Indexation of Income Limits for Housing Corporations, Maximum Rent Price Limits and Housing Allowance Parameters for 2026

The income and rent limits for the 2026 housing allowance are also announced. This information can be used to calculate eligibility and the amount of housing allowance. In 2026, the housing allowance will be simplified. A larger group of tenants will qualify for housing allowance due to the removal of maximum rent limits as a condition for the allowance. Read here about the changes.

Housing corporations must adhere to certain rules when allocating their social rental homes (DAEB homes), including the maximum income limit. These income limits are indexed annually. As of January 1, 2026, the following limits apply:

• € 51,537 for single-person households;
• € 56,910 for multi-person households.

Rent limit for DAEB housing allocation

€ 932.93

Appropriate allocation: income limits

According to the Housing Act and BTIV, housing corporations must annually allocate 95% of housing seekers with low income appropriately. This ensures tenants rent a home that fits their income.

The following income limits apply for appropriate allocation in 2026:

Appropriate allocation: rent limits

In appropriate allocation, a home is assigned with a rent price not exceeding the capping limit for housing allowance applicable to the household. This leads to the following rent limits for 2026:

Indexation Percentages

The indexation percentages i1 and i2 are known. These percentages are used to index incomes from previous years to the 2026 level. The percentages are:

• Index T-1: 1.0376;
• Index T-2: 1.0805.

The maximum rent price limits indicate the highest rent that can be charged based on a certain number of points. The limits from January 1, 2025, will be adjusted per January 1, 2026, for inflation from July 2024 to July 2025, which is 3.65%. The amounts are rounded up to the nearest cent.

View in PDF and Excel:

• Maximum rent price limits for independent homes as of January 1, 2026.
• Maximum rent price limits for non-independent homes (rooms) as of January 1, 2026.
• Maximum rent price limits for mobile homes as of January 1, 2026.
• Maximum rent price limits for pitches as of January 1, 2026.

Upper Limit Social Rent 2026

The upper limit for social rental homes is 143 points. After indexation on January 1, 2026, the upper limit for social rental homes is € 932.93.

Upper Limit Mid-Segment Rent / Liberalization Limit 2026

Since July 1, 2024, the rent price in the mid-segment is legally regulated. The rules are in the Affordable Rent Act. The upper limit of the mid-segment, also the liberalization limit for independent homes, equals the maximum rent price limit at 186 points. This means the upper limit of the mid-segment (liberalization limit) in 2026 is € 1,228.07 per month. Rental contracts starting on or after January 1, 2026, fall under regulated mid-rent if they:

• have a rent higher than € 932.93 and at least 144 WWS points;
• and have a maximum of 186 points and/or a rent not higher than € 1,228.07.

Historical Liberalization Limits

The starting rent determines if a rental contract is liberalized; not the current rent. The starting rent is the rent on the contract start date. If the starting rent is higher than the then applicable liberalization limit, the contract falls under the free sector.

View here the list of rent liberalization limits from 1989 to 2027.

Income Limits for Middle Incomes

There is also an income limit for households with middle incomes. The limit is set in article 10 of the Housing Act. The following income limits apply as of January 1, 2026:

• € 70,149 for single-person households;
• € 93,531 for multi-person households.

Income-Dependent Rent Increase

Landlords may propose higher rent increases to tenants with higher incomes in social rental homes (low segment). For tenants with a higher middle income, the increase is € 50 per month. For tenants with a high income, the increase is € 100 per month. The income categories are indexed as of January 1, 2026:

Income Limit for Housing Corporation Sales Rules

The income limit for sales under conditions of a home by an admitted institution to a natural person is also indexed. The maximum income limit is € 57,500 in 2026. According to article 23 of the BTIV, for those who wish to buy a dwelling from a housing corporation with a discount of 10% up to a maximum of 25%, no value sharing needs to be agreed if the household income does not exceed this limit. The discount on the value free of rent and use applies.

For an overview of the parameters, see the table below.

Final Determination and Official Gazette

The rent price and income limits will be officially determined and published in the Official Gazette. This will happen before the end of 2025.