Huurtoeslag in 2026: do you qualify now the rent limit is gone?

2 hours ago

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Renter reviewing household finances in a Dutch rental apartment

Huurtoeslag 2026: Do You Qualify? New Rent Rules

Your rent is €1,050. Your income isn't high. For years, the answer to "can I get huurtoeslag?" was short: no. Your rent was too high, end of story.

That changed on 1 January 2026.

The hard rent limit for huurtoeslag (rental allowance) has been scrapped. 21- and 22-year-olds are now treated as adults. Service costs no longer count. The government expects around 170,000 households to qualify for the first time, at an average of €175 a month. That's roughly €2,100 a year.

If you were rejected in the past, or never applied because your rent was "too high", it's worth checking again.

What changed on 1 January 2026

The rent limit is no longer a hard cutoff

Until last year, a rent above €900.07 meant no huurtoeslag in most cases, regardless of your income. For under-23s, that limit was €477.20.

This mostly hit people with a low income who ended up in the vrije sector or the middle segment. Often that wasn't a choice. There simply wasn't a social rental available.

Now a higher rent no longer rules you out. There is still a ceiling in the calculation, though: huurtoeslag is calculated over a maximum of €932.93. With a rent of €1,200, Dienst Toeslagen calculates as if you pay €932.93. The rest is for you to cover.

So huurtoeslag won't make an expensive apartment cheap. It can make it noticeably more affordable.

21- and 22-year-olds now count as adults

The lower rent limit for young people used to apply until your 23rd birthday. From 2026, it only applies to under-21s, and the limit is €498.20.

There's a second improvement for the youngest renters. An 18- to 20-year-old whose rent is above €498.20 used to get nothing. Now they can get huurtoeslag over the first €498.20 of their rent.

One detail: the oldest person in the household is what counts. If a 20-year-old lives with a 25-year-old, the regular limit applies.

Only the kale huur counts

Four types of shared service costs used to count towards huurtoeslag, such as cleaning of shared areas or a caretaker. From 2026, only the ‘kale huur’ (base rent) counts.

Most recipients come out ahead overall. About 20% of current recipients receive a little less, around €9 a month on average. Dienst Toeslagen adjusts this automatically, so you don't need to do anything.

Your kale huur is in your rental contract. That's the figure you need when applying.

Huurtoeslag 2025 vs 2026 at a glance

Rent above the limit
Maximum rent in the calculation
Lower youth limit
Service costs
Asset limit (single / with partner)

2025

usually no huurtoeslag
€900.07
under 23: €477.20
four types counted
€37,395 / €74,790

2026

allowed, calculated up to the maximum
€932.93
under 21: €498.20
kale huur only
€38,479 / €76,958

The conditions that still apply

The rent limit is gone, but the other conditions are the same. You must:

rent a self-contained home (zelfstandige woonruimte) with your own lockable front door, kitchen and toilet, and since March 2024 also your own shower or bath
have a rental contract with your landlord
be registered at the address with your municipality, along with anyone else living there
be 18 or older, and have Dutch nationality or legal residence
pay the rent yourself and be able to show it with bank statements
stay within the income and asset limits

Income: there's no fixed limit

There isn't one maximum income for huurtoeslag. How much you can earn depends on your rent, your age and your household. Since 2026, huurtoeslag decreases in a straight line as your income rises. That makes it more predictable what a pay rise does to your allowance.

The only way to know for sure is a proefberekening (trial calculation) on toeslagen.nl. It takes about ten minutes.

Savings: 1 January decides

Your assets on 1 January can't exceed €38,479 on your own, or €76,958 together with a toeslagpartner. Even €1 over means no huurtoeslag for the entire year.

Watch out for medebewoners too. An adult child living with you, for example, may also not have more than €38,479. If they do, the whole household loses its right to huurtoeslag.

Student rooms usually don't qualify

If you share a kitchen, toilet or bathroom, your room isn't self-contained, so you usually can't get huurtoeslag. There's an exception for units designated for huurtoeslag before 1 July 1997. Your landlord can tell you whether that applies.

In practice, the new under-21 rules mostly help young people renting a studio.

Three situations where it's worth checking again

You're 27, live alone, work part-time and rent a vrije sector studio for €1,000.
In 2025 you were ruled out because of the rent. In 2026 you may qualify, calculated over €932.93.

You're 22 and rent a one-bedroom apartment for €750.
Last year, the youth rules applied to you, and with a rent above €477.20 you got nothing. Now you fall under the regular calculation.

You're 19 and rent a studio for €650.
You used to be too expensive for huurtoeslag. Now you can get it over the first €498.20 of your rent.

These are illustrations, not promises. Whether you actually get something, and how much, depends on your income and assets.

Looking for a new place? Factor it in

This change also affects your search. Homes with a kale huur between roughly €900 and €1,100 used to be a hard no if you depended on huurtoeslag. Now they don't have to be.

Before you respond to a listing, run a proefberekening with that property's kale huur. Then you know your actual monthly housing costs, not just the advertised rent. Base your decision on a conservative estimate, and don't count on huurtoeslag until you've had it confirmed.

Compact self-contained rental studio in the Netherlands

How to apply

Do a trial calculation on toeslagen.nl. You'll see straight away whether you qualify and roughly how much you'd get.
Apply via Mijn toeslagen with your DigiD.
Enter your kale huur, not your total rent including service costs.
Estimate your income realistically. After the year ends, Dienst Toeslagen checks your actual income. If you estimated too low, you'll have to pay money back.
Report changes quickly, such as a new job, a move, or someone moving in with you.

Haven't applied for 2026 yet? You don't need to have done it in January. Do the trial calculation now and apply via Mijn toeslagen. It will show you which months you can still get it for.

The bottom line

The biggest change is psychological. For years, a lot of renters assumed huurtoeslag wasn't for them because their rent was above the limit. That assumption no longer holds.

If you have a modest income and live in a self-contained home, a ten-minute trial calculation is worth it. Even a few hundred euros a year makes a difference to your housing costs.

Looking for a rental that fits your budget? Rentbird searches rental listings across the Netherlands, so you can set up your search once and respond quickly when the right home comes along.

Start your search

Stef van Vliet

CEO