Before you sign a Dutch rental contract
Six things to check in the ten minutes before you sign. Most problems students have were visible on page one.
1. Is your name on it, and is the address right?
Sounds obvious. It isn't. You need the exact address (including room number if it's a shared house) to register at the gemeente.
2. The deposit (borg)
Maximum is two months' basic rent, by law since July 2023. Anything more you can refuse. It must be returned within 14 days after you move out (30 days if there's damage to settle). Get it in writing that you paid it.
3. Rent vs service costs
Dutch contracts split kale huur (basic rent) and servicekosten (service costs: gas, water, electricity, internet, cleaning). Service costs must be real costs and the landlord must send you an itemised statement every year. If the "service costs" are a round number like €150 and never explained, that's often padding. You can challenge it at the Huurcommissie.
4. Is the rent legal?
Rooms and most apartments in NL fall under a points system that caps the rent. Many students overpay by €100 to €300 a month without knowing. You have 6 months from the contract start to challenge it, and if you win the reduction applies from day one. Read the rent check guide.
5. Contract length
Since July 2024 most Dutch rental contracts are permanent by default. Fixed-term contracts (say 12 months) are still allowed for some groups, including international students, so a 12-month contract isn't a red flag by itself. What matters: can you leave early? Look for the notice period (opzegtermijn), usually one month. A "diplomatenclausule" means the landlord can come back and reclaim the place, common in sublets.
6. Illegal fees
If an agent found the room for the landlord, they cannot charge you a fee. "Bemiddelingskosten", "administratiekosten", "contractkosten" of hundreds of euros: illegal under article 7:417 of the civil code, you can reclaim them up to five years later. A small real cost (a credit check, ~€25) is fine.
Bonus: take photos
Every wall, floor, window, appliance, on the day you get the keys. Time-stamped. This is your deposit coming back. Ask the landlord for an opleveringsrapport (check-in report) and sign it together.