Points system renting out property 2026: set the rent

Renting out a property or room for the first time often feels like a leap into the unknown. Especially setting the rent. Many landlords guess: they look at Funda or Kamernet, see what others ask, and copy a similar amount. In Amsterdam this is a costly mistake. Since the Affordable Rent Act (1 July 2024), the Huurcommissie enforces more strictly, and tenants more often win cases against excessive rent. A correctly executed points calculation up front is the only way to set a valid rent with certainty.

Which system applies to your rental?

The points system comes in two variants:

WWS (Housing Valuation System): for self-contained accommodation. An apartment, studio or house with its own kitchen, bathroom and front door.
WWSO (Housing Valuation System for Non-Self-Contained Accommodation): for a room in a house with shared facilities (kitchen or bathroom with housemates). This covers rooms in shared houses or lodger arrangements.

The difference lies in which components are counted and which maximums apply. WWSO has its own simplified points list. WWS is more extensive and weighs more heavily that it is a complete self-contained unit.

Step 1: measure and document the room

Before counting, document what is there. Take photos, measure square meters with a tape measure (not eyeballed), and note:

Square meters of the room (the rented room itself, not including shared spaces)
Surface area of shared spaces (kitchen, living room, bathroom)
Number of people using shared spaces (you plus number of room tenants)
Whether there is a wash basin in the room
Heating type (central, communal boiler, gas heater)

For WWSO, shared spaces are split across users. A 24 m² living room shared with three tenants counts as 6 m² per tenant.

Step 2: calculate the surface-area points

The largest points category. For non-self-contained rooms (WWSO 2026):

1 point per m² of the private room
0.75 point per m² shared kitchen/living room (divided by number of users)
0.75 point per m² shared bathroom/toilet (divided by number of users)

Example: 14 m² room, 16 m² shared kitchen with 3 users, 4 m² shared bathroom with 3 users.

Private room: 14 × 1 = 14 points
Kitchen: (16 / 3) × 0.75 = 4 points
Bathroom: (4 / 3) × 0.75 = 1 point
Surface area total: 19 points

Step 3: add the energy label points

Energy label A gives bonus points, label G gives deductions. For WWSO:

Label	Points (room ≤25 m²)
A+ or higher	+6
A	+5
B	+4
C	+3
D	+2
E	0
F	-3
G	-5

No registered label? Check at ep-online.nl. No registered label means by law "energy performance unknown" and the Huurcommissie then counts label G. That is unfavorable.

Step 4: facility points

Points for:

Wash basin in the room: 1 point
Private toilet: 5 points
Private shower/bath: 4 points (rare in real room rental)
Private cooking facility: 4 points
Central heating in the room: 2 points

A well-equipped room with a wash basin and central heating quickly adds 3 extra points.

Step 5: count the WOZ points

Since 2015, WOZ (property value) counts. For WWSO (2026 formula):

WOZ portion of room = (room area / total dwelling area) × WOZ value
Per €15,000 WOZ portion: 1 point

Example: WOZ value 450,000 euros, total dwelling 100 m², your room 14 m². WOZ portion = (14/100) × 450,000 = 63,000 euros. Points = 63,000 / 15,000 = 4 points.

Step 6: total points and find the maximum rent

Suppose you count 30 points. In the WWSO 2026 table, the corresponding maximum rent is around €265 per month (bare rent, excluding service charges). That is your statutory ceiling. You may ask less, not more.

Common mistake: landlords count service charges as part of the rent. That is not allowed. Service charges sit separately and may only cover actual costs for gas, water, electricity, internet and cleaning of shared spaces. A tenant who discovers this can ask the Huurcommissie to reduce both the rent and the overcharged service costs.

Step 7: document and store it

Make a points calculation document with:

Date of calculation
Which version of the points system (year)
All measured surface areas
Energy label registration (with date and EP-Online code)
WOZ value at reference date
Final total in points and corresponding maximum rent

In a Huurcommissie procedure you have this document ready. The difference between "I thought that..." and a documented calculation is huge.

The three most common mistakes

We saw many landlords make the same mistakes. Three you can prevent:

Counting service charges as part of the bare rent: only bare rent falls under the WWSO table. Service charges separately.
Not registering an energy label: guaranteed loss of 5 points in a Huurcommissie procedure.
Wrong WOZ allocation: you count the WOZ portion of YOUR room, not the entire dwelling.

For more points calculation examples with concrete price figures, read WWS points calculation examples. And if you are going to draft a rental contract: make sure the points calculation comes as an annex.

Frequently asked questions

What if I do not know the exact room size?

Measure yourself with a tape measure, or hire a realtor for an NEN-2580 survey (about 150 euros, one-time). Eyeballed estimates do not produce legally valid figures and you will lose a procedure.

Can the Huurcommissie do the counting for me?

Yes, that is called a Huurcommissie review. It costs the tenant 25 euros (waived for low incomes). For landlords it is smarter to do the calculation in advance yourself or have it checked by a tenancy specialist.

What if my dwelling has more than 186 points?

Then the self-contained dwelling falls in the free sector. You may ask a free-market rent. But beware: tenants can still go to the Huurcommissie if they believe the count is incorrect. Keep your calculation.

Does the points system also apply to temporary rentals?

Yes. Temporary contracts do not exempt you from WWS or WWSO maxima. There are however rules that have severely limited the possibility of temporary rental since 1 July 2024.

How often does the points table change?

Annually on 1 July. The Dutch Government publishes the new table with adjusted maximum rents. A 2024 calculation no longer needs to be correct in 2026.

What if I asked too much rent without knowing?

The tenant can recover overpaid rent at the Huurcommissie, often from the start date of the rental. For long-running contracts this can run into thousands of euros. Better to count carefully up front.

For a quiet rental via the lodger arrangement, where the rules sit slightly differently, a separate points calculation is the first step before drafting a lodger contract. Want a first indication? Our points calculation examples show three complete calculations.