Affordable Rent Act Under Review: These Are the Expected Changes
The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur), introduced in July 2024 to better regulate rental prices, is already facing pressure well before its first official evaluation. In April 2026, Minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan (D66) of Housing and Spatial Planning announced five concrete relaxations. The intended effective date? 1 January 2027 — provided that the Dutch House of Representatives approves them.
In this article, we explain the background and expected changes in a clear overview.
Why are changes already being proposed?
The Affordable Rent Act was introduced primarily to make the mid-market rental segment more affordable. However, the law has also had an unintended side effect: landlords increasingly find renting out properties less profitable and prefer to sell their homes instead. This process is also referred to as “selling off rental properties” (uitponden).
Figures from the Dutch Land Registry (Kadaster) show that in the second half of 2025, as many as 36,000 rental properties owned by private investors were sold. While some of these homes ended up with first-time buyers, the overall result is a shrinking supply of mid-market rental properties — exactly the segment the law was intended to protect.
Minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan acknowledges this issue and decided not to wait for the official evaluation of the law in 2027. She announced five relaxations aimed at making renting out mid-market properties more attractive, without completely revising the legislation.
The five announced relaxations
1. Adjustment of the WOZ cap
Since 2022, the WOZ value of a property has counted for a maximum of 33% in the WWS points calculation. This so-called WOZ cap was introduced to prevent properties from automatically entering the private rental sector purely because of a high location value.
The disadvantage is that landlords of properties in popular locations — such as major cities — are limited in the rent they can charge, even if the property itself is of high quality. In practice, the WOZ cap is considered unfair for homes in expensive city centres, where WOZ values are naturally high.
The proposed adjustment means that landlords entering into a new rental agreement may charge a price increase based on the original total points score — meaning without the limitation of the WOZ cap, but without the property actually moving into the private rental sector.
In practice, this is expected to generate an additional few dozen euros per month for landlords of properties in popular locations.
2. Removal of deductions for missing outdoor space
Under the current legislation, apartments without a balcony or garden receive deduction points in the WWS calculation. This mainly affects city apartments in older buildings, where outdoor space is naturally less common.
The minister wants to abolish these deductions. As a result, apartments without outdoor space could receive a higher permitted rent under a new rental agreement than is currently possible.
For landlords of these types of properties, this would be a significant improvement.
3. Higher rent for small listed monuments
Under the new rules, small nationally listed monuments (rijksmonumenten) may receive a higher rental price under a new rental agreement, even within the regulated mid-market segment.
The aim is to compensate owners of historic properties for the high maintenance costs associated with listed buildings. The exact details of how this relaxation will work are not yet known.
4. Temporary rental contracts possible again for all students
One of the most notable relaxations concerns temporary rental contracts for students.
Currently, only a limited group of students can receive a temporary contract — specifically students who come from outside the municipality.
Minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan wants to make temporary rental contracts available again to all students, regardless of where they come from.
This should reduce vacancy in student housing and give landlords more certainty when renting to this target group.
5. Extension of the new-build surcharge until 2032
The so-called new-build surcharge means that landlords of newly built mid-market rental properties may charge a 10% surcharge on the maximum WWS rent for a period of 20 years.
This scheme was introduced to keep the construction of new mid-market rental housing financially attractive.
The surcharge already applied to properties where construction started before 1 January 2028. The minister wants to extend this scheme by four years until 2032, meaning properties built after 2028 would also qualify for the surcharge.
Tax measures: transfer tax reduced to 7%
In addition to the five relaxations within the law itself, a tax measure has also been announced: the transfer tax for private landlords will decrease from 8% to 7% as of 1 January 2027.
This will make purchasing a property intended for rental slightly less expensive.
Critics point out, however, that the tax burden in Box 3 for landlords remains substantial and that further coordination with the Minister of Finance is necessary to truly stop landlords from leaving the rental market.
When will the changes take effect?
The minister has announced 1 January 2027 as the intended effective date, or earlier if possible.
The Dutch House of Representatives has expressed majority support for the relaxations, but formal approval is still required. Keep an eye on announcements from the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning for final confirmation.
Please note: all adjustments apply only when entering into a new rental agreement. Existing rental contracts will not be affected by these changes.
What does this mean for you?
For landlords
If you are a landlord, it is important to prepare for the new opportunities ahead.
Do you own a property without outdoor space, a property in a desirable location with a high WOZ value, or a student property? If so, these changes could mean that you may be able to charge a higher rent when renting out the property to a new tenant.
For tenants
As a tenant, it is important to understand that these relaxations only apply to new rental contracts.
If you already have an ongoing rental agreement, nothing will change for you as a result of this legislation.
It is still wise to be aware of market developments: the supply of mid-market rental properties has been under pressure for quite some time.
The discussion is not over
Not everyone is equally positive about the announced relaxations.
A large group of landlords indicates that they will continue selling rental properties despite the changes, because the fundamental issues — especially the tax burden — are not being addressed.
From the tenant side, there is criticism that the measures could negatively affect affordability for renters in major cities.
The official evaluation of the Affordable Rent Act is scheduled for 2027. The outcome will determine whether further adjustments are needed.
This is therefore certainly not the last time this topic will be discussed.
Stay informed via Koops Makelaardij Verhuur
The rental market is constantly changing. At Koops Makelaardij Verhuur, we closely follow developments and inform both landlords and tenants about what these changes mean in practice.
Do you have questions about your situation? Please feel free to contact us.