Your partner just arrived. Or a friend needs to get their official paperwork sorted somewhere. Or someone staying with you has asked about registering there, and now you’re not sure if it’s even allowed, who needs to sign off on it, or what you’re actually responsible for if things go sideways.
These questions come up constantly. The answers matter because getting address registration wrong can cause real problems. Here’s how it actually works.
Anyone who genuinely lives at your address can legally register there. The key word is “genuinely” – registration must reflect actual residency, not just where it’s convenient for someone to be registered. In rental situations you almost certainly need written permission from your landlord first. In Amsterdam there’s a specific form for this. Partners, friends, and family members can all register under the right conditions.
👥 Who can register and under what conditions?
| Who wants to register | Can they? | Key condition | Extra steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner moving in | Ja | Must actually live there | Landlord permission, adrestoestemming in Amsterdam |
| Friend who genuinely lives there | Ja | Must actually live there, not just use address | Landlord permission |
| Family member who moves in | Ja | Must actually live there | Landlord permission |
| Temporary resident (short stay) | Soms | Must actually stay there, not permanent address elsewhere | Check with your specific gemeente |
| Someone subletting a room from you | Yes if subletting is allowed | Lease must permit subletting | Landlord permission required |
| Someone who doesn’t actually live there | Nee | Registration must reflect real residency | Doing this is technically fraud |
The consistent thread through all of these: registration reflects where someone actually lives. The municipality doesn’t care about the relationship. They care about the physical reality of who is residing at that address.
🆔 What is BRP registration and why does it matter so much?
BRP is short for Basisregistratie Personen, which is essentially the Dutch population register. If you’re living in the Netherlands for more than four months, you’re required to be in it. Your registered address is what the Dutch government treats as your actual address, full stop.
Your BSN number is tied to your BRP registration. And your BSN is tied to basically everything: your bank account, health insurance, employment contracts, tax returns, student finance. Without a registered address, none of that works properly. That’s why people ask about registering at someone else’s address. They need it for practical reasons, not bureaucratic ones.
👩❤️👨 If your partner wants to register at your address
This is the most common scenario and generally the most straightforward. If your partner moves in with you and genuinely lives there, they can register.
What you need to do:
- Check your rental contract to confirm that an additional occupant is permitted
- Get written permission from your landlord or housing corporation
- In Amsterdam, get the adrestoestemming form signed by the landlord before going to the Stadsloket
- Your partner books an appointment at the gemeente (municipality) online
- They attend with valid ID and proof of address (usually the lease agreement plus your landlord’s permission letter)
- The municipality processes the registration
💡In Amsterdam specifically, the Stadsloket will ask for the adrestoestemming form. Without it, the registration doesn’t happen that day. Get this sorted before making the appointment.
🤝 If a friend wants to register at your address
Same rules as a partner. If they actually live there, it’s possible. If they just want to use your address as a registration address while living somewhere else, that’s not legal and can cause problems for you.
The practical question to ask yourself: does this person genuinely reside at my address? Sleeping there most nights, having their belongings there, this being their actual home? Then registration is legitimate and possible. Using your address as a postal address while living elsewhere is a different situation and the municipality treats it as such.
Your landlord permission requirement applies here too. Some landlords are fine with it, some aren’t. Check your lease and ask before you say yes to anyone.
⏳ If someone needs temporary registration
Temporary address registration exists in the Netherlands for people who don’t yet have a permanent place to live. The rules vary by municipality and the situation needs to reflect genuine residency.
Some municipalities allow temporary registration at a family member or friend’s address. Others have specific requirements. Contact your local gemeente directly for the rules that apply to your specific city and situation. The national BRP rules are the same everywhere but municipalities have some discretion in how they process temporary registrations.
🔑 The landlord permission requirement
If you’re renting, confirming your landlord’s permission in writing before allowing someone to register is important. Here’s why:
Registering an additional person at a rented property without the landlord’s knowledge can violate your lease. In social housing, it can be treated more seriously and potentially as fraud. Most private landlords need to agree to additional occupants before they’re registered. Some rental contracts explicitly limit the number of registered residents.
In Amsterdam, the municipality requires the adrestoestemming form, which is a formal document the property owner or landlord signs to give permission. Without it, the municipality will not process the registration. This form exists specifically because Amsterdam’s housing shortage makes address fraud a real issue there.
⚠️ Risks to know about as the main tenant
Saying yes to someone registering at your address is not a formality. There are a few things worth understanding before you agree.
If your rental contract has restrictions on additional occupants and someone gets registered without your landlord knowing, that can be grounds for a lease dispute. If the person being registered has significant debts, their registered address can show up in official processes. That doesn’t mean your belongings are at risk, but it can create bureaucratic headaches you didn’t ask for. In some social housing situations, the number of registered residents also affects rent calculations or housing benefit amounts.
None of this means you can’t do it or shouldn’t. It just means checking your lease first and getting landlord permission in writing before anything else happens.
✅ Checklist before allowing someone to register
Go through this before saying yes to anyone:
- Read your rental contract for anything about occupants or subletting
- Get written permission from your landlord or housing corporation
- If in Amsterdam, arrange the adrestoestemming form before the gemeente appointment
- Confirm the person genuinely lives at your address, not just uses it for registration
- Check whether your housing benefit or rent allowance changes with an additional registered resident
- Make sure you both understand that when they leave, they need to update their own registration
🏙️ Does the process differ by city?
Yes, somewhat. The BRP is national but municipalities have some local discretion.
| Stad | Notable specifics |
|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Adrestoestemming form required from landlord before municipality will register additional person |
| Rotterdam | Standard landlord permission required |
| Den Haag | Standard landlord permission required |
| Utrecht | Standard process, appointment at gemeente required |
| Other cities | Generally follow national BRP rules |
Amsterdam’s adrestoestemming requirement is the most commonly asked about. It’s a direct response to the city’s housing shortage and the historical problem of address fraud. The form is filled in by the landlord or property owner and submitted with the registration request at the Stadsloket.
❌ Common mistakes
Registering someone who doesn’t actually live there.
This is technically fraud. The BRP is supposed to reflect actual residency and doing this as a favour can create serious problems for both parties if it comes to light.
Not getting landlord permission first.
If you’re renting, your landlord almost certainly needs to agree before anyone else registers at your address. Get that permission in writing before the gemeente appointment, not after.
Showing up in Amsterdam without the adrestoestemming form.
The Stadsloket requires it. If you arrive without it the appointment goes nowhere, so sort the form before you book the slot, not the other way around.
Not deregistering when someone moves out.
Updating the registration when they leave is their responsibility, not yours. But if they don’t do it, they stay officially linked to your address and that can cause complications down the line. If someone moves out and doesn’t deregister, you can contact the municipality yourself to report that they no longer live there.
📋 Your situation at a glance
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Partner moving in, you’re renting | Landlord permission in writing. Adrestoestemming form if in Amsterdam. |
| Friend genuinely living with you | Same as above. Confirm they actually reside there, not just using the address. |
| Short-term guest, not actually living there | Registration is not appropriate. This reflects real residency, not convenience. |
| You’re in Amsterdam | Adrestoestemming form is mandatory before the Stadsloket will process anything. |
| Someone moves out but doesn’t deregister | Their responsibility to update. If they don’t, you can report to the municipality that they no longer live there. |
| Your housing benefit might be affected | Check before registering. Household composition can change rent allowance calculations. |
🚀 What to do next
If someone needs to register at your address: check your lease, get landlord permission in writing, use the adrestoestemming form if you’re in Amsterdam, and make sure the person actually books their gemeente appointment.
And if you’re still looking for a rental in the Netherlands where you can register properly, that’s where the search starts. Confirming BRP registration is possible should be one of the first questions you ask before signing any lease.
Renthunter monitors over a thousand rental sources across the Netherlands. Search by city and find a rental that actually works for your situation.
