From July 1, 2024, a permanent rental contract for all landlords will again be the norm. This applies to both independent living spaces and non-self-contained living spaces (rooms). The aim of the Fixed Rental Contracts Act is to better protect tenants. Fortunately, landlords still have options to conclude temporary rental agreements.
Based on the new law, landlords can still conclude a fixed-term rental contract (maximum two years) in the cases below if they focus on:
- Students who want to temporarily rent for study in another municipality other than where they live;
- People who have to live somewhere else temporarily due to work or renovation of their own home;
- Couples who are getting divorced, demonstrably no longer live together and are temporarily renting a home to live close to their child(ren);
A landlord can also enter into a rental contract with a tenant that is 'by its nature short-term'.
Case law shows that, for there to be a rental agreement 'by its nature of short duration', the lease's temporary nature must be in the landlord's interests and the tenant's interests. Therefore, short-term rental of a rental property is still possible in several specific cases.
You should consider the previously mentioned target groups, as well as:
- People who have to leave their homes due to fire and water damage temporarily
- People who are 'stuck' between two homes;
- Foreign companies that need to accommodate their staff in the Netherlands for a project.
- Tourists, including those using Airbnb.
In addition, holiday home or' aparthotel' owners can, of course, temporarily rent out their properties.
Would you like to rent out your OWN home temporarily?
In addition, there is an option to temporarily rent out your OWN home when you go abroad for work, vacation or study. This is called "tussenhuur" in Dutch. This is also known as the diplomat clause. Your tenant will then leave your home when you return. You make clear agreements about this with the tenant. Expats use this, for example, because they often have to move to another country for work.