Where you meet it
Listings rarely show it. You meet it as "puntentelling", "WWS-punten" or "aantal punten: 152" in a rent check, a letter from your landlord or a Huurcommissie decision. In English it is called the points system or the housing valuation system. It does not judge whether a home is pleasant: a popular neighbourhood only adds points through the WOZ-waarde.
Points come from a few categories:
- the surface of the rooms and other spaces
- the kitchen and the bathroom facilities
- the energy label
- outdoor space, such as a balcony or garden
- the WOZ value, capped at 33% of the total
What it means for you
- Your points set a ceiling, not a price. For contracts that start on or after 1 July 2024, a home with 186 points or fewer may not ask more than the table maximum, whatever the market pays.
- You can have the starting rent tested. If the rent is above the maximum, ask the Huurcommissie to test it within 6 months of the start of your contract (art. 7:249 BW). Our guide to how the Huurcommissie works explains the procedure.
- Rooms use their own points system. A room with a shared kitchen or bathroom (onzelfstandige woonruimte) is always regulated, whatever its rent.
2026 points and maximum rents
For self-contained homes, the maximum rents rose 3.65% on 1 January 2026. The key lines of the table:
| Points | Segment | Maximum kale huur per month |
|---|---|---|
| Below 40 | Social | €250.26 |
| 143 | Top of social | €932.93 |
| 144 | Start of middenhuur | €939.73 |
| 186 | Top of middenhuur | €1,228.07 |
| 187 or more | Free sector | No maximum (table value at 187: €1,234.92) |
The 186 point line is also the liberalisatiegrens. Our fair rent calculator gives a first estimate of your points.
Changes announced for 2027
The government has announced changes from 1 January 2027: homes hit by the WOZ cap get a price surcharge while staying regulated at 186 points, small national monuments get a heavier WOZ weighting, and the minus points for a home without outdoor space disappear.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum rent at 143 points in 2026?
€932.93 per month kale huur. At 186 points it is €1,228.07, which is also the 2026 liberalisatiegrens.
How do I count the points of my home?
Use the Huurcommissie rent check (huurprijscheck) with the surface, energy label and WOZ value at hand. If the starting rent turns out too high, ask the Huurcommissie to test it within 6 months of the start of the contract.
Does the points system apply to free-sector homes?
Only to decide the segment. A home with 187 points or more can be let in the free sector, where no points maximum applies, only a yearly increase cap (4.4% in 2026).
