Landlords may gain the option to charge higher rents for expensive homes, new builds, and properties without outdoor space. Housing Minister Elanor Boekholt‑O’Sullivan wants to relax the Tenancy Act to make this possible. She hopes the changes will increase the supply of mid‑market rentals.
The Tenancy Act uses a point system based on living area and property value. It currently includes a value cap that limits how much the rent can rise. The minister wants to remove this cap. She also plans to end penalty points for homes without a garden or balcony and allow higher rents for national monuments.
A fourth proposal would let students receive temporary rental contracts. The minister wants all changes to take effect on 1 January 2027. The House of Representatives will decide whether the minority cabinet’s plan will proceed.
Boekholt also wants to extend a rule that allows higher rents for new‑build homes. If construction starts before 2032, landlords may charge 10 percent more rent each year for twenty years. The current rule applies only to projects that begin before 2028.
Many landlords, especially investors, have sold rental homes because renting brings in less income. This “selling off” has reduced the supply of mid‑market rentals and increased the number of homes for sale. In the second half of 2025, private investors sold 36,000 rental homes, and about three in five went to first‑time buyers.
@ANP | News Brainport
