Buying a property to rent out.
Buy-to-let in the Netherlands is a different product from a standard mortgage — different lenders, different rules, different tax treatment.
Three types of buy-to-let client.
The investor. Buying a second property purely as a rental. You need a buy-to-let mortgage from the start, with the right lender and the right product.
The expat leaving the Netherlands. You own a home, you're relocating, and you want to keep the property and rent it out rather than sell. Your current mortgage almost certainly doesn't allow this without lender permission or a product conversion.
The accidental landlord. You inherited a property, moved in with a partner, or have another reason you now own something you're not living in. The rules still apply regardless of how you got there.
Six things that change.
Higher interest rate
Buy-to-let mortgages carry a premium of roughly 0.5–1.5% above owner-occupied rates. Lenders see investment properties as higher risk.
Lower max LTV
Most lenders cap buy-to-let at 70–80% LTV, meaning you need a meaningful deposit — typically 20–30% of the purchase price in cash.
Rental income is assessed
Lenders calculate whether the expected rent covers the mortgage payments, usually at a stress-tested rate. The property needs to stack up on its own.
Different lender set
Not all 14 lenders in my panel offer buy-to-let products. The specialist ones have different criteria — and often more expat-friendly terms.
Box 3 taxation
Rental income is taxed under Box 3 in the Netherlands. The tax treatment changed significantly in 2023. A tax adviser is worth consulting alongside the mortgage.
Lender permission to rent
If you already own a home with an owner-occupier mortgage and want to rent it out, you need written permission from your current lender — or to convert the product.