# How much rent can I afford? Source: https://heydean.nl/en/how-much-rent-can-i-afford ## Try Radar free for 3 days Eligible new users can try Radar free for 3 days. After that, Radar costs €14.95 per month unless you cancel before the trial ends. Signaal and Atlas start as paid plans. Wondering how much rent you can afford? Enter your gross monthly salary. Dutch landlords often ask for 3 to 4 times the basic rent as gross monthly income. - Free, no email address - Your salary stays in your browser - Ready in two steps ## From a rent guideline to suitable rental matches. Dean is rental search software. Save your location, maximum basic rent and preferences in a search profile. Dean then monitors fresh listings and emails suitable matches. Dean is not a landlord or letting agent and cannot guarantee a viewing, acceptance or home. 1. **Set your search profile** Choose your location, maximum basic rent and main housing preferences. 2. **Dean monitors fresh listings** New adverts are compared with the preferences in your profile. 3. **Receive suitable matches** Fresh listings that fit your search profile arrive by email. Put the guideline in a search profile. Dean then compares fresh listings with your preferences. ## How gross income and basic rent are compared. Landlords use different income factors. Divide gross monthly income by the factor stated in the advert. The calculator shows 3×, 3.5× and 4×. ### Example at €3,000 gross - 3× income: €1,000 basic rent - 3.5× income: €850 basic rent - 4× income: €750 basic rent - **Gross monthly income** Fixed salary before payroll tax and contributions. Use the gross figure shown on your payslip. - **Basic rent** Rent for use of the home, excluding service charges, energy advances, internet or a parking space. - **Service charges** Costs on top of basic rent. They are usually outside the income formula but remain part of your monthly costs. ## What counts when your income is less straightforward? The provider decides which income and documents count. Always check the conditions attached to the advert. - **Partner income** The calculator adds both incomes in full. A landlord may count the second income in full, in part or not at all. - **Temporary employment** A fixed-term contract may be accepted. An employer's declaration or letter of intent may be required. - **Self-employed income** Landlords often request annual accounts, tax returns or an income statement covering one or more years. - **Pension and benefits** Structural pension income may count. Providers use different rules for benefits, maintenance payments and assets. ## An income requirement is not the same as the legal rent. One check concerns the renter; the other concerns the home. Keep them separate when reviewing an advert. This calculator does not determine the legal maximum rent, your housing-benefit eligibility (huurtoeslag) or whether a home falls under social rent. ### The provider's income check A landlord uses income and supporting documents to assess an application. The income factor does not determine the rent legally allowed for the home. ### Rent under the WWS The Dutch housing valuation system uses the home's features and points. It helps assess which basic rent fits the specific property. [Use the Rent Check](https://www.huurcommissie.nl/support/huurprijscheck) ### Price boundaries for independent homes in 2026 2026 price level · checked 11 August 2026 - **Social rent** (Up to and including €932.93): Regulated rent up to the liberalisation threshold. - **Middle-sector rent** (€932.94 to €1,228.07): Regulated rent for homes within the middle-sector points range. - **Free sector** (From 187 points): Initial rent is unregulated when the home has enough WWS points. Check the current rules with the official sources: - [Dutch government: social, middle-sector and private rent](https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/vraag-en-antwoord/huurwoning-zoeken/wat-is-het-verschil-tussen-een-sociale-huurwoning-een-middenhuurwoning-en-een-huurwoning-in-de-vrije-sector) - [Rent Tribunal: maximum rent table for 2026](https://www.huurcommissie.nl/support/beleidsboeken/waarderingsstelsel-zelfstandige-woonruimte/bijlage-3-maximale-huurprijsgrenzen-voor-zelfstandige-woningen) ## Compare your rent guideline across five major rental cities. Each city guide shows a dated asking-rent snapshot, residential areas and practical daily travel routes. Use the calculator result as a limit, not as a guarantee that a provider will accept an application. - [Find a rental in Amsterdam](https://heydean.nl/en/rentals/amsterdam.md) - [Find a rental in Rotterdam](https://heydean.nl/en/rentals/rotterdam.md) - [Find a rental in The Hague](https://heydean.nl/en/rentals/the-hague.md) - [Find a rental in Utrecht](https://heydean.nl/en/rentals/utrecht.md) - [Find a rental in Eindhoven](https://heydean.nl/en/rentals/eindhoven.md) ## Frequently asked questions about income and rent ### How much rent can I afford with my income? Use your fixed gross monthly income as a guideline and divide it by the income factor stated in the advert. This calculator shows 3×, 3.5× and 4×; the provider sets the final conditions. ### Is income of 3 or 4 times the rent legally required? No. There is no general income factor for every Dutch rental. The provider sets its own income and document conditions within applicable rules. ### Should I enter gross or net income? Enter your fixed gross monthly salary: the amount before payroll tax and contributions. Do not use the net amount received in your bank account. ### How does my partner's income count? This calculator counts the second income in full. The provider may use a different calculation and decides which supporting documents are required. ### Do holiday allowance, fixed allowances or a thirteenth month count? Sometimes, especially when these amounts are fixed and evidenced. Check which income components the provider accepts before responding. ### Can I rent with temporary employment, self-employed income or a pension? Possibly, but the assessment differs. A provider may request an employer's declaration, annual accounts, tax returns, an income statement or pension overview. ### Does the income requirement use basic rent or total rent? Providers usually compare income with basic rent. You still pay service charges and other fixed monthly costs, so include them in your own budget. ### Is this calculation the same as the Rent Check? No. This calculator works from income. The Rent Check uses WWS points to assess the rent of a specific home. ### What is the average rent in the Netherlands? There is no single figure for every rental. NVM and VGM NL recorded €1,657 basic rent per month in the free sector in the fourth quarter of 2025, based on transactions by professional landlords. Social rent, rooms and local asking rents sit outside that measure. Your income guideline remains a personal limit. ### What does Dean do with my result and data? Your salary and partner choice stay in your browser while you calculate. When you open Dean, only the maximum basic rent is passed along. Dean compares fresh listings with your search profile but does not decide whether a provider will accept you.