Dutch rental contracts explained

Type A — open-ended (onbepaalde tijd)

No end date. The landlord can only terminate on statutory grounds — such as serious tenant misconduct or urgent personal use — and, if you don't agree in writing, only through the courts. This is what most tenants get, and it is the strongest position.

Type B — fixed-term (bepaalde tijd, max. two years)

Ends automatically on the agreed date, provided the landlord gives timely notice of the ending. Since 2024 this is only available for designated groups. The most relevant for internationals: students coming from another municipality or from abroad to study in the Netherlands. Outside those categories, the end date has no legal effect.

Type C — interim letting with a diplomatic clause

Used when an owner temporarily leaves their own home — a posting abroad, a sabbatical — and will return to live in it. The diplomatic clause records that return. It requires a genuine intention to return and careful wording; it is not a workaround for permanent letting.

Other routes

Campus contract — an open-ended student contract with one extra ground for termination: the tenant is no longer a student. Often confused with the fixed-term student contract, but legally very different.
Hospita (lodger) letting — renting a room in the home where the landlord actually lives, with a trial period.
Vacancy Act (Leegstandwet) — temporary letting of a property that is up for sale or awaiting demolition or renovation, based on a municipal permit. Without the permit, there is no Vacancy Act tenancy.

What to check before you sign

Which contract type it is — and, if there's an end date, which legal exception it relies on.
That basic rent and service costs are listed separately; ask for the points breakdown (see is my rent legal?).
The deposit: capped at two months' basic rent, with clear return conditions.
That an inspection report with photos is made at handover and signed by both parties — this is what prevents deposit disputes later.
That you are not charged agency fees when the agent works for the landlord — that is prohibited.

General information, not legal advice. Have your contract reviewed by a lawyer if a lot is at stake. Dutch version:huurcontract type A, B of C.