In the Netherlands you are sometimes eligible for rental allowance. Anyone, regardless of where they are from, can access this allowance if they meet the following conditions:
- You need to be at least 18 years or older.
- You’re renting an independent space (your home has private access through a front door and is equipped with a kitchen and toilet) and signed a rental lease contract. Do you rent a home together with other students? Then you can apply for the housing benefit together for the entire house. The applicant is the person listed on the lease.
- A Dutch bank account.
- You’re registered with your home address in the Netherlands at your local municipality e.g. at the Gemeente Amsterdam.
- Your netto rent (without service costs) has a maximum of € 808.06 per month (if you are older than 23) or a maximum of € 452.20 per month (if you are between 18 - 23) as of 2023.
- Your income and capital do not exceed certain limits. There is actually no fixed income limit, the allowance office looks at your assessment income/gross annual income - the higher your income, the less housing benefit you will receive. It is also possible that your income is too high to receive housing benefit. Income is only money from work, student finance does not count. Your savings/assets are not over € 33.748, or if you have a partner, more than € 67,496 as of 2023.
How to apply for the housing allowance?
You can find out how to apply for this allowance and official information here(opens in a new tab). You can also make a test calculation here(opens in a new tab). It takes around 8 weeks to get a response (which will be sent to your MijnOverheid inbox).