Renting with a temporary contract or as a freelancer

You can rent a home in the Netherlands on a temporary employment contract or as a freelancer. A permanent contract is not a legal requirement. What a landlord mainly wants to know is whether you can pay the rent every month. Proving that just takes a bit more preparation. Below you'll find which documents to prepare, what to do if your income falls a little short, and what a landlord can and cannot ask you.

What a landlord looks at

Dutch landlords choose tenants based on selection criteria. Since 1 July 2023, the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) requires these criteria to be objective, relevant and non-discriminatory. The selection process must be transparent. If you're turned down, you have the right to hear why someone else was chosen.

In practice, income matters most. Many landlords ask for a gross monthly income of a set multiple of the base rent. Base rent (kale huur) is the rent without service costs. This multiple is not set by law; each landlord decides it. You can read how it works in our article on income requirements.

Where your income comes from doesn't change the question. Permanent contract, temporary contract or your own business: the only difference is the paperwork.

On a temporary employment contract

You show what you earn now and how secure that income is. You'll need:

• Employer statement (werkgeversverklaring). A standard form your employer fills in with your job title, salary and contract end date. Landlords and mortgage lenders in the Netherlands use it all the time, so HR will usually know it.

• Declaration of intent (intentieverklaring). Your employer states that they plan to extend your contract if circumstances stay the same. It's often a question on the employer statement itself. Not every employer will fill it in, but it's always worth asking.

• Payslips. Usually from the last three months.

• Your employment contract. Especially useful if it has been extended before, or if you've been with the same employer for a while.

Working through an employment agency or on a flexible (on-call) contract? Ask the agency for the employer statement. Because your pay can vary from month to month, an overview of your income over a longer period helps.

Just moved to the Netherlands? Then you won't have Dutch payslips or a Dutch tax history yet. Your employment contract and a recent employer statement are usually your strongest documents. Ask the landlord in advance what they accept.

As a freelancer

In the Netherlands, self-employed people without staff are called zzp'ers. As a freelancer you don't have payslips or an employer statement. Instead, you show your income with:

• Income statement (IB60) from the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst). It shows your registered income for one year. You download it in Mijn Belastingdienst, using DigiD, the Dutch government login. The statement for 2025 is available once your 2025 tax return has been processed.

• Income tax return or assessment (aangifte or aanslag inkomstenbelasting) for the past one to three years.

• Annual accounts, such as your profit and loss statement. Landlords look at your profit, not your turnover.

• Extract from the Chamber of Commerce (KvK-uittreksel). This shows your business exists and since when.

• Current assignments or client contracts, if you have them.

You can only get an IB60 for years in which you had income in the Netherlands. Just started, or new to the country without a full Dutch tax year behind you? Then it's harder, to be honest. A forecast from your accountant, current assignments and savings can help. Ask the landlord in advance what they accept. It saves you both time.

Temporary job, permanent lease

A temporary employment contract and a temporary rental contract are two different things. Since 1 July 2024, the Permanent Rental Contracts Act (Wet vaste huurcontracten) has made open-ended rental contracts the norm. Temporary leases are only allowed in specific cases, such as student housing or sublets. So a temporary job doesn't determine what kind of lease you get.

Income falling a little short?

If you don't meet the income requirement, you have a few options. Not every landlord accepts them, so check first.

• A guarantor (garantsteller). Someone, often a parent, who pays if you can't. Some landlords only accept a guarantor who lives and earns in the Netherlands, so ask. Read more in our article on guarantors.

• Renting together. With a partner or housemate, your combined income sometimes counts. Ask how the landlord calculates it.

• Showing savings. Some landlords also look at savings.

• Adjusting your search. A home with a lower rent may fit your income.

Never edit documents yourself to make your income look higher. That's fraud and can cost you your lease.

What a landlord can ask you

A landlord or letting agent may only ask for information they need to judge whether you can pay the rent. According to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) and the Dutch government, they may ask for:

• proof of income, such as payslips or a bank statement showing your salary coming in;

• your ID, to look at;

• whether you have debts;

• a reference from your previous landlord.

They may not:

• ask for your citizen service number (BSN), the personal number you get when you register with your municipality;

• ask about your nationality or ethnic background;

• check the Dutch credit register (BKR) themselves.

So black out your BSN on everything you share, such as payslips and your income statement. The Dutch tenants' union (Woonbond) says you only need to share your details once a home is actually offered to you. If someone asks for bank statements before a viewing, you can ask why they need them.

And if you get the home: the deposit is capped at two months' base rent.

What to prepare

On a temporary contract

• Employer statement, with a declaration of intent if possible

• Payslips from the last three months

• Your employment contract

As a freelancer

• Income statement (IB60) for recent years

• Income tax return or assessment

• Annual accounts

• Chamber of Commerce extract

For everyone

• ID, with your BSN blacked out on copies

• If needed: your guarantor's details

Which other documents are useful? Read our article on the documents you need to rent.

Ready to apply

Got your documents ready? Then you can respond quickly and completely when a suitable home comes online. With the Huurspot search wizard, you set up your search and get an alert as soon as new listings match.