Guides
How much income do you need to rent?
Almost every landlord in the Amsterdam region sets an income requirement. It decides which homes are within reach, so it pays to know how it works before you start searching.
What landlords usually ask
A common requirement is a gross monthly income of three times the basic rent, sometimes four. For a home of €1,800 basic rent, that means a gross income of €5,400 to €7,200 a month. Basic rent is the rent without service charges.
Since 1 July 2023, landlords must use a clear selection procedure with objective criteria, record it in writing and make it known. So you can ask which requirement applies before you respond.
What counts as income
- Gross salary from employment, shown in an employer’s statement and recent payslips.
- For a household: often the combined income of everyone who signs the lease. Some landlords count a second income only partly.
- Self-employed: usually your annual figures or income tax return for the last year or two.
- Just arrived in the Netherlands: your employment contract and an employer’s statement often take the place of payslips.
- Not sure whether holiday pay, a bonus or an allowance counts? Ask the landlord; they don’t all calculate the same way.
A guarantor
A guarantor (garantsteller) promises to pay the rent if you can’t. Some landlords accept one, mostly for students and starters, and then set an income requirement for the guarantor too. Many landlords in the private sector don’t accept a guarantor. Check this before you respond.
Mid-rent: a maximum as well
For a mid-rent home in Amsterdam it works the other way round too: your household income must stay below the limit for the housing permit. In 2026 that is €85,005 for one person and €93,531 for two or more.
Setting a realistic budget
- Start from what you want to spend on housing each month, not only from what a landlord accepts.
- Count service charges, energy, internet and municipal taxes on top of the basic rent.
- Look at the income requirement before you respond, so you don’t lose time on homes that are out of reach.