Renting in Nijmegen in 2026: room rules, free help, the German border and getting your deposit back
Nijmegen is a student city on the German border with detailed rules on who may let rooms. This guide covers those rules, the free help for tenants, registering, your lease and your deposit.
FindLawyer gives practical initial guidance, prepares your case and matches you with a suitable independent lawyer. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.
Rules from the City of Nijmegen, the IND, Rijksoverheid and the Civil Code · Checked 15 September 2026
Short answer
Renting in Nijmegen is shaped by strict room rules: in a home with a WOZ value up to €278,000 the city does not allow rooms to be let to 3 or more people. A landlord may ask at most 2 months of basic rent as a deposit, and if it is not repaid, Stichting Huurteams Nijmegen helps tenants for free. Since 8 September 2026 Nijmegen also has its own IND Service Point.
Key facts for 2026
- €278,000 WOZ value or less means no letting to 3 or more room tenants in Nijmegen.
- €396,000 WOZ value is the ceiling for buyout protection in Nijmegen.
- 8 September 2026 is the opening date of the IND Service Point Nijmegen at Mariënburg 30.
- 2 months of basic rent is the most a Nijmegen landlord may ask as a deposit.
- 5 days after arriving is the deadline to register, by appointment.
- 4 weeks after your registration appointment, your BSN arrives by post.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
Local rules
Renting in Nijmegen: room rules, buyout protection, short lets
In Nijmegen, whether a house may be let as rooms depends on its WOZ value.
| WOZ value of the home | Letting to | What the landlord needs |
|---|---|---|
| Up to €278,000 | 3 or more people | Not allowed |
| €278,000 to €396,000 | 3 or more people or rooms | Environmental permit and conversion permit |
| Above €396,000 | 3 or more people or rooms | Environmental permit only |
| Any value | At most 2 people | No permit needed |
City of Nijmegen room rental rules; 5 or more rooms also need a fire safety notice.
- Rooms (kamerverhuur). Letting to at most 2 people needs no permit. The city answers a notice within 4 weeks and an application within 8 weeks, which it can extend once by 6 weeks (City of Nijmegen). Renting a room in a larger house? Ask for the permit.
- Buyout protection. A home that is not new-build, with a WOZ value up to €396,000 and bought after 15 November 2022, may only be let with a permit, for example to a close family member (City of Nijmegen).
- Short lets. You may let your own home for a short time, for example during the Nijmeegse Vierdaagse, if it is your main home; you need no permit and there is no maximum period, but a tenant needs the landlord’s permission. A home you do not live in may not be let again and again for short stays (City of Nijmegen). See our subletting and Airbnb guide.
Moving out of a Nijmegen room?
If your deposit has not come back, a free check of about 2 minutes shows whether a lawyer can recover it.
Help
Free help for tenants in Nijmegen: the report desk and the Huurteams
Nijmegen tenants can report landlord misconduct to the city and get free legal help from Stichting Huurteams Nijmegen.
- The report desk. Report discrimination, intimidation, a deposit above 2 months of basic rent, no written lease, service charges that are not lawful, double agency fees, a rent above the limit for homes up to 186 points, or a missing points calculation on a lease from 1 January 2025. Anonymous reports are possible; corporation tenants can only report rent issues (City of Nijmegen).
- Deposit not repaid? The city cannot help with that: ordinary tenancy protection applies, and the city sends you to Stichting Huurteams Nijmegen (City of Nijmegen).
- The Huurteams. They help tenants in Nijmegen, Druten and Wijchen with rents, service charges and maintenance, carry out an anonymous inspection of the home and give written advice (Huurteams Nijmegen). Their help is free, with a walk-in on Wednesdays from 13.00 to 15.00 at Groenestraat 294 (Wegwijzer024).
- The court. Rechtbank Gelderland has a location at Oranjesingel 56 in Nijmegen (Rechtspraak.nl). For lawyer costs see our legal aid guide.
Registering
Registering in Nijmegen, and the new IND Service Point
You register in person by appointment within 5 days of arriving, and since September 2026 IND formalities can be done in Nijmegen too.
- Registering. Everyone being registered must attend, children included, and bookings for 4 or more people are confirmed by phone or e-mail. Bring a recent rental or purchase contract signed by you and the landlord or seller. Your BSN arrives by post within 4 weeks (City of Nijmegen).
- The IND Service Point Nijmegen is in the Stadswinkel at Mariënburg 30 and has been open since 8 September 2026 (IND); people in the Nijmegen or Arnhem area give biometrics there (IND). Our IND appointments guide has the details.
- Short stays. Nijmegen has an RNI desk at Tweede Walstraat 14 (RvIG); see our BSN guide.
- No agency fees. An agent working for the landlord may not charge you (Rijksoverheid).
German border
Living across the German border and studying or working in Nijmegen
Living in Germany does not remove the need for a Dutch citizen service number if you study or work in Nijmegen.
- Your BSN. Without one you are not allowed to work or study in the Netherlands (GrensInfoPunt); non-residents register at an RNI desk such as the one in Nijmegen.
- Working here. Living in Germany and working in the Netherlands, you generally pay tax and social security contributions here, with exceptions, but keep your own health insurance (GrensInfoPunt). Our moving from Germany guide covers the details.
Your lease
Your lease and rent in Nijmegen
A Nijmegen lease should be written and set out your rights, and the rent must fit the points system.
- The limit. Homes up to 186 points may not exceed the maximum rent (City of Nijmegen); in 2026 the mid-rent sector ends at €1,228.07 a month (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Challenge it early. In the first 6 months of the lease the Huurcommissie can review your starting rent (Huurcommissie); our rent check guide explains how.
Deposit
Your deposit in Nijmegen: the limit, the deadline and the free check
On a lease signed from 1 July 2023 a Nijmegen landlord may ask at most 2 months of basic rent as a deposit.
- The limit comes from national rules (Rijksoverheid).
- The deadline. The landlord repays within 14 days after the lease ends; if damage or unpaid rent has to be settled, the remainder follows within 30 days with a written specification (Civil Code, article 7:261b).
- Your figures. Use our deposit calculator and the deposit recovery guide.
Important — read before you worry about cost
The €188 is not paid upfront
For eligible lowest-bracket legal aid (toevoeging), the lawyer contribution is usually not due before your case starts. If your case succeeds, it can be paid from the money you recover — not from your own pocket upfront.
- €0 now — free eligibility check (opens checker directly)
- €49 later only if FindLawyer can help after review (refunded if we cannot connect you to the lawyer)
- €188 lawyer/legal-aid share — after recovery if you win, lawyer confirms eligibility
Nijmegen deposit still outstanding?
Start the eligibility check: free, in English, about 2 minutes.
Keep reading
Related guides
More of our guides for renting and living in Nijmegen.
Free deposit check
Landlord kept your deposit? Check your case.
ToolDeposit calculator
The legal maximum and the repayment date.
RentIs my rent too high?
The points check for your rent.
GermanyMoving from Germany
Cross-border tax and your first weeks.
NearbyRenting in Arnhem
Rental permits, rooms and deposits.
AdminBSN number
BRP or RNI, and what to bring.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is renting in Nijmegen as a student difficult?
Rooms are tightly regulated. A landlord may let to at most 2 people without a permit; for 3 or more people the rules depend on the WOZ value, and in homes worth up to €278,000 the city does not allow it at all. Before you sign, ask whether the house has the permits it needs and whether you can register at the address.
Who helps Nijmegen tenants for free?
Stichting Huurteams Nijmegen helps tenants in Nijmegen, Druten and Wijchen with rent levels, service charges, maintenance and all-in rents. It carries out an anonymous inspection of your home and gives written advice. You can walk in on Wednesdays from 13.00 to 15.00 at Groenestraat 294. The city’s report desk handles landlord misconduct.
My Nijmegen landlord has not repaid my deposit. Can the city help?
No. The city’s report desk covers misconduct such as a deposit above 2 months of basic rent, intimidation or double agency fees, but a deposit that is not repaid falls under ordinary tenancy protection, and the city refers you to Stichting Huurteams Nijmegen. The landlord normally repays within 14 days after the lease ends.
Can I let my Nijmegen home during the Vierdaagse?
Yes, if it is your main home: you live there most of the year, are registered there and plan to return. You need no permit and do not have to report it, and there is no maximum period, but as a tenant you must ask your landlord’s permission, and tourist tax may be due. Letting a home you do not live in is not allowed.
Where do I register and give biometrics in Nijmegen?
Make an appointment with the city and register in person within 5 days of arriving; your BSN follows by post within 4 weeks. For short stays there is an RNI desk at Tweede Walstraat 14. People in the Nijmegen or Arnhem area can give biometrics at the IND Service Point Nijmegen, which opened on 8 September 2026.
I live in Germany and study or work in Nijmegen. What do I need?
A Dutch citizen service number: without a BSN you are not allowed to work or study in the Netherlands. If you work here while living in Germany, you generally pay tax and social security contributions in the Netherlands, with exceptions, but keep your own German health insurance. GrensInfoPunt can check your situation.
Free checklist · one-page PDF
Moving to the Netherlands?
Get the 12 legal things nobody tells you before you arrive — deposits, contracts, the 30% ruling, your rights. One email, no spam.
Already here and need a lawyer? Book a free call
Official sources, checked 15 September 2026
- City of Nijmegen: sharing a home, room rental (in Dutch)
- City of Nijmegen: rental permit under buyout protection (in Dutch)
- City of Nijmegen: letting your own home for a short time (in Dutch)
- City of Nijmegen: report desk for landlord misconduct (in Dutch)
- Stichting Huurteams Nijmegen: home
- Wegwijzer024: legal advice from the Huurteams (in Dutch)
- Rechtspraak.nl: directions to Rechtbank Gelderland (in Dutch)
- City of Nijmegen: moving from abroad (in Dutch)
- IND: IND desks and locations
- IND: biometrics appointment
- RvIG: addresses of the RNI municipalities (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: do I pay agency fees for a room or rental home? (in Dutch)
- GrensInfoPunt: living in Germany, working in the Netherlands
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: maximum rent limits 2026 (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: the rent on a new or temporary contract (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: may my landlord ask for a deposit? (in Dutch)
- Wetten.nl: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, article 7:261b (in Dutch)
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about renting in Nijmegen, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.