Rental deposit in the Netherlands: the maximum, what can be deducted and when you get it back
Last checked Published
CheckMyRental is an educational checklist, not legal advice and not a law firm. It cannot see your whole situation. Read your contract yourself and get professional help when a lot is at stake.
How much deposit can a landlord ask?
For contracts concluded from 1 July 2023 the deposit may be at most two months of base rent (rent without service costs).
What to ask
Ask the landlord to reduce the deposit to at most two months of base rent before you pay.
You can copy these sentences into your message. They come from our rule pack.
What can a landlord deduct from the deposit?
Only four kinds of costs may be deducted from a deposit: overdue rent, service costs, damage that is for the tenant's account, and the energy performance fee.
What to ask
Ask which of the four permitted items the deduction relates to and ask to remove deductions that are not on that list.
When must the landlord return the deposit?
The deposit should come back within 14 days after the end of the tenancy, or within 30 days for the remainder when there are deductions.
What to ask
Ask to state a return period of 14 days (30 days for the remainder if there are deductions) and to confirm that an inspection report will be made at the start and the end.
Key numbers
| Maximum deposit | 2 months of base rent |
|---|---|
| Return after the tenancy ends | within 14 days |
| Return of the remainder when something is deducted | within 30 days |
Words to look for in a Dutch contract
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| waarborgsom | deposit |
| borg | deposit |
| zekerheidsstelling | security deposit |
Official sources
The statements on this page come from these pages, which we last checked on 5 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid: woning huren waarborgsom (checked 5 October 2026)
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: waarborgsom (checked 5 October 2026)
- Rijksoverheid: regels voor verhuurders en verhuurbemiddelaars (checked 5 October 2026)
What this page does not cover
This page explains the rules in our rule pack, checked against the sources above. It does not cover your own contract or situation, and it is not legal advice. For advice about your situation, see the box below.
Check your own contract
Upload your contract and see which of these rules it appears to conflict with.
When to talk to a lawyer or the Huurcommissie
- You are being evicted, your landlord has terminated the contract, or you got a court summons: contact a lawyer or Juridisch Loket today. Deadlines can be short.
- You already live there and think your starting rent is too high: the Huurcommissie can assess the starting rent. For regulated homes the request generally has to be made within 6 months of the start (Huurcommissie, checked 2026-10-05). Use the official Huurprijscheck first.
- Your deposit was not returned within 14 days (30 days when there are deductions), or the service-cost statement is missing: write to the landlord first, then ask Juridisch Loket or the Huurcommissie.
- An agent or landlord charged fees, discriminated, or intimidated you: report it to your municipality's Meldpunt Goed Verhuurderschap. Every municipality has one. Eindhoven: info@goedverhuurderschapeindhoven.nl, 085 11 55 587, Fridays 10:30-13:30 at TU/e Atlasgebouw (municipal page, 2026-10-05).
- The report says GREY or 'not covered', you are not sure whether an exception applies to you (student, room in the landlord's home, company let), or more than about 3,000 EUR is at stake: get a professional opinion before you sign.
- Free help: Juridisch Loket, 0800 8020, Monday to Friday 9:00-17:00 (English page, 2026-10-05; the page says personal advice is for people with a low income, so check eligibility). Huurteam Eindhoven (free, online consultation Wed 13:00-16:00, Thu 18:00-21:00, their page). Woonbond (membership, members can submit a contract to lawyers).