Rents will rise considerably next year, with average rents allowed to rise the fastest

Tenants will pay significantly more for their home next year. This applies to both the private sector and social rental. The average rent may rise the fastest, by almost 8 percent. This is evident from the new figures for the maximum rent increase determined by the central government.

Since July 1, there have been rules for mid-priced rents. If a home falls under this – for example a relatively small apartment – a landlord is not allowed to determine the rent himself. The landlord may increase the rent slightly every year, but there is also a maximum.

This is linked to collective labor agreement wage development. A landlord may add an additional 1 percent. And because wages rose sharply this year (by 6.7 percent), the average rent also did the same, by a maximum of 7.7 percent. So anyone who now pays a basic rent of 1,000 euros per month could receive a monthly bill of 1,077 euros next year.

With a new rental contract, a landlord in the private sector may determine the price himself. But if the tenant does not change, there is a maximum for the annual rent increase. For the private sector, this maximum is linked to the collective labor agreement wage increase or inflation. The lower number of the two counts.

That was inflation this year. And that is why the free rents may rise less quickly than the average rent: a maximum of 4.1 percent. With a basic rent of, for example, 1,300 euros per month, this would mean that a landlord may charge a maximum of 53.30 euros extra.

There has been some unrest surrounding the increase in social rent for some time now. The Woonbond – which stands up for the interests of tenants – stopped negotiations about the rent increase last month. The association fears a “rent explosion” and wants rents to keep up with inflation. This would lead to a maximum increase of 3.1 percent.

But according to the Woonbond, the ministry does not want to go lower than 4.5 percent. That percentage is ultimately also the limitation for the average rent increase per corporation. The rent per house may even increase slightly more: a maximum of 5 percent.

For example, for someone who currently pays 600 euros in rent, this means an increase of a maximum of 30 euros per month. Part of the agreement is that the corporations will build more and become more sustainable.

The Woonbond did not sign the agreements. Director Zeno Winkels: “It is unfair that tenants have to pay for solving the housing crisis.”