Renting in The Hague in 2026: the housing permit, local rules and free tenant help
Renting in The Hague, you need a housing permit (huisvestingsvergunning) for a self-contained home with a rent up to €1,228.07 a month or 186 points; rooms are exempt. Renting privately, you apply to the city with your signed lease: €56.75, answer within 2 weeks if complete (Municipality of The Hague, checked 28 Sep 2026). A housing corporation usually arranges it for you.
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Rules from the Municipality of The Hague, Rijksoverheid, the Huurcommissie and the Civil Code · Checked 28 September 2026
Short answer
The permit comes with income limits, such as €51,537 for one person in a social home and €70,149 in mid-rent. The Hague also caps holiday rental at 30 nights a year, needs a conversion permit to let rooms to 3 or more people, and restricts letting cheaper homes bought since 1 March 2022. Your deposit comes back within 14 days of the lease ending, and the city’s Huurteam checks your rent.
Key facts for 2026
- €22.42 per m² was the average rent new tenants in The Hague paid in Q2 2026.
- €1,228.07 a month is the rent up to which a Hague home needs a housing permit.
- €70,149 is the income ceiling for one person renting a mid-rent home with that permit.
- 30 nights a year is the most a Hague resident may let a home to tourists, with a €131.20 permit.
- €470,000 is the 2026 WOZ limit for buyout protection, with fines up to €40,000.
- 6 months after moving in, the Huurteam will still check your rent for free, whatever you pay.
- 14 days after the lease ends is when a Hague landlord must have repaid the deposit.
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.
Rent
What renting in The Hague costs in 2026
New tenants in The Hague paid an average of €22.42 per m² in the second quarter of 2026, 5.9% more than a year before.
Next door, Rijswijk had one of the biggest yearly increases Pararius measured anywhere, 18.2% (Pararius). What you may earn to rent a cheaper home is set by the city’s housing permit, which in The Hague reaches into the mid-rent segment:
| Rent of the home | Taxable income, one person | Taxable income, 2 or more |
|---|---|---|
| Social rent, up to €932.93 | €51,537 | €56,910 |
| Mid-rent, €932.93 to €1,228.07 (or 186 points or fewer) | €70,149 | €93,531 |
Income limits for a Hague housing permit in 2026 (Municipality of The Hague).
Source for the limits: Municipality of The Hague. Paying more than the points allow? Our rent check guide explains the maximum.
Moving out of a Hague home?
If your former landlord is still holding the deposit, a 2-minute free check shows whether a lawyer can get it back.
Local rules
The Hague rules for tenants: housing permit, rooms, buy-to-let ban, holiday rental
The Hague adds its own rules to national tenancy law, and the housing permit reaches further than in most Dutch cities.
The housing permit (huisvestingsvergunning). It is needed for a self-contained home with 186 points or fewer, or with a rent up to €1,228.07 a month, not for a room or a home you already rented before 1 July 2019. You must be 18 or older, have Dutch nationality, a valid EU, EEA passport or a valid residence permit, and have at least 12 m² each; a home over 80 m² below €932.93 needs at least 3 residents. A corporation usually arranges the permit; renting privately, you apply with the signed lease, proof of income no older than 3 months and an owner’s statement on buyout protection. The application costs €56.75. If it is complete, you hear within 2 weeks; if something is missing, the city asks for it and decides within 8 weeks (Municipality of The Hague).
| Rule | What it means for you | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Housing permit (huisvestingsvergunning) | Needed for a self-contained home with 186 points or fewer, or a rent up to €1,228.07 a month; not for a room or a home you rented before 1 July 2019. Fee €56.75; an answer within 2 weeks if your application is complete. | Municipality of The Hague |
| Room rental (omzettingsvergunning) | Needed to let rooms to 3 or more people. At most 33.3% of a building, or of a row of terraced houses, may be used for room rental. Fee €575.35, also if the permit is refused; a decision can take 8 weeks, extendable once by 6. | Municipality of The Hague |
| Splitting a home (splitsingsvergunning) | Needed to divide a home officially into 2 or more homes (kadastrale splitsing). Fee €204.30 per home, at most €3,750 per application. | Municipality of The Hague |
| Buy-to-let ban (opkoopbescherming) | A home that changed owner on or after 1 March 2022, with a WOZ value at or below the limit for the year of transfer, may not simply be let without a permit or exemption. Limits: €355,000 (2022), €405,000 (2023), €435,000 (2024), €450,000 (2025), €470,000 (2026). Fines of €10,000 or more, up to €40,000 per violation. | Municipality of The Hague |
| Holiday rental | At most 30 nights a year while you are away. Permit €131.20, valid 3 years, plus a free registration number; report every stay in advance; 12 m² per guest. If you do not own the home, you need the owner’s written consent. | Municipality of The Hague |
| Landlord licence, Transvaal and Laak | Since 1 March 2024, private landlords in Transvaalkwartier Midden and Zuid and in Laakkwartier Oost and West need a €286.65 licence and must send a maintenance plan within 6 months. | Municipality of The Hague |
| Report desk (Meldpunt Ongewenst Verhuurgedrag) | Report a landlord who asks a deposit of more than 2 times the basic rent, charges you agency fees, gives no written lease, or discriminates or intimidates. | Municipality of The Hague |
Rules for tenants and landlords in The Hague, from Municipality of The Hague pages checked 28 September 2026. See also our subletting and Airbnb guide.
Finding a home
Finding a place in The Hague and registering at it
Whichever route you take, check two things before you pay: that no agency fee is charged to you, and that you can register at the address.
- No agency fees for tenants. An agent acting for the landlord may not charge you, even when the landlord pays the agent nothing (Rijksoverheid). The city’s report desk takes complaints about agency fees paid to the landlord (Municipality of The Hague).
- Registering through The Hague International Centre. Staff of a recognised sponsor, an international organisation, an embassy, an NGO, a university or a school who will live in The Hague, Delft, Rijswijk or Leidschendam-Voorburg can register there. You bring a lease valid on the day of the appointment, or a signed statement from the main occupant, and staff without a permanent address yet can be registered temporarily at a company address (The Hague International Centre).
- More on arriving in our IND and registration in The Hague guide and the BSN guide. Studying in Delft? See renting in Delft.
Your lease
Your lease and rent in The Hague: permanent, written and checkable
New tenants normally get an open-ended lease, and in the first 6 months both the Huurcommissie and the city’s Huurteam can check whether the rent is right.
- Open-ended by default. A temporary lease is allowed only in set situations, for example for a student renting temporarily for studies in another municipality, and lasts at most 2 years (Rijksoverheid). Our temporary rental contract guide explains how one ends.
- The Huurcommissie. In the first 6 months of a lease it can assess whether the rent is correct (Huurcommissie); its postal address is Postbus 16495, 2500 BL Den Haag (Huurcommissie).
- The Huurteam’s points check. Just moved? Whatever the rent, the Huurteam will calculate the points in your first 6 months; after that, it helps when the basic rent is below €932.93 (Municipality of The Hague).
- In writing. A landlord who gives no written lease, unclear information or unreasonable service charges can be reported to the city (Municipality of The Hague).
Deposit
Your deposit in The Hague: the limit, the deadline and the free check
A landlord in The Hague may ask at most 2 months of basic rent as a deposit on a lease signed from 1 July 2023, and must repay it promptly when you leave.
- The limit. On older leases the cap is 3 months (Rijksoverheid). The city’s report desk accepts complaints about a deposit of more than twice the basic rent (Municipality of The Hague).
- The deadline. Repayment is due within 14 days after the lease ends; if damage or unpaid rent is deducted, the rest follows within 30 days with a full written specification (Civil Code, article 7:261b).
- Your figures come from our deposit calculator; the deposit recovery guide explains the procedure.
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
Deposit from a Hague flat still missing?
Check in English, free and in about 2 minutes, whether a specialist can recover it, also if you have left the country.
Help
Free help for tenants in The Hague
The Hague offers private tenants more free help than most cities: a Huurteam, tenant advisers, an inspection squad.
- The Huurteam. For private tenants registered in The Hague: it checks your rent against the points, tells you how to raise it with the landlord, helps with a Huurcommissie case, and can visit to assess a temporary rent reduction for poor maintenance; book online or by phone (Municipality of The Hague).
- Tenant advisers and your next step. The city’s tenant advisers check the rent and look at the home if needed. If a landlord does not respond to a Huurcommissie ruling, you can go to court, the legal costs are reimbursed, and the city helps you (Municipality of The Hague).
- The Haagse Pandbrigade. Threatened or discriminated against while looking for a home, or living with neglect or overdue maintenance? Report it to the Pandbrigade, or anonymously to the good-landlord report desk (Municipality of The Hague).
- Need a lawyer? See our page on finding an English-speaking tenant lawyer in the Netherlands.
Prefer a specialist to chase your deposit?
Start with the free check; if your case fits, we introduce you to a specialist deposit lawyer.
Huurcommissie and court
The Huurcommissie and the court for tenants in The Hague
The Huurcommissie (the national rent tribunal) is the same for the whole country, so tenants in The Hague file with it exactly as anyone else does.
- How to file. Log in to MijnHuurcommissie with DigiD, start a new procedure and choose the right form (Huurcommissie). The Huurteam helps private tenants in The Hague with a Huurcommissie case.
- What it costs. As a tenant you pay €25 upfront, and you get it back if the Huurcommissie decides in your favour (Huurcommissie).
- How long it takes. The Huurcommissie aims to finish each case in 4 to 6 months (Huurcommissie).
- A deposit goes to court, not to the Huurcommissie. The Huurcommissie cannot order a landlord to repay a deposit. If a written demand does not work, you claim the money through the court (Rijksoverheid). For The Hague that is the kantonrechter (cantonal judge) of Rechtbank Den Haag, which hears tenancy cases (Rechtspraak.nl); the court receives visitors at Prins Clauslaan 60 on weekdays from 8.30 to 17.00 (Rechtspraak.nl). Short of money for a lawyer? Read our legal aid guide.
Keep reading
Related guides
More of our guides for renting and living in The Hague.
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.
ArrivingIND and registration in The Hague
The International Centre, the IND desk, your BSN.
WorkWorking in The Hague
International organisations, contracts, dismissal.
NearbyRenting in Delft
Student rooms, permits and the Huurteam Delft.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a housing permit to rent in The Hague?
Yes for a self-contained home with 186 points or fewer, or a rent up to €1,228.07, unless you already rented it before 1 July 2019. Rooms are exempt. Up to €932.93 one person may earn €51,537; above that, €70,149. The application costs €56.75, and a housing corporation usually arranges the permit for you.
How do I apply for a huisvestingsvergunning in Den Haag?
Renting from a housing corporation, it usually arranges the permit. Renting privately, you apply to the Municipality of The Hague with the signed lease, proof of income no older than 3 months and the owner’s statement. You must be 18 or older, with Dutch nationality, a valid EU or EEA passport or a valid residence permit. It costs €56.75, and a complete application gets an answer within 2 weeks.
Can I go to the Huurcommissie from The Hague?
Yes. The Huurcommissie is national, so tenants in The Hague file like everyone else: log in to MijnHuurcommissie with DigiD and start a new procedure. A tenant pays €25 upfront and gets it back if it decides in their favour, and it aims to finish each case in 4 to 6 months. It cannot order a deposit repaid; that takes the kantonrechter.
What does the Huurteam in Den Haag do?
The Huurteam is the Municipality of The Hague’s rent service for tenants registered in The Hague who rent a home or room from a private landlord. It checks your rent against the points system: in your first 6 months whatever you pay, after that when the basic rent is below €932.93. It also helps with maintenance problems and a temporary rent reduction. You book it online.
How much deposit may a landlord in The Hague ask?
On a lease signed from 1 July 2023, at most 2 months of basic rent, and the city’s report desk accepts complaints about a deposit above twice the basic rent. The landlord repays it within 14 days after the lease ends, or within 30 days if damage or unpaid rent is set off, with a written specification.
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Official sources, checked 28 September 2026 (Pararius, The Hague International Centre and Rechtspraak.nl pages: 15 September 2026)
- Pararius: Huurmonitor Q2 2026 (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: applying for a housing permit (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: permit to let your home during your holiday (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: landlord licence (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: permit to convert a home into rooms (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: splitting permit (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: buyout protection (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: do I pay agency fees for a room or rental home? (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: rights of tenants in rented homes (in Dutch)
- The Hague International Centre: make an appointment for registration
- Rijksoverheid: may my landlord offer a temporary lease? (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: the rent on a new or temporary contract (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: contact (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: starting a procedure (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: costs (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: a case at the Huurcommissie (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: advice from the Huurteam (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: may my landlord ask for a deposit? (in Dutch)
- Wetten.nl: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, article 7:261b (in Dutch)
- Municipality of The Hague: advice for tenants (in Dutch)
- Rechtspraak.nl: Rechtbank Den Haag visitor information (in Dutch)
- Rechtspraak.nl: Rechtbank Den Haag, district and the kantonrechter (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 The Hague, 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.