenant may sublet part of a home they live in themselves, as long as their lease doesn't forbid it. Once they've moved out and only the rooms are left, you're looking at a whole-home sublet again.

2. Their lease allows it

!WOON points out that most leases rule out subletting without the landlord's permission, even for a single room. Ask to see that permission in writing. A main tenant with nothing to hide won't mind.

3. Amsterdam's own rules allow it

The City's housing rules start from one home, one household. Two adults can share without a permit. Once three or more adults live there, the City treats it as room rental, and that always needs a permit. The City only hands out a set number of these permits per neighbourhood and per building.

There's one exception, called inwoning, which is close to taking in a lodger. It comes with conditions. Usually the main household must have lived there for at least a year before you move in, although that rule doesn't apply to family, carers or married couples.

The fines are real. The City's own summary of its housing rules puts the maximum fine for illegal home-sharing at €18,000. That fine is for whoever lets the rooms without a permit, not for you. Your room can still disappear along with the arrangement.

If your landlord lives with you

Renting a room in the landlord's own home is called hospitaverhuur. For the first nine months, you have less protection. The landlord can end the contract without giving a reason, with three months' notice. After that, normal tenant protection applies.

What happens to you if the sublet isn't legal

This is the part nobody mentions in the advert.

• You're not the one breaking the law. The Dutch government says a subtenant isn't punishable for an illegal sublet. The fines and the court case are for the person renting it out.
• A room can go quickly. If the landlord ends the main lease, you have no right to stay. You leave when the main tenant does, though you can hold them responsible for breaking your contract.
• A whole flat gives you a little more on paper. Your contract can carry on with the owner or the corporation. But they can ask a court to end it within six months. Reasons include not having the housing permit the home needs, or a sublet set up mainly to pass the tenancy on. With an illegal social sublet, don't count on staying.
• You may not be able to register. No registration means no BSN, and without a BSN your payroll, health insurance and bank account all stall.
• Your money is exposed. A deposit paid in cash to someone who then disappears is very hard to get back.

None of this makes you a bad tenant. Amsterdam's housing shortage pushes plenty of newcomers into arrangements like these. It just means you should know what you're signing up for.

Your right to register at the address

You register where you actually live. The national register rules say it doesn't matter whether you're allowed to live there under local rules or a contract. And !WOON says plainly that you don't need your landlord's permission to register.

In practice it's harder. The City asks for proof of address, such as your rental contract, and a landlord who won't cooperate makes that difficult. Our guide to your BSN, DigiD and gemeente registration in Amsterdam explains what to bring and what to do if you're stuck.

So ask early, and in writing: "Can I register at this address?" !WOON calls a no a red flag, often a sign of an illegal sublet or a scam. Don't solve it by registering at a friend's address where you don't live. That's an incorrect registration, and the City does check.

Your contract: written, usually permanent, with a capped deposit

Whoever rents to you, the national rules for landlords make a good checklist. Most of them come from the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap).

• A written contract. Landlords must give you one, plus written information about things like the deposit and where to get help.
• A capped deposit. At most two months of bare rent (kale huur, the rent without service charges). It must come back within 14 days of the tenancy ending, or within 30 days if the landlord deducts costs.
• No discrimination, no intimidation. A landlord may not turn you down for reasons that have nothing to do with renting the home. Threats, like cutting off your electricity, are off limits too.
• Usually a permanent contract. Under the Permanent Rental Contracts Act (Wet vaste huurcontracten), new tenancies are normally open-ended.

Temporary contracts are only allowed in specific cases, such as students renting for their studies, or tussenhuur. They last at most two years. The landlord must write to you one to three months before the end date. If they don't, the contract becomes permanent.

Is the rent fair? Check it with the Huurcommissie

Start with the Huurcommissie's online rent check (Huurprijscheck), which has an English version. For a room, you'll need the home's WOZ value (its official property value), the size of your room and the shared spaces, and how many people share them.

If you've just started renting a room, or a social or mid-market home, you can ask the Huurcommissie to assess the starting rent. Do it within six months of the contract starting. A Huurcommissie researcher then does the official points count. You can also report a rent that's too high to the gemeente, which can fine a landlord who won't lower it.

Renting from a main tenant rather than the owner can complicate these procedures. Ask !WOON before you file, so you pick the right route.

Before you pay anything: a checklist

1. See it in person, or send someone you trust. Check that the keys work.
2. Ask who you're renting from. The owner, or a tenant? If it's a tenant, ask to see the landlord's written permission.
3. Check the owner in the Kadaster, the land registry. If the names don't match, ask why, and ask for a written authorisation.
4. Ask in writing: "Can I register here?"
5. Get a written contract with both names, the address, the rent, the deposit and the start date.
6. Check the deposit is no more than two months of bare rent.
7. Run the rent check for a room, and compare it with what you're asked to pay.
8. Pay by bank transfer. Never pay cash without a signed receipt. Keep screenshots of the advert and every message.
9. Talk to the neighbours if you can.
10. Don't let anyone rush you. Pressure to pay today is one of the clearest warning signs there is.

Where to get help in Amsterdam

• !WOON. The City-funded tenant advice service. Advice is free and confidential, and it's available in English. Call 020 5230 130 on weekdays, use the form on its English page, or walk in at one of its offices. There's also a walk-in at IN Amsterdam for internationals.
• The City's reporting point for problems with landlords. It's online at amsterdam.nl, for things like a missing written contract, an unfair deposit, discrimination or intimidation.
• The City's housing fraud reports. amsterdam.nl also has a page for reporting illegal sublets and holiday rentals. You don't have to report anyone to get advice from !WOON.
• The Huurcommissie for rent disputes, and the police if you've been scammed.

!WOON also has a practical page on how to avoid housing scams, worth reading before your first viewing.

How Locallista helps

Finding a legal room or flat in Amsterdam takes time, and the contract is often in Dutch. That's a lot to judge on your own, in your first weeks, under pressure.

We're a directory of English-speaking local service providers. Every business is screened before it's listed, reviews are phone-verified, and the ranking reflects real expat experience, not who paid the most. It's free to browse and free to get in touch.

Our English-speaking real estate agents in Amsterdam can search for a rental with you, and many of them help with lease contracts too. If a sublet has already gone wrong, one of our English-speaking real estate lawyers in Amsterdam can tell you where you stand.