Three Things to Watch out for when Renting an Apartment in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, filled with rich history and plenty of culture. It's also a popular place for tourists and expats alike. It's no wonder a lot of people are looking to land a rental home in Amsterdam. Although there are many charming neighborhoods to choose from, it can be difficult to find the right spot in an unfamiliar city.

The housing market is extremely competitive, which makes finding a place to live that much more difficult. This invites a lot of tricksters and con artists, who rent out apartments they don't own, or even rent out a single apartment to multiple people, and take off with the money.

If you're looking for an apartment to rent in Amsterdam, it's important that you protect yourself from fraud as much as possible—especially when dealing with short-term contracts or price gouging by landlords.

In this article, we'll go over three key points you should always take into account when looking for home rental in Amsterdam.

Watch out for Short Term Contracts

In The Netherlands, tenants are protected by law after they have been living in a rental apartment for a certain amount of time. Landlords will often come up with clever ideas to circumvent this law.

Many home owners will only rent out their place for a few months, up to half a year. Afterwards, they increase the price, and look for a new tenant. Because the market is really hot, this strategy usually pays off for the landlord.

Be aware that short-term contracts can be problematic. You will almost always pay for the entire month even if you move out in the middle of it, and this can add up quickly when utilities are included with your rent.

The same goes for other services like internet and TV. So if you're planning on moving out and finding a new place during your stay in Amsterdam, consider avoiding short-term contracts altogether by renting from a local homeowner who doesn't charge for these additional costs or find an apartment with private utilities.

If you want to save money on housing costs, consider contacting homeowners directly instead of using agencies or companies that manage large blocks of apartments for tourists (known as "corporatized" rentals). This is especially helpful if utilities aren't included with your rent; most local homeowners will already have their own electricity/heat systems set up.

If you do choose to go with short term rental contracts, make sure you agree on fees and charges beforehand. Because home rental in Amsterdam is very lucrative, a lot of private home owners have gone into it in recent years. They are often inexperienced, and their oversight may not always be in your favor.

Don't Expect to get an Apartment for Cheap

The old saying goes: "if it's too good to be true, it probably is". And that saying applies to Amsterdam too.

You may have heard that Amsterdam is a relatively cheap city to live in, but this isn't true when it comes to renting an apartment. The average price for one-bedroom apartments in the city is €1.900 per month. It can be hard to find places that are less than €1.000 per month because most landlords charge higher prices due to a shortage of supply and high demand for housing.

If you do manage to find an apartment for around €1.000, or maybe even for less, pay close attention. Many apartments have been converted into tourist accommodations instead of long-term rentals because they're more profitable for landlords. These accommodations are very often shared with roommates, or have shared bathrooms and kitchens.

Because of the high rental prices in Amsterdam, sharing an apartment with other people is very common. Of course, sharing a place with someone else can be very enjoyable, but it's good to know what you're getting in to.

This means that you'll have fewer options available if you're looking for something affordable—you may have better luck searching outside the city center if your budget is tight!

Be Careful About Hidden Expenses

Amsterdam rental apartments can come with a lot of hidden expenses. Some landlords even have their tenants pay for municipal taxes or government taxes separately. Generally, the following costs should be included in rent:

• Property taxes
• Municipal taxes - this sometimes includes sewer access and garbage collection fees, but they may be separate
• Property insurance. Typically Dutch buildings are insured through an opstalverzekering - your landlord should take care of it

Whether or not garbage collection fees are included in your rent or not usually comes down to whether or not you're allowed to formally move into the apartment. Formally moving into the apartment means you are a registered tenant at the city council, and therefore you are required to pay said fees.

Most landlords however do not allow their tenants to formally register themselves at the apartment's address. This is partly due to the aforementioned term of around 2 years after which the tenant obtains the right to permanent residence.

Of course, if you have lived in an apartment for over two years and can prove it, your case would be very strong under Dutch law and you may be able to strongarm your landlord into permanent residency.

Another typical hidden expense is utilities and possibly furniture - of course the latter only applies if you have rented a furnished apartment.

Utilities

Before signing any lease, find out what utilities (gas, electricity and internet) will cost as well as how much it costs if you want to change providers. Some landlords will try to get away with charging their tenants even more than they should just so they don't have to pay their own bills.

Furniture

Make sure it's not included in your quote before buying furniture yourself because some unscrupulous landlords will tell potential renters that everything will be provided when really all they'll get is a dirty mattress on the floor.

While Dutch people normally are quite civilized, I have personally heard about cases where expats rented a furnished apartment, only to find out that said furniture had been sitting there for over 10 years, and the landlord just provided old photos. Nobody likes dirty rugs and couches.

Conclusion

In general, living and home rental in Amsterdam is a great experience. You can find an apartment that fits your needs and budget, and you'll have plenty of time to make the right decision.

If you're looking for a new place to live in Amsterdam, be sure to keep these tips in mind so that you don't get scammed or taken advantage of by unscrupulous landlords!