Amsterdam permit requirement to rent out mid-rent homes

Licensing requirement for medium-rent rentals

As of July 1, Amsterdam's housing ordinance has changed. The most important change is the introduction of a permit requirement for the rental of mediocre rental housing. As a result of this permit requirement, middle-priced rental housing may, in principle, only be rented to middle-income households.

From social rent to middle rent permit

Previously, it was only mandatory to obtain a housing permit before proceeding to rent (and lease) social housing. This concept has now been extended to middle rental housing that must be available to middle-income households.

When does a property fall under middle rental?

These mid-rent homes are homes up to and including 186 housing rating points or a bare rent up to 1,184.82 euros per month, excluding short term social housing.

Income threshold for middle rent

To qualify for a middle rented house, there is a maximum income of 81,633 euros gross per year for a single-person household and 89,821 euros (price level: 2025) for a multi-person household. These maximums do not apply to those moving on from social housing.

Responsibilities: tenant and landlord

It is prohibited both to occupy a middle-rent dwelling without a housing permit and to give it to a person who does not have a housing permit. It is therefore up to the tenant to apply for the housing permit and up to the landlord to verify that it has been granted.

Housing permit application process

For housing corporation properties, the corporation handles the application. The permit has a decision period of eight weeks, although the municipality mentions on its website that a decision on the application will be made within the much shorter period of two weeks. You can apply for a housing permit with the municipality of Amsterdam here.

Transition period and enforcement by the municipality

As mentioned, the rules have been in effect since July 1 of this year. It is therefore important for all parties involved in the rental of middle rental housing to be keen on this new licensing requirement. However, the municipality has indicated through its own communication channels that it will be flexible with enforcement in the first few months because parties still need to get used to it. Partly in that light, it is possible to apply for and obtain housing permits retroactively.

Uncertainties surrounding unlicensed rentals

However, it is still unclear how the municipality will deal with situations in which, shortly after July 1, 2025, a middle-rent dwelling has been rented, without a compulsory housing permit, to a household earning an income higher than the set maximum.
In such a case, obtaining a housing permit will in principle not be possible, but a landlord must continue to tolerate an "illegal" tenant indefinitely under the terms of the lease. For those cases, it is hoped that the municipality will put its money where its mouth is and deal with the situation flexibly.