Social rent, middle rent or free sector rent?
To check whether the rent increase your landlord wants to implement complies with the rules, it is important to first check whether you have a rental contract for social rent, middle rent, or free sector rent.
You can check this on this webpage from the Dutch central government.
For example, if your rental contract started in 2025, you are renting in the social rent when your basic rental price is less than € 900.07 per month. You are renting in the middle rent when your basic rental price is between € 900.07 and € 1,184.83 per month. You are renting in the free sector when your basic rental price is € 1.157,95 or higher per month.
Social rent
Within the social rent, rent increases are usually implemented on July 1st. Landlords often choose this date because the new maximum rates can be implemented each year on July 1st.
The landlord first needs to send you a proposal for the increase. This proposal must be sent two calendar months in advance. Thus, if the landlord wants the increase to take effect on July 1st 2025, the proposal must be sent to you before May 1st 2025.
The proposal must meet the following conditions:
• The proposal must be sent to you via email or letter;
• Your old and new basic rental price are mentioned;
• The amount of the increase is mentioned;
• The day the increase will take effect is mentioned;
• It is mentioned in the letter or e-mail that you can object to the increase.
You rent a room:
Starting July 1st 2025, the landlord may increase the basic rental price by up to:
• 5%.
Please note: the rent increase may not cause the rent for your room to exceed the legal maximum. You can calculate the maximum rental price for your room on this page.
You rent an independent living space:
From July 1st 2025, the landlord may increase the basic rental price by a maximum of:
• 5%, when your basic rental price is € 350.00 per month.
• A maximum of € 25, when your basic rental price is lower than € 350.00 per month.
Please note: if your income is higher than € 57,143 (for a single-person household) or € 66,126 (for a multiple-person household), the landlord may increase the rent by a higher amount.
Middle Rent
From January 1st 2025, landlords may increase the bare rent by a maximum of:
• 7,7%.
Always check in your rental contract what you have agreed herein with the landlord about the percentage increase. If those agreements would result in a rent increase higher than 7.7% these agreements may be disregarded, the rent increase may not exceed 7.7%.
Please note: The rent increase may not cause the rent for your room to exceed the legal maximum. You can calculate the maximum rent for your room on this page.
The middle rent has only existed since 2024. If you are in doubt about whether you are renting in the middle rent, you can check the following conditions:
• Your rental contract started on July 1st 2024, or later; and
• Your basic rental price in 2024 was more than €879.66 and less than €1,157.95. Or your basic rental price was in 2025 more than €900.07 and less than €1,184.82.
Please note: Did you pay more than the aforementioned maximum rental prices but did you do the point count and score between 144 to 187 points? Then your home is also middle rent and you could start a procedure at the Rent Tribunal to lower your rent.
Free sector rent
From January 1st 2025, landlords may increase the bare rent by a maximum of:
• 4,1%.
Always check in your rental contract what you have agreed herein with the landlord about the percentage increase. If those agreements would result in a rent increase higher than 4.1% these agreements may be disregarded, the rent increase may not exceed 4.1%.
Objecting to the rent increase
Social rent
You can object to the rent increase in the following cases:
• The landlord wants to increase the rent with an amount that is more than what is maximum allowed.
• There are mistakes in the proposal, e.g. wrong implementation date or wrong basic rental price.
• The rent increase proposal was sent too late. You must have received the proposal at least 2 calendar months before the implementation date.
• You have a procedure pending at the Rent Tribunal based on defects.
• The proposed new rent is higher than the maximum rent according to the point system.
• The landlord has already increased the rent in the past 12 months. Please note that there are three exceptions to this:
1. You are in the first year of your rental contract.
2. The landlord has improved the property (for example, a new kitchen has been installed).
3. If there was more than one year between your previous 2 rent increases.
• According to your contract, you pay an all-in rental price. You then don’t know which amount is the basic rental price and which is the advance service charge. In this case you cannot check whether the increase is correct.
Have you objected to the landlord, but they do not agree with your objection? Then it is up to the landlord to start a procedure at the Rent Tribunal.
Middle rent
You can object to the rent increase in the following cases:
• The landlord wants to increase the rent by more than 7.7%.
• The landlord has not included an increase clause in your rental contract.
Free sector rent
You can object to the rent increase in the following cases:
• The landlord wants to increase the rent by more than 4.1%.
• The landlord has not included an increase clause in your rental contract.
Having doubts about the rent increase?
If you have doubts or questions about the rent increase, you should discuss this with the landlord. Of course, the Rent Support Center can also answer your questions about the rent increase, or any other issues.
