Rent Benefit

Rent benefit is a contribution to cover part of the cost of rent. You are eligible to receive the rent benefit if your income and assets do not exceed a certain threshold and providing you meet certain conditions (e.g. you must be renting an independent accommodation and be registered at your address).

Some of the factors for 2024 are (these can vary from year to year):

• older than 18 years
• you reside in an independent living space in the Netherlands (private living/bedroom; private kitchen with counter top and water, sewer and stove connections; private toilet and bathroom). If you live in a split dwelling (such as student housing) with only one house number or a shared dwelling, beware that co-occupants may count as fellow residents at this address. Under most circumstances, only one occupant of the same address (post code and house number) can apply for rent benefit! Please check your signed rental contract address with the address that you are registered at with the municipality to see if they both list the exact same address (both must say, for example, 1b). If they are different, then check with the Tax Service before applying.
• your rent does not exceed the amount of € 879,66 a month or € 454,47 when under 23 years of age
• you (and any co-occupants or benefit partner) are registered with the municipality at that address
• you (and any co-occupants or benefit partner) have either Dutch or EU nationality, or you are in possession of a valid residence permit
• your worldwide income and those of any co-occupants or benefit partner is not too high
• your capital and those of any co-occupants or benefit partner do not exceed a certain amount (in 2024 € 36,952 single household or € 73.904 combined)

Amount of rent allowance

How much rent benefit or allowance you can receive depends on how much rent you are being charged, your income level and your assets. If you have a partner or co-occupant (you can find the definition of a co-occupant below) living with you, then their income and assets also count.

Please note: Some houses are advertised as eligible for rent benefit, but the criteria is often very strict so this statement is not a guarantee that you will actually qualify for the benefit. We always recommend checking the test calculation (proefberekening) of your rent allowance to make sure that you can actually qualify for the rent benefit at the property.

A co-occupant (medebewoner) is a person who lives with you, forms part of your household and is registered at the same address with the municipality (in Dutch)

Please note: If you are not registered with the municipality as living at your address in the Netherlands as of the 1st of the month (regardless of when your rental contract begins), then your rent benefit will begin the following month. The starting date of your residence permit is also taken in account.

If you would like assistance with applying for benefits, you can find a benefits service point near you at this link.

What is a benefit partner?

The term benefit partner (toeslagpartner in Dutch) needs some clarification. It can be your spouse, your registered partner, or someone else registered at your same address who falls into one of the following categories:

• you have a notarized cohabitation agreement (samenlevingscontract)
• you are parents of the same child
• you or your partner have acknowledged one of the other’s child
• you are a partner in the same pension scheme
• you are joint owners of a house
• you or one of the residents have a child younger than 18 living with you
• you are each other’s tax partner for income tax
• you were benefit partners in the previous year

You can fill in the toeslagpartner check at the Belastingdienst website to see if you have a benefit partner.

Does your benefit partner live abroad? For example, because you do seasonal work? To be able to apply for benefits, you both need a citizen service number (BSN*). Please call the Tax Information Line for more information.

As long as you meet the conditions, the benefit will be continue to be paid to you each month, but you need to notify the Tax authorities if your living or working situation changes, which may in turn change your eligibility.

* The partner living abroad can register for a BSN through the RNI procedure