Amsterdam relaxes room rental rules for social assistance recipients

In 2023, over 30,000 households received social assistance benefits in Amsterdam. The municipality of Amsterdam has introduced these new rules to make more living space available, potentially leading to hundreds of additional places to live.

Social assistance recipients who have a spare room may now rent it out for up to 275 euros per month without this amount being deducted from their benefits. They will share the communal facilities – such as the kitchen, bathroom and toilet – with the tenant. If the tenant also eats with them, they can charge up to 475 euros per month without affecting the benefits.

This is good news for students, especially considering that sublet rooms are often cheaper. If living with a student turns out to be less pleasant than expected, the social assistance recipient can evict the tenant after 9 months. The first nine months of the contract are considered a trial period. However, if the tenant stays after that, they are entitled to a permanent rental contract, under which the tenant can terminate it, but the landlord cannot – unless the house is sold to someone else.

‘Amsterdam is the first city to implement this scheme,’ says Mathijs ten Broeke, a spokesperson for the Housing Association. ‘As far as we are concerned, this is an example for other municipalities.’