Apartment Hunting Checklist

Get the apartment hunting checklist for your first 90 days in the Netherlands.

Who this is for

Filipino devs who just landed in NL on a direct hire or recognised sponsor visa, and need a real place to live before the temporary housing or hotel runs out. You may not have a BSN yet, no Dutch bank account, no rental history here, and no idea what “huurtoeslag” or “servicekosten” means.

What this helps you decide or do

Decide whether a listing is worth viewing, spot scams before you send money, and know which documents to have ready so you can say yes fast. The good places go in hours, not days, so preparation matters.

Quick checklist

1. Register your address (inschrijven) at the gemeente as soon as you have a real lease. Your BSN and a lot of admin depend on it, so confirm with the landlord in writing that the address allows registration before you sign.
2. Have your document pack ready as a single PDF folder: passport, residence permit or visa proof, your signed employment contract, and recent payslips if you have them. Landlords here filter hard on income.
3. Check the income rule for the listing. Many landlords ask for monthly gross income of roughly 3 to 4 times the rent. Confirm the exact multiple with the agent, do not assume.
4. Read the rent breakdown line by line: kale huur (base rent), servicekosten (service costs), and whether gas, water, light, and internet are included or “exclusief”. A cheap base rent with everything exclusief can cost more in total.
5. Do not pay a deposit or “reservation fee” before viewing in person or doing a verified video call, and not via Western Union, crypto, or a personal Tikkie to someone you have not met. This is the most common scam on Filipino newcomers.
6. Ask if the contract is for an unfurnished (kaal), with-flooring-and-curtains (gestoffeerd), or fully furnished (gemeubileerd) place. “Unfurnished” in NL can mean no flooring and no light fixtures at all.
7. Confirm the contract type: a temporary contract behaves very differently from an indefinite one. Ask how much notice you must give and what the deposit return terms are, in writing.
8. Budget the euros realistically. At roughly 69 to 70 pesos per euro (June 2026), a 1,500 euro per month rent is around 104,000 to 105,000 pesos, so do the peso math before you commit emotionally.
9. Set up alerts on the main rental platforms and respond within the hour during business days. Mention in your first message that you have a contract and stable income, in one short sentence.
10. If you are eligible, look into rent allowance (huurtoeslag) only after you have a BSN and registration, and check the current income and rent ceilings yourself, because they change yearly.

Common mistakes

• Sending a deposit to “hold” a place before viewing. If they pressure you, walk away.
• Assuming the advertised rent is the total. Ask for the all-in number including servicekosten and utilities.
• Trying to rent before you have your employment contract in hand. Most landlords will not move without it.
• Forgetting to confirm the place allows gemeente registration. No registration, no BSN, big problems.

What to verify

• The exact income multiple and document list for each specific landlord or agency, since they differ.
• Whether the address allows official registration, confirmed in writing before signing.
• Current huurtoeslag income and rent ceilings on the official Belastingdienst pages, since they change every year.
• The current euro to peso rate on the day you transfer money, so your budget is real.

Jake note

When I moved over in 2023, the hardest part was not the job, it was finding a place that let me register. Get your document PDF ready before you even start viewing, and treat any “pay first to reserve” message as a scam until proven otherwise.