Are temporary rental contracts coming back in the Netherlands? What tenants should check in 2026

If you signed a Dutch lease after mid-2024, there is a good chance it says "onbepaalde tijd": an indefinite, open-ended contract. That is the effect of the Wet vaste huurcontracten (Fixed Rental Contracts Act), which took effect on 1 July 2024 and made open-ended leases the default for almost every new tenancy.

Two years on, that default is under review. NL Times reported on 21 September 2026 that the housing minister's 50-point plan to speed up construction includes temporary leases for students and makes it easier for some landlords to end contracts. The national tenants' union Woonbond called the return of temporary contracts "incomprehensible". Landlords were unhappy too, for different reasons.

This guide leaves the politics aside and focuses on what you need to know as someone renting here, especially if you came from abroad: the rules today, what each proposal would change and when, what to check in your contract, and who can help. Everything was checked against the government (Rijksoverheid), the housing ministry's information site Volkshuisvesting Nederland, the Huurcommissie (rent tribunal) and the official gazette, plus coverage from seven English-language outlets for residents. For checking whether your rent is fair, see our guide to the points system and the Huurcommissie; for landlord habits in general, see weird-but-legal Dutch landlord practices.

Main sources for this guide

• NL Times, "Renters fear Dutch housing plan unfairly burdens tenants; Landlords also displeased" (21 September 2026)
• Rijksoverheid press releases on the draft "passende huurcontracten" bill (2 July 2026) and the lodger bill (7 July 2026)
• Volkshuisvesting Nederland, "Maatregelen voor meer middenhuurwoningen" (20 April 2026) and "Vast huurcontract weer de norm"
• Staatsblad 2024, 152, the decree listing which groups may get a temporary lease
• Guides and news from IamExpat, DutchReview, Expatica, DutchNews, ACCESS, Xpat.nl and The Hague International Centre

1. What happened in September 2026

The action plan and the reactions

According to NL Times, Housing Minister Elanor Boekholt-O'Sullivan (D66) sent a 50-point action plan to parliament in September 2026. As the housing association federation Aedes explains, the Actieplan Versnelling Woningbouw came out of a ministerial task force, and most of its points had been announced before.

The items that matter for tenants are the ones NL Times singled out: making it easier for landlords of mid-rent homes to end contracts, implementing rules that let landlords offer temporary leases to students, and loosening parts of rent regulation. Woonbond said temporary contracts leave tenants "in uncertainty" and that tenants are being asked to pay for the plan.

The landlords' association Vastgoed Belang called the target of 100,000 new homes a year unrealistic while landlord taxes, including Box 3, stay high. It did welcome measures on splitting homes and adding floors. In other words, both sides are unhappy, but for opposite reasons. For a tenant, the useful question is not who is right but what has actually been decided, and when.

Why the government is reconsidering

The government and landlord groups point to a shrinking rental supply. DutchNews reported on 28 May 2026 that, according to Kadaster figures, investors sold 17,300 homes in the first quarter of 2026, and about a third went to owner-occupiers, cutting the rental stock by 6,140 homes.

NL Times on 26 September 2026 cited a Vastgoed Belang analysis that 76,000 mid-rent homes have left the market since the Affordable Rent Act. That is a landlord group's estimate, not an official statistic.

Some landlords also worked around the 2024 rules. IamExpat reported in January 2025, citing AD, that listings classed as short-stay rose by 45% and "expats only" adverts spiked. Short-stay contracts give tenants no rental protection, which is exactly why the government now wants to cap them.

The pendulum is visible in Figure 1. Between 2016 and 2024, two-year fixed terms were common, so anyone who has lived here a while may remember signing one. Since mid-2024 they have been the exception, and the current debate is about how far to swing back.

2. The rules today

Open-ended is the default

The Rijksoverheid announcement of 7 June 2024 is clear: from 1 July 2024, only open-ended leases may be signed, with limited exceptions. That covers self-contained homes and non-self-contained rooms alike.

Temporary leases signed before that date were left alone. They end on their end date, and if extended they become open-ended. Before July 2024 the maximum was two years for a self-contained home and five years for a room.

The takeaway is that the start date of your contract decides which rules apply. Two neighbours in the same building can have leases with very different exit rules.

The eight groups that can still get a fixed term

The exceptions are set by decree, the Besluit specifieke groepen tijdelijke huurovereenkomst (Staatsblad 2024, 152). The Rijksoverheid Q&A confirms they apply to housing associations and private landlords alike.

There is no category for international employees or expats. Some English coverage from 2023 suggested expats would be exempt, but that referred to the bill stage. The decree that took effect does not include them. If you moved here for a job and rent a normal home, your lease should be open-ended.

Other arrangements outside the main rules

Separately from the eight groups, a few forms of letting have always worked differently. Volkshuisvesting Nederland lists them:

The last row is where many internationals have ended up. Short-stay letting is meant for homes that are short-term by nature, but the law sets no maximum, so it has been used for stays of many months. That loophole is one target of the current proposals. For anti-squat arrangements, see our antikraak guide.

3. The proposals, one by one

Four separate tracks

Headlines tend to say "temporary contracts are coming back", but there are four separate proposals moving through different procedures. None is law as of 31 October 2026.

Any date in this table is a government target. If parliament or the Senate takes longer, the date moves.

Students: fixed terms for everyone

On 20 April 2026, Volkshuisvesting Nederland announced five measures to increase mid-rent supply. One would let all students get a temporary lease of up to two years. Today, only students moving from another municipality can get one, and only once. The minister argues that local students are disadvantaged.

The student newspaper Folia and DutchNews both report a target of 1 January 2027. The same package changes the points system in ways that raise maximum rents, for example by scrapping the 5-point deduction for homes without any outdoor space and adding a WOZ-based surcharge.

Labour migrants and short stays

The Rijksoverheid release of 2 July 2026 opened an online consultation on the "passende huurcontracten" bill, which ran until 28 August 2026. It does three things.

First, short-stay letting would be capped at 30 days. Second, labour migrants could get a temporary lease of up to two years with rental protection, but only if the home meets quality standards such as a private bedroom of at least 5.5 m² per resident. Third, it extends temporary leases to students.

The 30-day idea goes back to an announcement by the previous minister on 14 November 2025, which noted that labour migrants, expats and students are sometimes offered short-stay deals costing more than rent law allows. For internationals, the practical effect would be fewer unprotected short-stay leases lasting many months.

Lodgers: up to five years

On 7 July 2026, the minister sent a bill to parliament to make renting out a room in your own home more attractive. It would create a temporary lease of up to five years with a nine-month trial period. If the host ends it during the trial, three months' notice applies.

Today, hosts can only offer an open-ended lease with a nine-month trial, and many end it before the nine months are up. NL Times reports that the government expects up to 100,000 extra places to live without new construction. The target date is 1 January 2027, and the rules would only apply to contracts signed after that.

The wider review

The broadest track is a review of the whole system of temporary leases. According to Woonbond on 30 July 2026, the discussion paper put out for consultation explores a one-off extension of temporary leases and longer terms, with five years given as an example.

Aedes reported on 7 September 2026 that results were expected in the third quarter of 2026 and that the system would not change before then. As of 31 October 2026 we found no bill based on this review. Whether ordinary employees and families could be offered fixed terms again is completely open.

4. How and when changes would happen

The parliamentary route

A Dutch law change normally goes through consultation, advice from the Council of State, a vote in the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) and a vote in the Senate (Eerste Kamer). Until an entry-into-force date is published, nothing changes for tenants.

Parliament is divided. According to De Telegraaf via Headliner, in May 2026 the VVD backed a motion to allow temporary leases again for a while, the ChristenUnie warned about insecurity, and D66 and CDA wanted more evidence first. The minister herself said a quick legal change was not realistic.

Status on 31 October 2026

If you are about to search for a home or renew a lease, check the Rijksoverheid and Volkshuisvesting Nederland news pages for the latest stage.

5. What it means if you already rent

Your existing lease does not change type

The most common worry is that an open-ended lease will become temporary once the law changes. Dutch rental reforms normally apply to contracts signed after they take effect. The lodger bill says so explicitly, and when the 2024 law came in, existing temporary leases stayed temporary. Nothing in the current proposals suggests existing open-ended leases would be converted.

The rules that apply when you move and sign a new lease will, of course, be whatever is in force on that date.

If you have a pre-July 2024 temporary lease

Some people still live under a fixed-term lease of up to two years signed before July 2024. That lease ends on its end date, but only if the landlord gives written notice no earlier than three months and no later than one month before that date. Without valid notice, it continues as an open-ended lease.

As Figure 2 shows, notice can be too early as well as too late. An email four months ahead, or a phone call two weeks before, may not count. Some older English guides only mention "one month before"; Rijksoverheid describes the full window. Keep the notice and note the date it arrived.

If you were given a temporary lease you should not have

Some tenants signed fixed-term leases after July 2024 without belonging to any exempt group. NOS found in September 2024 that hundreds of such listings were still online after the law changed. A tenancy lawyer quoted by NOS said a court would quite likely treat such a lease as open-ended.

Making that case takes time and effort. Woonbond's advice was to sign only open-ended leases if you can afford to keep looking, or, if you need the home urgently, to sign and challenge the term later. Either way, keep the contract, screenshots of the advert and all messages.

6. Open-ended does not mean forever

When a landlord can end an open-ended lease

An open-ended lease is strong, but a landlord can end it on a legal ground. The Rijksoverheid Q&A lists the main ones:

"I want to sell it empty" is generally not enough. The sale ground added in 2024 only applies to a private individual who lets out a single home, lived in it for at least two years before letting it, agreed a term of at most two years, and uses the ground once (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).

Notice periods and the six-week reply

Under the procedure described by Volkshuisvesting Nederland, the landlord's notice must be sent by registered letter or bailiff and state a legal ground. The notice period is three months plus one month per full year of residence, up to six months.

More important than the length in Figure 3 is what happens next. The landlord asks you to say in writing, within six weeks, whether you agree. If you do not agree, the landlord has to ask a court to set an end date, and you can stay in the home until the court rules. Do not sign a termination agreement under pressure.

Ending the lease yourself

You do not need a reason to end an open-ended lease. The notice period usually equals the payment period, so one month for monthly rent, and you can choose up to three months. Send it in writing; a registered letter gives you proof (Rijksoverheid).

Watch out for minimum-stay clauses. IamExpat and DutchReview both say many open-ended leases include a minimum of six to twelve months during which the tenant cannot give notice. A temporary lease of two years or less, by contrast, can be ended early by the tenant. Open-ended does not automatically mean flexible.

7. What to check in your contract

Seven clauses to read before you sign

Leases are often in Dutch, and even when an English version is attached it may say the Dutch text prevails. Read at least these seven points yourself, or have the Huurteam look at them.

The first three rows decide whether the lease is temporary at all. The other four affect when and how you can leave, even under an open-ended lease.

"Short stay" and the "diplomat clause"

Two terms come up a lot in expat listings. Short stay is meant for accommodation that is short-term by nature and gives no rental protection. If you plan to stay six months or a year and the contract says short stay, be careful.

The "diplomatenclausule" can mean two opposite things. It can be a sublet while the owner works abroad, which ends when the owner returns. Or, as ACCESS describes, it can be a clause letting the tenant leave early if their job moves them 50 km or more away. Check which version you are signing.

Documents that should come with the lease

Since 1 July 2023, under the Good Landlordship Act, leases must be in writing and deposits are capped at two months' basic rent. Since 1 January 2025, landlords must attach a points calculation (The Hague International Centre). A missing points sheet or a three-month deposit is a sign to read the rest of the contract very carefully.

8. Common misunderstandings

Out-of-date guides

Some English guides still describe the rules before 2024. Xpat.nl's renting rules page, for example, describes a lease silently renewing for another year after the first year, which does not match current law. Always check when a guide was last updated.

The first two come straight from headlines. When you read "plan" or "proposal" in a headline, read it as "not law yet".

Rent level is a separate question

Whether your lease is temporary and whether your rent is legal are separate systems, but they interact. According to the Huurcommissie, you must ask for the starting rent of an open-ended lease to be assessed within six months of the start date. For a temporary lease of two years or less, you can file until six months after the lease ends. So tenants on a temporary lease can check their rent after moving out, without risking a conflict while they live there. See our rent check guide for the points system.

9. Where to get help

Who handles what

Whether a lease is really temporary, whether a notice is valid and how to respond to a termination are not things to decide alone. There are free or low-cost places to ask.

Note that the Huurcommissie rules on rent, service charges and maintenance. Whether a lease is temporary or open-ended is ultimately for a court. Start with the Juridisch Loket or your local Huurteam to work out the route.

In The Hague

The municipality's Fair Rent Team page says the service is for people registered in The Hague who rent a home or room from a private landlord. Within six months of moving in you can get help regardless of rent level; after six months, if your basic rent is below €932.93. For temporary leases the deadlines differ, so ask about your case. Tenants of housing associations such as Haag Wonen or Staedion should contact their association instead.

The Hague International Centre brings the regional options together in English, including the Huurteam, Servicepunt XL for reporting landlord misconduct, Sociale Raadslieden and the Juridisch Loket.

What to bring

1. The full lease, plus any English translation
2. Screenshots of the advert, especially any "short stay" or "temporary" wording
3. Emails and messages with the landlord or agent
4. Any notice you received, and the date it arrived
5. Rent payment records and the points calculation, if you have one

10. Scenarios

Four fictional tenants

The people below are fictional, used to show how the answer changes with your situation.

Ana already has an open-ended lease, so the proposals do not change it. If her employer might move her, she should know when her minimum stay ends and what notice she must give. If the company is the tenant, she should ask HR for a copy of the lease.

Priya signed before July 2024, so her lease can end on its date, but only with written notice in the three-to-one-month window. If notice comes outside that window, she should talk to the Huurteam or Juridisch Loket. Anyone who signed a fixed term after July 2024 without fitting an exempt group may in fact have an open-ended lease.

Tom and Lukas may find their options shaped by the new rules if they pass. For Tom, student housing may increasingly come with two-year terms, so a second move during a four-year degree is worth planning for. For everyone still searching, the screening stage is often the bigger hurdle; see our guide to income requirements and paid rental platforms.

Employees, students and freelancers

11. What not to do

Periods of rule changes push people into hasty choices. These are the ones that cost tenants most.

12. Your next steps

Four stages to check your lease

In practice, Figure 4 translates into these steps:

1. Open your lease and find "onbepaalde tijd" (open-ended) or "bepaalde tijd" (fixed term)
2. Check whether the start date is before or after 1 July 2024
3. For a fixed term, put the end date in your calendar, plus reminders three months and one month before
4. Write down the minimum stay and your notice period
5. Look for sale or family-use clauses among the landlord's termination grounds
6. If anything looks wrong, book the Huurteam (in The Hague, via the municipal form) or call the Juridisch Loket
7. Check the Rijksoverheid news pages again at the end of the year for the status of the student, lodger and labour migrant plans

13. Summary

• As of 31 October 2026, new Dutch leases are still open-ended by default. Fixed terms are limited to eight groups and two years
• The minister's proposals run on four tracks: all students, labour migrants plus a 30-day short-stay cap, five-year lodger leases, and a wider review
• None of them is law yet. The student and lodger plans target 1 January 2027, but no date is fixed
• If they pass, existing open-ended leases are not expected to become temporary
• A temporary lease only ends with written notice between three months and one month before the end date; otherwise it continues
• An open-ended lease can still end on a legal ground with three to six months' notice, and a court decides if you do not agree
• When in doubt, take your lease and records to the Huurteam, the Juridisch Loket or the Huurcommissie

Sources

Starting article and resident media

• Renters fear Dutch housing plan unfairly burdens tenants; Landlords also displeased — NL Times: the 50-point plan and reactions (21 September 2026)
• Dutch cabinet plans to ease rent controls, allowing rents to rise — NL Times: the April letter
• Netherlands moves to ease rules for homeowners renting out spare rooms — NL Times: lodger bill and 100,000 places estimate
• Experts: More mid-market rentals are the key — NL Times: Vastgoed Belang's 76,000 figure
• Housing minister to relax some rent cap rules to boost supply — DutchNews: student leases, 1 January 2027 target
• Private landlord property sell-off peaks — DutchNews: Kadaster Q1 2026 sales
• Renting in Amsterdam on a flexible contract — DutchReview: minimum stays and pre-signing checks
• Rental contracts in the Netherlands — IamExpat: contract types and notice
• Increase in short-stay housing as landlords work around Dutch rental laws — IamExpat: 45% rise in short-stay listings
• Tenant rights in the Netherlands — Expatica: termination grounds, notice, help
• Renting a house in the Netherlands — ACCESS: diplomat clause and support
• Rules of renting in NL — Xpat.nl: example of outdated guidance
• Housing rights — The Hague International Centre: local help and points sheet rule

Government, regulators and law

• Wet vaste huurcontracten vanaf 1 juli 2024 van kracht — Rijksoverheid: the open-ended default
• Wanneer kan ik tijdelijk huren? — Rijksoverheid: the eight groups and notice window
• Staatsblad 2024, 152: the decree on exempt groups
• Vast huurcontract weer de norm — Volkshuisvesting Nederland: exceptions and the sale ground
• Procedure beëindigen huurcontract — Volkshuisvesting Nederland: notice periods and six-week reply
• Maatregelen voor meer middenhuurwoningen — Volkshuisvesting Nederland: student proposal (20 April 2026)
• Consultatie start voor wetsvoorstel passende huurcontracten — Rijksoverheid: 30-day short stay, labour migrants (2 July 2026)
• Wetsvoorstel passende huurcontracten — internetconsultatie.nl: consultation page
• Wetswijziging die hospitaverhuur aantrekkelijker maakt — Rijksoverheid: five-year lodger lease (7 July 2026)
• Maatregelen voor beter onderscheid tussen huur en short stay — Rijksoverheid: 30-day idea (14 November 2025)
• Mag mijn verhuurder de huur opzeggen? — Rijksoverheid: termination grounds and notice
• Hoe zeg ik de huur op? — Rijksoverheid: tenant notice
• Tijdelijk huurcontract — Huurcommissie: rent assessment deadlines for temporary leases
• Ask for advice from the Fair Rent Team — Gemeente Den Haag: Huurteam eligibility

Organisations and other reporting

• Minister wil meer tijdelijke huurcontracten — Woonbond: June debate (4 June 2026)
• Minister loopt warm voor meer tijdelijke contracten — Woonbond: the discussion paper (30 July 2026)
• Actieplan Versnelling Woningbouw kabinet — Aedes: overview of the action plan
• Regels tijdelijke huurcontracten sociale noodsituatie niet aangepast — Aedes: review timing (7 September 2026)
• Kabinet wil tijdelijke huurcontracten weer mogelijk maken voor alle studenten — Folia: student proposal
• Een woning tijdelijk verhuren mag vaak niet meer, maar gebeurt nog wel — NOS: unlawful temporary listings (4 September 2024)
• Twijfel in Kamer over verbod op tijdelijke huurcontracten — Headliner (De Telegraaf): party positions (May 2026)

All sources were checked on 31 October 2026. Many of the measures above are still proposals, and their content and dates may change. Check the latest official information and talk to an adviser before acting on your own lease.

Original article

Renters fear Dutch housing plan unfairly burdens tenants; Landlords also displeased — NL Times