How do employment contracts affect renting a home?

In the 2026 Dutch housing market, the connection between work and home is stronger than ever before. For anyone who wants to rent a home, whether it's an expat or a local resident, the employment contract is the most important piece of evidence in the rental file. Landlords and property managers have strict acceptance criteria, where the nature of the employment often outweighs the amount of the salary itself. At a time of economic dynamism and changing rental laws, your employment contract is the “financial passport” that determines whether you get access to the free sector.

The type of contract you have, whether permanent, temporary, through an employment agency or as a self-employed person, has a direct impact on your chances, the amount of the deposit and the maximum rent you can pay. In this article, we analyse how different employment contracts affect your position in the rental market in 2026.

The indefinite contract: The gold standard

The indefinite contract, also known as the “permanent contract”, will remain the absolute preference of every landlord in 2026. It offers the landlord the highest degree of certainty that the tenant can also meet the payment obligations in the long term.

Tenants with a permanent contract will have a significant advantage among popular homes in 2026. When there are twenty candidates for one apartment, the landlord will almost always opt for the person with permanent employment. In addition, banks and insurers that test the creditworthiness of tenants are more flexible with this type of contract. The income requirement (often 3 to 4 times the monthly rent) is strictly enforced, but with one recent employer statement and three payslips, the burden of proof is relatively simple.

The temporary employment contract and the letter of intent

Many professionals, especially expats and young talents, will be working on an annual contract in 2026. Although this offers less security than a permanent contract, it is still very acceptable in the current market, provided it is provided with a statement of intent.

The letter of intent is a crucial part of the employer statement in which the employer states that he intends to convert the temporary contract into permanent employment while continuing to function at the same time. Without this statement, many landlords see a temporary contract as a risk in 2026. Tenants with a temporary contract without a declaration of intent are often faced with additional requirements, such as a higher deposit (for example, two or three months' rent instead of one) or the requirement for a guarantor.

Working through an employment agency or secondment

For employees in the flexible workforce, such as temporary workers, renting a home has become more challenging in 2026. Here, landlords specifically look at the so-called “phases” of the employment contract.

• Phase A or B: These phases are considered by many landlords to be too uncertain for long-term leases in the free sector.
• Phase C: This is equivalent to permanent employment at the employment agency and will be treated by most brokers in 2026 in the same way as a regular permanent contract.
  Temporary workers often have to provide a “perspective statement”. This document, issued by certified employment agencies, assesses the employee's future earning capacity based on education, work experience, and market demand, rather than just looking at the current contract.

The challenge for self-employed people (freelancers)

In 2026, the number of self-employed people in the Netherlands will be greater than ever, but the rental market has not fully grown in line with this trend. For freelancers, the “contract” is in fact their track record of the past few years.

Landlords usually require the self-employed to provide the final annual results for the past two to three years, prepared by a certified accountant or accountant. In addition, we look at the forecast for the current year. Because a self-employed person's income can fluctuate, landlords often have a stricter income requirement or ask for a substantial bank guarantee. A positive development in 2026 is the rise of specialized “rental insurances” that freelancers can take out to cover their payment risk to the landlord.

The influence of the probationary period

One aspect that is often underestimated is the probationary period in an employment contract. In 2026, it will be virtually impossible to sign a lease while you are still on probation.

Landlords regard the probationary period as a period of extreme uncertainty. Even if you have a signed indefinite contract with a very high salary, acceptance of your rental application will be postponed in 90% of cases until the probationary period has officially expired. Expats moving to the Netherlands are therefore wise to stay in short-stay accommodation for their first month, so that they can enter the market with a 'safe' contract immediately after the end of their probation period.

Proportionality: Income versus rent

In 2026, landlords will not only test whether you can pay the rent, but also whether the rent is in relation to your stable income. The employment contract provides the figures for the “gross income requirement”.

The standard in 2026 is that the basic rent should not exceed 30% to 35% of the gross monthly income. If you have a contract for 32 hours per week instead of 40 hours, your borrowing capacity on the rental market is calculated pro rata. Overtime, bonuses and thirteenth months are only included if they are structural and listed in black and white in the employment contract or on the last three payslips. In 2026, variable bonuses are often only included in the calculation for 50% or not at all by landlords.

The nature of your employment contract therefore largely determines your “rental power”. While a permanent contract opens doors, temporary or flexible contracts require much more thorough preparation and additional documentation to convince landlords of your financial stability.