Rental Policy 2026: Proposal for Rental Register in Consultation and Modernization of Service Charges as of July 1

A rental register must provide insight into which property is rented out by whom. The minister will develop the register together with municipalities, representatives of tenants and landlords, and potential implementers.

The minister is working on a service charges regulation for the introduction of the Service Charges Modernization Act. This law will come into effect on July 1, 2026. It specifies which items may be included under service charges. The consultation version of the regulation included a maximum for solar panel service charges, which received critical responses from many parties. The minister is still reviewing how the calculation of service charges for solar panels will be shaped. The compensation landlords can request must be proportional to the actual costs incurred. With this, the minister is abandoning the maximum proposed in the consultation. Many critical reactions were received because the amount was considered too low compared to the costs.

A financial evaluation of the Good Landlordship Act, Affordable Rent Act, and Rent Increase Cap Act for liberalized rental agreements shows that municipalities currently have sufficient funds to carry out the tasks assigned to them by these three laws. Fewer reports are received at municipal reporting points for undesirable rental behavior than initially expected. Possibly, the reporting points are not yet sufficiently known. Municipalities are also still gaining practical experience with the three laws. In the letter, the minister discusses the steps she is taking to help municipalities raise awareness of their reporting points.

The minister, together with the Association of Dutch Municipalities, the Association for Building & Housing Supervision Netherlands, and various municipalities, has worked on a national training program for municipal supervisors and enforcement officers. The so-called final objectives have been established, which trainers will all work with, including extensive attention to current rental legislation. This helps municipalities have supervision and enforcement staff with the right knowledge and skills about rental policy.

Finally, the minister writes that she collaborates administratively with the regions within the National Program for Livability and Safety (NPLV) to seize the opportunities of current housing policy. The NPLV regions aim to create stronger and livable neighborhoods, improve housing market flow, and offer more opportunities to residents who want to move up.