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Explainer7 min read

The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur): How the 2024 Law Could Lower Your Rent

Since 1 July 2024, the Wet betaalbare huur caps rent on Dutch homes up to 186 WWS points. How it works, who it helps, and how to tell if you're overpaying in 2026.

Luca Stradmann3 June 2026
A typical Amsterdam street lined with brick apartment buildings.

If you rent in Amsterdam, there is a real chance you are paying more than the law allows, and a 2024 law gives you a clear way to fix it. The Wet betaalbare huur (Affordable Rent Act) quietly capped the rent on hundreds of thousands of homes. Here is how it works and how to tell if it helps you.

Key Takeaways

  • The Wet betaalbare huur took effect 1 July 2024 and made the WWS points system a binding rule for new contracts (Rijksoverheid, 2024).
  • It capped rent on homes up to 186 WWS points (the new "middle segment"), not just social housing.
  • The government expected rents to fall on about 300,000 homes by roughly €190/month on average.
  • If your home scores 186 points or fewer, the landlord cannot legally charge a free-sector price, and you can have it lowered.
  • The deposit cap and agent-fee ban come from a different 2023 law, not this one.

What is the Wet betaalbare huur?

The Wet betaalbare huur (Affordable Rent Act) is a Dutch law, in force since 1 July 2024, that made the WWS points system mandatory and extended rent control to the middle of the market (Rijksoverheid, 2024). Before it, only social housing had a binding maximum rent; landlords could price most other homes freely.

Now there are three segments, and two of them are regulated. A home of 143 points or fewer is social housing. A home of 144 to 186 points is the regulated middle segment. Only at 187 points or more is a home truly free-sector. (For the full breakdown, see the three housing types.)

Since 1 July 2024, the WWS points system is "dwingend" (binding): a landlord may not legally charge a free-sector rent on a home scoring 186 points or fewer (Volkshuisvesting Nederland, 2024). The government estimated about 300,000 homes would see lower rent, averaging roughly €190 a month.

How does the points system decide your rent?

A home earns WWS points for measurable features, and those points set the highest legal rent. The bigger and better the home, the more points, and the higher the legal rent ceiling.

Points come from things like:

  • Floor area (square metres)
  • Energy label (a better label scores more)
  • WOZ value (the official property value)
  • Kitchen and bathroom quality
  • Outdoor space (balcony, garden)

Add the points, and a national table converts them to a maximum monthly rent. The line that separates regulated from free-sector in 2026 is €1,228.07 a month in base rent: a home of 187 points or more is free-sector with no legal maximum, while a home of 186 points or fewer has a capped maximum set by its own points, just below that line. You can count your own points with the free Huurprijscheck tool, which we walk through in how to check if your rent is legal.

What new rights does the law give tenants?

The Affordable Rent Act added two practical protections that make it easy to act. They turn an abstract law into money in your pocket.

  1. Landlords must show you the points. Since 1 January 2025, a landlord must give you the WWS points score (the rent assessment) at the start of a regulated tenancy (Russell Advocaten, 2025). That lets you check the rent is legal before, and after, you sign.
  2. Some existing rents must be lowered. Since 1 July 2025, landlords must in some cases reduce the rent on older (pre-July-2024) free-sector contracts that should actually fall in the regulated segment (Houthoff, 2025). So some tenants are owed a reduction without doing anything wrong.

Enforcement has teeth: municipalities began acting against non-compliant landlords (with fines) from 1 January 2025.

Could the 2024 law lower YOUR rent?

Yes, if your home scores 186 WWS points or fewer. Many internationals signed "free-sector" leases on homes that are really regulated, and overpay by hundreds a month. The law lets you fix that, sometimes with money back to the start of the contract.

Here is the simple test:

  • Count your home's WWS points with the free Huurprijscheck.
  • If the points say your home is regulated (≤186) but you pay a free-sector rent, you are likely overpaying.
  • Act within 6 months of a new contract to have the Huurcommissie lower the starting rent, retroactive to day one (Huurcommissie, 2024).
<!-- [UNIQUE INSIGHT] The biggest practical win of the 2024 law for newcomers is not the headline policy; it is the 6-month window to claw back an illegal starting rent on a home you've already moved into. Most expats never use it. -->

The full step-by-step is in how to check if your rent is legal.

What the Affordable Rent Act does NOT cover

One common mix-up: the Affordable Rent Act does not set your deposit cap or ban agent fees. Those come from a separate law, the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap), in force since 1 July 2023 (Rijksoverheid, 2023).

Quick split so you keep them straight:

RuleWhich lawIn force
Rent caps via points (up to 186)Affordable Rent Act1 Jul 2024
Landlord must show the points scoreAffordable Rent Act1 Jan 2025
Deposit max 2 months' base rentGood Landlordship Act1 Jul 2023
No tenant-paid agent fee (landlord's agent)Good Landlordship Act1 Jul 2023

Both laws protect you; they just cover different things. We dig into the deposit and fee rules in the rental scams guide.

Does it apply to homes signed before July 2024?

Mostly the new rules apply to new contracts signed on or after 1 July 2024, but there is an important exception. From 1 July 2025, landlords must lower the rent on certain older free-sector contracts that should have been regulated under the points system. So if you signed before the law, it is still worth checking your points, you may be owed a reduction.

A retroactive rule effective 1 July 2025 means some tenants on pre-July-2024 liberalised contracts are owed a rent reduction if the WWS points place their home in the regulated segment (Houthoff, 2025). This is one of the least-explained parts of the law in plain English.

Don't want to figure this out alone?

The points system is precise but fiddly, and the 6-month window is easy to miss. Dossier (€200) includes help reading your contract, checking your points, and acting before the window closes, plus everything else you need to land safely. We answer the awkward questions, including "is my rent even legal?"

Get Dossier for €200. We'll check your contract and your rent, and handle the maze, so you know on day one whether you're overpaying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "WWS" stand for?

WWS stands for woningwaarderingsstelsel, the home valuation (points) system. It scores a rental home on size, energy label, WOZ value, kitchen, bathroom, and more, then converts the total to a maximum legal rent. Since 1 July 2024 it is binding for homes up to 186 points.

How much could my rent drop?

It depends on your points and current rent. The government expected an average drop of about €190 a month across roughly 300,000 affected homes (Rijksoverheid, 2024). For an individual overpaying on a regulated home, the saving can be larger and may be backdated.

How long do I have to challenge my rent?

For a new free-sector contract, you have 6 months from the start to ask the Huurcommissie to check the starting rent against the points, with any reduction backdated to day one. Do not miss this window; after it, the easiest route closes.

Is the middle segment new?

Yes. The regulated middle segment (144-186 points) was created by the Affordable Rent Act on 1 July 2024. Before that, most of those homes were free-sector. This is why content written before mid-2024 only mentions "social vs free sector," and is now out of date.

The bottom line

The Affordable Rent Act made the points system the law, capped rent on homes up to 186 points, and forced landlords to show you the score. If your home is regulated and you are paying a free-sector price, you can have the rent lowered, possibly with money back. The only thing standing between you and that saving is checking your points.

Do it now: read how to check if your rent is legal, and brush up on the three housing types.

Sources

#amsterdam#dutch-rental-law#wet-betaalbare-huur#huurcommissie#tenant-rights#2026

Luca Stradmann

Founder, NoRelocation. 10 years in Amsterdam real estate; 1,000+ tenants placed.