Renting or owning: what you are allowed to change in a Dutch home

Plenty of internationals in Groningen rent first and buy later, and the question of what you may change comes up long before the purchase does. Dutch tenancy law gives tenants more scope than many people expect, but the scope has conditions and the conditions are worth knowing before you start drilling.

This guide sets out the difference between renting and owning in terms of what you may alter, and what the Dutch term ZAV means.

The basic distinction

Dutch law distinguishes between changes that are easily reversible and changes that are not. Reversible changes to the interior are generally yours to make. Changes that affect the structure, the exterior or the rentability of the property need the landlord's consent.

Change	As a tenant	As an owner
Painting and wallpapering	Generally allowed	Free
Fitting shelves and fixtures	Generally allowed, restore on leaving	Free
Replacing the kitchen	Landlord consent	Free, subject to VvE if an apartment
Replacing the bathroom	Landlord consent	Free, subject to VvE if an apartment
Hard flooring	Check tenancy and house rules	Subject to VvE if an apartment
Removing a wall	Landlord consent, rarely given	Permit if load-bearing
Anything to the exterior	Landlord consent	Permit likely

What ZAV means

ZAV stands for zelf aangebrachte voorzieningen: alterations made by the tenant. Dutch law recognises them as a category, which is why the rules are more generous than in some other countries. The essential points:

• You may make changes that can be removed without significant damage at the end of the tenancy.
• For anything beyond that, ask the landlord in writing and keep the reply.
• A landlord may not refuse unreasonably, particularly where the change adds value and can be reversed.
• Agree in advance whether the alteration stays or has to be removed when you leave.
• That last agreement is the one that causes disputes when it was never put in writing.

When it is worth waiting until you buy

Anything that touches installations is usually worth postponing. Renewing electrical wiring, moving plumbing, or laying underfloor heating are investments in someone else's asset, and they are exactly the works that need the property open. Doing them in a rental means paying for the disruption without keeping the benefit.

Cosmetic work is a different matter. Painting, shelving, lighting and window coverings improve how you live now and cost relatively little to reverse.

Once you do buy

The constraints change from your landlord to the municipality and, if it is an apartment, the VvE. We have separate guides on when you need a permit and on what a VvE can stop you doing. For an idea of costs, our cost calculator works out your own situation, and our rates for a complete renovation run € 550 to € 1.800 per m² depending on the finish level.

Frequently asked questions