Checklist for renting a property in Amsterdam

Formulate a complete proposal in which you indicate the conditions under which you wish to rent the property. Also include a brief introduction of yourself and any co-tenants/residents.

Good to know; making a proposal is not without obligation. It is a serious offer to rent the property under the conditions you have specified. If the landlord accepts your proposal, a legally binding tenancy agreement is created, even if the contract has not yet been signed.

Therefore, only make an offer if you are certain that you want to rent the property and can meet the agreed conditions (Section 6:217 of the Civil Code).

We will forward your proposal, including your introduction, to the landlord/owner of the property. We will also provide explanations and advice. The final decision on acceptance always rests with the landlord/owner.

It is important to know how this works legally in the Netherlands. An agreement is concluded by an offer and its acceptance (Article 6:217 of the Civil Code). This means that a tenancy agreement is created as soon as the landlord accepts your proposal. A signature on a detailed tenancy agreement is not required for this.

A tenancy agreement exists as soon as there is agreement on the most important points: which property is involved, what the rent is and when the tenancy starts (Section 7:201 of the Dutch Civil Code). This can also be done by email or digitally (Section 6:227a of the Dutch Civil Code). Furthermore, in the Netherlands there is no statutory cooling-off period for the rental of residential accommodation before the commencement date.

The written tenancy agreement that you receive afterwards is therefore a detailed version of the agreements that have already been made and not the starting point for them. In the Netherlands, a tenancy agreement is ‘form-free’, which means that as soon as the essential agreements have been made, the agreement is legally valid.

Of course, we work with correct tenancy agreements in which the rights and obligations of the tenant and landlord are laid down as required by law. You will not encounter any surprises in these agreements, and no provisions will be included that are not permitted by law.

As soon as an agreement regarding the conditions is reached, the Dutch law states a legally binding agreement exists. Agreement is always subject to a positive screening performed by Interhouse.
A screening is a formality and usually has positive results. We assume the requested information supports the situation as described by you. We also assume a candidate tenant has made a correct estimation regarding monthly costs and income.

This document is to be signed and returned for agreement. You’ll receive a link to our digital signingprogramme ‘SigningHub’.

You are to provide us with documents for identification and proof of income. Below, you can see which documents we require. You’ll receive a separate e-mail with a secured link to our digital vault, where you can upload your personal information. Should any further documents be necessary, we’ll reach out to you.

Required documents per situation: 

Employed
– Three recent, original salary slips in pdf
– Originally generated pdf-bank statements on which the salary is visible
– Signed employment contract – If this is a temporary contract, the end date of this contract must be equal to or longer than the minimum agreed rental period. If this is not the case, we request an additional employer’s statement stating that the contract will be extended.
– Colour photo of the valid identifications of all occupants
– If applicable, a colour photo of the front and back of the occupants’ residence permits
– Lanlord statement from your current tenant if you are currently renting a property

Self-employed
– Statement from accountant, mentioning the net profit of the past 3 years
– Recent excerpt Chamber of Commerce
– Colour foto of the valid identifications of all occupants
– If applicable, a colour photo of the front and back of the occupants’ residence permits
– Lanlord statement from your current tenant if you are currently renting a property

If you are director/major-shareholder, a statement from the accountant will not be sufficiënt. The following documents regarding proof of income are then required:
– Three recent, original salary slips in pdf
– Originally generated pdf-bank statements on which the salary is visible

Company lease
– Recent excerpt Chamber of Commerce
– Colour photo of the valid identifications of authorized signatories
– Colour photo of the valid identifications of all occupants
– If applicable, a colour photo of the front and back of the occupants’ residence permits

Students
– Proof of registration educational institute
– Colour photo of the valid identifications of all occupants
– If applicable, a colour photo of the front and back of the occupants’ residence permits
– Guarantors’ statement signed by guarantor (if married, both partners must sign), a template of the guarantors’ statement is available at request
– Colour photo of the valid identifications of all guarantors
– Two recent salary slips of all guarantors
– Originally generated pdf-bank statements on which the salary is visible

Read the concept tenancy agreement and the General Terms and Conditions thoroughly. This is the moment to ask any questions regarding the contents of the document. You’ll also receive an invoice from Interhouse for the first rental payment and the deposit. We wish to receive the tenancy agreement signed digitally, for which you’ll receive a link to our digital signingprogramme ‘SigningHub’. If you have any questions, we ask that you check out our frequently asked questions or that you reach out to our office.

This is the moment to think about arranging the supply agreements for energy, water, internet and television suitable for your situation. When arranging a contract for internet, be aware that there could be a waiting period. We can bring you in contact with an advisor, if necessary. If you have any questions, you may find the answers on our  frequently asked questions. You can also reach out to our office.

We request that you bring the original passport(s) to check-in and show them to our agent.

ATTENTION: The entire first payment of the received invoice must be visible in the Interhouse bank account, before the key transfer can take place. A proof of payment is not sufficiënt.

TIP: There could be a limit on the amount you can transfer each day/each time. This limit can be extended, but that could take time. If the payment is done from a foreign bank account, it could take a few days before the payment is visible on our account, which is to be considered. Because Russia is one of the sanctioned countries, payments from Russia cannot be accepter. Please take this into consideration.

We request that you bring the original passport(s) to check-in and show them to our agent.

An Interhouse employee will perform an extensive inspection, draws up and inspection report and takes detailed inspection photos to record the state of your new property (and also serves as inventory). The state of your property including meter readings and the number of keys handed over are meticulously recoreded. Our advice is to check the property thoroughly during the days after the transfer. Pass on any and all deficiencies that weren’t found during inspection as soon as possible.