Rent and points
Your home has a points total. And that total has a price.
The Netherlands caps the rent of most homes through the points system, the woningwaarderingsstelsel. Every home scores points for floor area, property value, energy label, amenities and outdoor space, and the total points to a legal maximum rent in a statutory table. Many landlords charge more, counting on tenants never counting.
This year's limits
Legal rent limits 2026
| Points | Segment | Maximum base rent |
|---|---|---|
| up to and including 143 points | Rent controlled | € 932,93 |
| 144 up to and including 186 points | Mid-rent | € 1.228,07 |
| from 187 points | Free sector | no maximum |
Amounts for 2026. Sources: Rijksoverheid, Rent Tribunal, CBS and Pararius. The WOZ property value counts fully up to 186 points and for one third above that.
The three segments
Up to 143 points a home is rent controlled: the maximum is binding for every contract. From 144 to 186 points a home falls in the mid-rent segment: since 1 July 2024, the maximum is binding for contracts that started on or after that date. Above 186 points the home is in the free sector, where the base rent is unregulated but service charges and maintenance can still be brought to the Rent Tribunal.
What counts, roughly
Floor area is the biggest factor: every square metre of living space counts. The property value (WOZ) adds points but its share of the total is legally capped, so an expensive neighbourhood alone cannot push a home into the free sector. A good energy label adds points and a poor one subtracts them, which hits older housing hard. Kitchen, bathroom and outdoor space complete the total. Our free check pulls the official data and does the counting for you, with an honest range.
What you can do with your total
If your rent is above the maximum: within six months of your contract start, the initial rent review lowers it retroactively. After that, rent controlled and mid-rent tenants can still propose a reduction going forward. A procedure costs 25 euros, refunded if you win.
Honest about precision. Only an on-site inspection can score the kitchen and bathroom exactly, which is why our check works with a range rather than false precision. Only the Rent Tribunal's investigation is binding.