Mid-market rent: 2026 limits, rent increases and your rights

Mid-market rent (middenhuur) applies to a self-contained rental home with 144 to 186 points under the housing valuation system (woningwaarderingsstelsel), with a maximum basic rent in 2026 between €932.93 and €1,228.07 per month. The points maximum applies in principle to tenancy agreements that started on or after 1 July 2024; for older agreements, transitional law has its own rules.

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What is mid-market rent?

Mid-market rent is the regulated segment between social housing and the free sector. It has existed since the Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur) entered into force on 1 July 2024.

Whether a home falls in this segment depends on its points under the housing valuation system (WWS). Each number of points corresponds to a maximum rent; the upper limit of the mid-market segment is the maximum rent at 186 points (Article 2 of the Rent Prices (Housing) Decree, Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte). The government adjusts the amounts every year on 1 January; the 2026 amounts were published on 25 November 2025.

Segment	WWS points	Maximum basic rent 2026
Social housing	up to and including 143	€932.93
Mid-market rent	144 up to and including 186	€932.93 to €1,228.07
Free sector	187 or more	no statutory maximum

The limit of €1,228.07 is also the liberalisation threshold (liberalisatiegrens) for self-contained homes. What counts is the rent at the start of the agreement, not the rent today.

You can calculate your home’s points with the Rent Check (Huurprijscheck) on the website of the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie). For a new tenancy agreement, the landlord must provide the points calculation.

Which tenancy agreements does mid-market rent apply to?

The points maximum in the mid-market segment applies in principle to self-contained homes with a tenancy agreement that started on or after 1 July 2024. Transitional law applies to older agreements: the old rent rules continue to apply to them (Article 12a Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte), and the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) has its own transitional rules for the ban on excessive rents (Article 23a Wet goed verhuurderschap).

Whether an older agreement is still covered by a maximum depends on the type of home and the date of the agreement. With a new tenant after 1 July 2024, the landlord must in any case keep the rent within the points maximum. Our article on the Affordable Rent Act explains how the transitional rules work.

May a landlord charge more for a new-build home?

Yes, under conditions. For a new-build home in the mid-market segment, the landlord may add a surcharge of 10% to the maximum rent (Article 10c of the Rent Prices (Housing) Implementation Act, Uitvoeringswet huurprijzen woonruimte). The home must have been taken into use after 1 July 2024 and construction must have started before 1 January 2028.

The surcharge applies for twenty years from the date the home was taken into use, also with a new tenant. According to the government’s explanation, it does not apply to homes created by splitting an existing home, because no living space is added.

In June 2026 the minister proposed also allowing the surcharge where construction starts between 1 January 2028 and 1 January 2032. This is a proposal and not yet law.

How much may the rent of a mid-market home increase?

In 2026 the rent of a mid-market home may increase by at most 6.1%, according to the Dutch government. The law links this maximum to collective wage growth plus 1 percentage point (Article 10 Uitvoeringswet huurprijzen woonruimte); from December 2024 to December 2025, that wage growth was 5.1%.

Two further limits apply. The increase may never exceed what was agreed in your tenancy agreement; if a lower percentage is stated there, that applies. And the increase may not push the basic rent above the maximum for the home’s number of points.

A rent increase comes about in one of two ways: through a rent review clause (huurprijswijzigingsbeding) in the agreement, or, without such a clause, through the statutory procedure (Article 7:248 of the Dutch Civil Code, BW). If you disagree with an increase based on a clause, you can have it reviewed by the Rent Tribunal no later than four months after it took effect. How the procedure works in every segment is explained in our article on rent increases in the Netherlands.

For comparison: in 2026 the rent in the free sector may rise by at most 4.4%, and in social housing by at most 4.1% from 1 July 2026.

After an improvement to the home, the landlord may ask for an extra increase on top of the annual one. It must be in proportion to the cost of the improvement. Regular or major maintenance is not a reason for an extra increase.

What can you do if the rent of your mid-market home is too high?

You can have the rent reviewed by the Rent Tribunal. Since the Affordable Rent Act, tenants of mid-market homes can also go there, for disputes about the rent, service charges and maintenance defects.

The deadline depends on what you want reviewed:

Starting rent: submit your request no later than six months after the first tenancy agreement began (Article 7:249 BW). If the rent is too high, the Rent Tribunal can set a lower rent from the start date of the agreement.
Rent increase based on a clause: submit your request no later than four months after the increase took effect (Article 7:248 BW). The Rent Tribunal reviews the increase against the statutory maximum (Article 12a Uitvoeringswet huurprijzen woonruimte).

Proceedings cost the tenant €25.

The municipality can also act on its own. Since the Affordable Rent Act, the points maximum is mandatory and the municipality supervises compliance, on its own initiative or after a report from the tenant. A landlord who charges too much rent risks a warning or an administrative fine.

If you disagree with the Rent Tribunal’s decision, you can ask the subdistrict court (kantonrechter) to rule on the point the Rent Tribunal decided, within eight weeks of the date the decision was sent (Article 7:262 BW). If both parties let that period pass, they are deemed to have agreed to what the Rent Tribunal decided.

What should you check as a tenant?

Check the start date of your agreement: from 1 July 2024 the points maximum applies; for older agreements, transitional law applies.
Ask for the points calculation the landlord must provide with a new agreement, and check it with the Rent Check.
If the rent is above the maximum, submit a request to the Rent Tribunal within six months of the start date.
For a rent increase, check that it is no higher than 6.1% and no higher than your agreement states; have an increase based on a clause reviewed within four months.
If a 10% new-build surcharge is applied, you may ask for proof that the home qualifies.

What should you check as a landlord?

Have a points calculation made before the new agreement; the rent must match the number of points.
Provide that points calculation to the tenant with the agreement.
Include a clear rent review clause in the agreement; without one, an increase follows the statutory procedure (Article 7:248 BW).
Do not raise the rent by more than 6.1% in 2026, and not above the points maximum.
If you apply the new-build surcharge, record when construction started and when the home was taken into use.
Check whether your municipality requires a housing permit (huisvestingsvergunning) for mid-market homes.

What can we do for you with mid-market rent?

Our tenancy lawyers assist tenants and landlords.

We check the points calculation and work out the maximum rent for the home.
We assess whether your agreement falls under mid-market rent or under the old rules.
We prepare the request to the Rent Tribunal and represent you at the hearing.
We bring a Rent Tribunal decision before the subdistrict court within eight weeks.
We draft tenancy agreements for landlords with a valid rent review clause.
We advise landlords on an enforcement request or fine from the municipality.

Summary

Mid-market rent applies to self-contained homes with 144 up to and including 186 WWS points.
In 2026 the maximum rent is between €932.93 and €1,228.07 per month.
The points maximum applies in principle to agreements from 1 July 2024; transitional law applies to older agreements.
In 2026 the rent may rise by at most 6.1%, and not above the points maximum.
Have the starting rent reviewed within six months, and an increase based on a clause within four months.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between mid-market rent and the free sector?

With mid-market rent (144 up to and including 186 points), a statutory maximum rent applies. In the free sector (187 points or more), the landlord may agree the starting rent freely; only the annual increase is capped.

Does mid-market rent also apply to my old agreement?

In principle, no. Transitional law applies to agreements from before 1 July 2024, with exceptions depending on the type of home. With a new tenant, the points maximum applies in any case.

How do I know how many points my home has?

With the Rent Check of the Rent Tribunal. For a new agreement, the landlord must also give you a points calculation.

May a landlord offer a fixed-term agreement for a mid-market home?

For self-contained housing, an agreement for an indefinite period has been the rule since 1 July 2024. A fixed-term agreement is only allowed for specific groups set out in the law.