In this section, we’ll go over some important distinctions in the kinds of accommodation you can find in Maastricht, including differences between the social, middle and free market housing sectors, as well as the different types of housing you can find in Maastricht.
Social, middle and free market sector housing
Before you even start searching, you should know that the housing sector in the Netherlands can be divided into three types. But why is this important? Because the rules applicable to each sector are different, and so you as a tenant may have different rights under each one.
Here are the main things you should know:
Social housing sector
Social housing has a maximum rent limit (maximale huurgrens van de woning) this amount is determined by the points system. This point system decides the prices of accommodations within the social sector and determines the price that the rent cannot exceed – in other words, once you pass a certain amount of rent, you are no longer in the realm of social housing. Rent price increases are controlled by the government. They’re still possible, but you won’t get a nasty shock due to crazy price increases. Rental contracts in the social sector are also more regulated, you could have a rent price check to make sure your rent price is fair. Those who rent from housing corporations have the same rights as those who rent from the private sector, the only difference is that most housing corporations do not necessarily work for profit and therefore they mostly have their rent prices at the maximum allowed amount. While private landlords often try to ask for a higher rent price and then hope nobody ever complains. There is a rent tribunal available to support in cases where the rent is too high. Although you do not need a lawyer (and therefore do not have to pay high lawyer fees) when starting a procedure at the Rent Tribunal, the procedure is in Dutch, therefore if you are a non-Dutch speaking you can avail of support for a case with the Huurteam-Zuid Limburg.
Because rental prices in the social housing sector are limited to the maximum rent limit (maximale huurgrens van de woning), it is more likely that you will be eligible for huurtoeslag, or the Dutch rental subsidy. In order to be eligible, certain specific components of your rent must fall under the maximale huurgrens van de woning. The relevant rent components are:
- The basic rent
- The following specific service costs: costs for cleaning common areas; energy costs for common areas; costs for the caretaker; costs for service and recreation areas
If this is confusing, don’t worry! We have more detailed information on rental prices and rent components.
Housing corporations
Housing corporations (woningcorporaties or wooncorporaties)rent out rooms/apartments in the social sector. The three housing corporations in Maastricht are Servatius, Woningstichting Maasvallei Maastricht, and Woonpunt. Housing provided by these corporations is not generally cheaper since rooms will always have to go via the point system whether they are via a corporation or a private landlord, but the corporations generally have their rent prices within the limits because the goal is different. The aim of the housing corporations is to provide housing for those with lower incomes (including students – though check that your income isn’t too high), and so their activities are not for profit.
If you are planning for the future, and thinking of staying in Maastricht after finishing your bachelors, then we would recommend that you sign up for the social housing website Thuis in Limburg. This website is free to join and operates a queue system. You have nothing to lose by registering, but you could get a really nice place to live in a few years.
Middle sector housing
The middle sector is a relatively new sector that has existed since the 1st of July 2024. Before this new sector, there was only the social sector and the free sector. With this new middle sector, the government extended the regulation of rent prices to add a maximum rent price for bigger apartments and small houses. While this sector does have a maximum allowed rent price, people living in the middle sector cannot apply for housing subsidies. However, this sector is semi-affordable and has the benefit of the Rent Tribunal.
Free market sector
The free market sector is overall more free and less regulated than the social sector. The accommodation in this sector is mostly offered by private companies and individuals, it tends to be more expensive, and both tenants and landlords have more freedom to agree upon the rent and services provided. There is no maximum rent, and no regulation for rent prices involved, still, this doesn’t mean tenants don’t have any protection. We’ll go over your rights as a tenant in our rental contracts section.
