Temporary rental contract in the Netherlands (2026): when it really ends, and when you can stay
Since 1 July 2024 the Wet vaste huurcontracten (the law on open-ended leases) has made the open-ended lease the norm in the Netherlands (Volkshuisvesting Nederland). A temporary rental contract is now only allowed for 8 groups, such as students, for at most 2 years. An end date alone does not always mean you have to leave.
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Rules from Rijksoverheid, Volkshuisvesting Nederland and the Civil Code · Checked 28 September 2026
Short answer
A new tenant in the Netherlands gets an open-ended lease by default. A temporary rental contract of at most 2 years is only allowed for 8 groups, such as students renting away from home for their studies. Signed from 1 July 2024 outside those groups, an end date does not end the lease: it runs on like an open-ended one. A valid temporary lease ends only if the landlord writes to you 1 to 3 months before the end date. A temporary contract signed before 1 July 2024 runs to its end date, and becomes open-ended if extended.
Key facts for 2026
- 1 July 2024 is the date the open-ended lease became the norm again for new tenants.
- 2 years is the longest a temporary lease for one of the exempted groups may run.
- 8 groups can still be offered a temporary lease, such as students renting away from home for their studies.
- 1 to 3 months before the end date, the landlord must tell you in writing that the lease ends.
- 6 weeks is the time you get to answer in writing when a landlord ends an open-ended lease.
- 3 to 6 months is the landlord’s notice period, one month longer for each year you have lived there.
- 5 years was the longest a temporary lease of a room could run if signed before 1 July 2024.
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.
The law
Can I still get a temporary rental contract after 1 July 2024?
Since 1 July 2024 the law on open-ended leases has made the open-ended lease the norm again, for self-contained homes and rooms alike (Volkshuisvesting Nederland). If you signed an anti kraak contract (bruikleen) instead of a rental agreement, different and weaker rules apply, so check which one you actually have first.
- Every landlord. The rule applies to housing corporations and private landlords (Rijksoverheid).
- An end date is not enough. Under the Civil Code a lease for a fixed period does not end simply because the period runs out. The exception covers only the groups set by government decree, on a lease of 2 years or less (Civil Code, article 7:271).
- Open-ended means notice. A lease without an end date only ends by notice (Rijksoverheid). If you do not agree, the landlord can only end it, and have the home vacated, through a court; the Huurcommissie has no say in ending a lease (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
Exceptions
Who can still be given a temporary lease of up to 2 years?
Only tenants in one of 8 groups can be given a lease of at most 2 years that ends on its end date (Rijksoverheid).
“Als nieuwe huurder krijgt u meteen een huurcontract voor onbepaalde tijd. Alleen in een aantal specifieke situaties mogen woningcorporaties en particuliere verhuurders tijdelijke huurcontracten aanbieden.”
Our translation: “As a new tenant you get an open-ended lease straight away. Only in a number of specific situations may housing associations and private landlords offer temporary leases.” From Rijksoverheid, checked 28 September 2026.
| Group | In short |
|---|---|
| Students | Renting temporarily for their studies in a municipality other than where they live |
| Tenants during works | Living elsewhere while their own home is worked on or renovated |
| People leaving a shelter | Coming out of social shelter, or in a social emergency |
| Second-chance tenants | After an earlier lease was ended, for example because of nuisance |
| Surviving household members | Who lived with a tenant who died and do not continue the lease as co-tenant |
| Separating parents | No longer living together, renting temporarily to stay near their children |
| Wadden Islands workers | Working temporarily on one of the islands while living on the mainland |
| Permit holders | Coming straight from a COA reception location, waiting for permanent housing |
Source: Rijksoverheid, checked 28 September 2026.
- Any landlord may offer these leases, as an exception to the open-ended norm (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Changes on hold. A wider review of temporary leases is expected to report in the third quarter of 2026, and until then the system is not changed (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
Ending
How does a temporary lease end, and when must the letter come?
A valid temporary lease ends on its end date without notice, but only if the landlord tells you in writing, no earlier than 3 months and no later than 1 month before that date (Civil Code, article 7:271).
| Contract type | Allowed since 1 July 2024? | How it ends | Notice the landlord must give |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-ended lease, huurcontract voor onbepaalde tijd | Yes, it is the norm | Only by notice on a legal ground; if you do not agree, only a court can end it | Registered letter or bailiff, stating the ground; at least 3 months, plus 1 month for each year you have lived there, up to 6 |
| Temporary lease of up to 2 years for one of the 8 groups | Yes | On the end date. A new lease with you straight after counts as an open-ended extension | A letter 1 to 3 months before the end date; without it, the lease continues for an indefinite period |
| Lease with an end date signed from 1 July 2024, tenant not in one of the 8 groups | No, the end date does not end it | Like an open-ended lease: only by notice on a legal ground, taking effect no earlier than the end date | As for an open-ended lease |
| Temporary lease signed before 1 July 2024 (up to 2 years for a home, 5 for a room) | No new ones; existing ones stay as they are | On the end date; if extended, it becomes open-ended | A letter 1 to 3 months before the end date; without it, the lease becomes open-ended |
Sources: Civil Code, article 7:271(1), (2), (4) to (6); Rijksoverheid; Volkshuisvesting Nederland, checked 28 September 2026.
- The landlord cannot end it early, but you can (Rijksoverheid).
- Your own notice. Send a registered letter, or an email or letter the landlord confirms receiving. The notice period is usually 1 month, and you do not need a reason (Rijksoverheid).
- Check the rent too. On a temporary lease signed from 1 July 2024, the Huurcommissie can only review the starting rent within 6 months of signing (Huurcommissie); see our Huurcommissie guide.
Older contracts
What about temporary contracts signed before 1 July 2024?
A temporary lease signed before 1 July 2024 does not change: it runs to its end date, and the tenant then in principle has to move (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- How long they could run. Up to 2 years for a self-contained home and up to 5 years for a room; extended, the lease becomes open-ended (Rijksoverheid).
- The letter still matters. For a temporary lease the landlord must confirm the end in writing 1 to 3 months before; otherwise it becomes an open-ended lease (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Starting rent. On these older leases it can be reviewed during the lease and up to 6 months after it ends (Huurcommissie). Our is my rent too high? guide shows how to check.
- Is it really temporary? The Huurcommissie looks at what the lease says and what both sides intended; if in doubt, ask the Juridisch Loket (Huurcommissie).
Other lets
Which other short lets are still possible?
Several arrangements are not temporary leases under the 2024 law and continue unchanged, each with its own rules (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
| Arrangement | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Diplomat clause, tussenhuur | The occupant is away for a while; you leave when they return and cannot end the lease early |
| Vacancy Act, Leegstandwet | Needs a municipal permit; no rent protection, but at least 6 months and 3 months’ notice from the landlord |
| Target-group lease, such as a student room | An open-ended lease the landlord can end once you no longer belong to the group |
| Lodger, hospita | The landlord lives in the home and has an extra ground to end the lease |
| A stay that is short by nature, such as a holiday home | No rent protection |
Sources: Rijksoverheid; Volkshuisvesting Nederland; Civil Code, articles 7:232 and 7:274.
- Diplomat clause. The lease must clearly say the occupant will move back in, and a court will not end it if they no longer plan to (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Vacancy Act and short stays. The Vacancy Act lease carries no rent protection when it ends (Volkshuisvesting Nederland), and neither does a holiday let (Rijksoverheid). See also our subletting rules.
- Lodgers. In the first 9 months of a room in the landlord’s own home, key protection rules do not apply (Civil Code, article 7:232).
Legal help
Told you have to leave? What should you do?
Do not move out because of a letter alone: if you do not agree to the notice, you may stay in the home until a court decides, and these 4 steps protect you (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Check the lease and the letter Is it a temporary lease for one of the 8 groups, and did the letter come 1 to 3 months before the end date? If not, the lease continues (Civil Code, article 7:271).
- Check the notice A landlord ending an open-ended lease must use a registered letter or a bailiff, give the ground and ask you to reply within 6 weeks (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Reply in writing within 6 weeks Say you do not agree; housemates write too. The Juridisch Loket has a model letter (Rijksoverheid).
- Let the court decide The landlord can go to court 6 weeks after the notice. The court only looks at the grounds in the notice, and either side can appeal (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- The legal grounds. Not behaving as a good tenant, such as rent arrears or nuisance; the diplomat clause; urgent own use, which includes demolition or renovation that cannot happen during the lease; refusing a reasonable offer of a new lease; and a zoning plan. Ending a lease to sell the home empty is not valid (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Two grounds since July 2024, both only if written in the lease: a private landlord with one home, who lived there for at least 2 years, may end the lease once to sell after a term of at most 2 years; and a landlord may end it after the agreed term for a parent or child to live in (Volkshuisvesting Nederland).
- Notice period. At least 3 months, plus a month for each year you have lived there, up to 6 (Volkshuisvesting Nederland). More in our eviction guide.
Landlord says your lease has ended? Talk to a tenancy lawyer before you move out
Need help with this? We match you with an English-speaking Dutch tenancy lawyer. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day. Lawyer fees are paid to the firm and explained before you proceed.
More on finding an English-speaking tenant lawyer in the Netherlands.
Keep reading
Related guides
More of our guides for tenants in the Netherlands.
Eviction in the Netherlands
When a landlord can, and cannot, make you leave.
HuurcommissieHuurcommissie explained
Starting rent reviews, fees and deadlines.
RentIs my rent too high?
Check the points of your home.
SublettingSubletting and Airbnb rules
What you may do with a rented home.
DepositRental deposit rules
Getting your deposit back when the lease ends.
RotterdamEviction in Rotterdam
Your rights if a Rotterdam landlord wants you out.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord still offer a temporary rental contract in the Netherlands?
Only to specific groups. Since 1 July 2024 new tenants get an open-ended lease, and a temporary lease of at most 2 years is allowed only for groups such as students renting away from home for their studies, tenants whose own home is being renovated, second-chance tenants and permit holders leaving a COA location. This applies to private landlords and housing corporations alike.
What does Dutch law say about short-term rentals?
Since 1 July 2024 a lease with an end date only ends on that date for tenants in 8 groups, for at most 2 years. Other short lets keep their own rules: a diplomat clause lease while the occupant is away, a Vacancy Act lease with a municipal permit, a target-group lease such as a student room, a lodger arrangement, and a stay that is short by nature, such as a holiday home, which has no rent protection.
What is an indefinite rental contract in the Netherlands?
It is an open-ended lease, the norm for new tenants since 1 July 2024. It has no end date and only ends by notice. You can end it with notice of usually 1 month. The landlord must use a registered letter or bailiff, state a legal ground and give at least 3 months, plus 1 month for each year you have lived there, up to 6. If you do not agree, only a court can end it.
Can my landlord end a temporary contract early?
No. Government guidance for landlords says a landlord may not stop a temporary lease early; only the tenant may, usually with 1 month of notice. A court can still dissolve any lease if the tenant seriously fails their obligations, for example through rent arrears. On a lease signed from 1 July 2024 outside the 8 groups, the end date does not end it either: the landlord then needs a legal ground, and a court if you do not agree.
What if my landlord did not send the end-of-lease letter?
Then your temporary lease does not end on its end date. The landlord must tell you in writing no earlier than 3 months and no later than 1 month before that date. If the letter never came, or came too early or too late, the lease continues for an indefinite period, and the landlord can then only end it by notice on a legal ground. This also applies to temporary leases signed before 1 July 2024.
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Official sources, checked 28 September 2026
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: the open-ended lease is the norm again (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: may my landlord offer me a temporary lease? (in Dutch)
- Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, articles 7:232, 7:271 and 7:274 (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: the types of lease for a home (in Dutch)
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: rent protection and leases (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: must a landlord offer an open-ended lease? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: ending the lease of your home (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: the rent on a new or temporary contract (in Dutch)
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: the procedure for ending a lease (in Dutch)
- Huurcommissie: temporary leases (in Dutch)
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: five reasons to end a lease (in Dutch)
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: the Vacancy Act and rent protection (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: objecting when your landlord ends the lease (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 temporary leases and ending a lease in the Netherlands, 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.