Finding, renting, buying, and maintaining a home in the Netherlands
Part of: Expat Essentials
Housing in the Netherlands comes with its own rules, culture, and vocabulary. The market is tight, the bureaucracy is specific, and some norms — around noise, maintenance, and what you're allowed to change — are different from what expats expect.
This cluster covers the main things to understand as a renter or owner.
It will be cooler inside than you're used to. Dutch homes are typically kept at 18–20°C in winter — comfortable by local standards, but considered cold by people from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa, where indoor heating often runs at 22–24°C. This is partly frugality, partly culture. Turning the thermostat up is fine; just know that "warm house" means something different here.
You will be expected to maintain it yourself. See Klussen.
These guides are written to help you understand the Netherlands — not to replace professional advice. We do our best to be accurate but we make mistakes and information goes out of date. For anything that affects your legal status, taxes, finances, or health, verify with an official source or a qualified advisor.