Calculating a fair rent for your hospita room (2026)

Asking a fair rent seems straightforward, but in practice it is confusing. One website says €450, another €600, your neighbour charges €700, your colleague pays €380. Who is right? The answer lies in an underrated instrument: the points system.

In this article we walk step by step through the Dutch Housing Valuation System for non-self-contained living space (WWS). We show what counts, what doesn't, and we work out three concrete examples for a room in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen. By the end you'll know how to choose a price that is legally defensible, fiscally optimal and fair to your tenant.

A note on terminology: "hospita" is a Dutch term for a homeowner who rents out a room in their own home while continuing to live there. The points system discussed here applies specifically to that type of room rental.

How does the points system (WWS) work for non-self-contained rental?

The Housing Valuation System (in Dutch: Woningwaarderingsstelsel, or WWS) is the official Dutch instrument for determining the maximum permitted rent of a home. For self-contained homes (an entire home, with own kitchen, bathroom and toilet) and for non-self-contained homes (a room with shared facilities) there are two different systems. For hospita rental, the second is relevant: WWS-onzelfstandig.

The system works with points. Every characteristic of the room (and partly of the home) is assigned points, which you add up to a total score. Each score is linked to a maximum monthly rent. The table of points and corresponding rent is indexed annually; for 2026 the amounts are slightly higher than in 2025.

Since 1 July 2024 the points system has been mandatory for all new rental contracts, including hospita rental. That means: if you ask a higher rent than the points maximum, your tenant has the right within six months of signing to ask the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie) to lower the price. The Rent Tribunal can then bring the price back to the points maximum, with retroactive effect. That is not a theoretical risk, since 2024 these cases are taken seriously.

What counts in the points calculation?

The points calculation for non-self-contained living space has eight main components. Here you walk through them.

1. Surface area of the room

The biggest source of points. The square metres of the own room (not the common areas) are measured under NEN 2580, usable floor area, so the walking floor, not the gross floor area.

Per square metre you receive points:

• First 10 m²: 1 point per m²
• Above that: 1 point per m²

A 14 m² room = 14 points for surface area alone.

2. Facilities in the room

Do you have in the room itself:

• Washbasin with hot water: points
• Own toilet (rare with hospita): points
• Own shower/bath (rare with hospita): points
• Own kitchen facilities (rare with hospita): points

With ordinary hospita rental the tenant almost always shares kitchen and bathroom with the hospita. A washbasin in the room is common and often yields one to two points.

3. Heating

Central heating with thermostat in the room is standard and yields 2 points per room. No heating, or a gas heater without central connection, costs points, and your tenant is cold in winter.

4. Energy label of the home

A major component since the energy-label expansion of the points system in 2021. For non-self-contained rental the points work as follows:

• Label A++ or A+++: bonus points
• Label A: slight bonus
• Label B/C: neutral
• Label D/E/F/G: minus points (the rent can come out lower than without the energy label component)

If you don't have a valid energy label, you cannot claim positive points, only the minimum value is assumed. Invest in a valid label if your home is energy-efficient; that translates directly into your maximum rent.

5. WOZ value of the property

Here lies an underrated element. The WOZ value (the assessed value of your home, set annually by the municipality) is converted to points via a formula. The WOZ component only counts in a housing valuation region where the home is located. In more expensive real estate (Amsterdam, central Utrecht, the pricier parts of The Hague) WOZ counts considerably; in cheaper real estate in the north or east less so.

For 2026 broadly: homes with a WOZ above approximately €450,000 receive an extra points bonus that can raise the rent. For the typical hospita in Amsterdam (where the average WOZ sits around €600,000) this is good news.

6. Common areas

With hospita rental you share kitchen, bathroom and living room with your tenant. The points system distributes the value of those spaces across the number of rooms in the property. If you have two rented-out rooms, each tenant receives half the points for the shared kitchen; with one tenant they receive the full points.

The kitchen-facility points element is relevant for most hospita situations: a kitchen with a worktop of at least 1 metre and a normal hob-sink combination yields standard points.

7. Outdoor space

Garden, balcony, roof terrace, outdoor space counts, distributed across all residents. A shared garden of 30 m² also yields points with hospita rental.

8. Landlord/home-related items

Recently renovated, secure home, lift in an apartment building, small extra components. These are usually good for one to three extra points.

Three example calculations for 2026

Below we work out three typical hospita situations. The numbers are indicative; for a precise calculation use our rent calculator.

Example 1: Small room in Amsterdam (de Pijp)

Situation:

• Room: 11 m²
• Washbasin in room
• Central heating
• Energy label C
• WOZ value of the home: €620,000
• Shared kitchen, bathroom, small garden of 20 m²

Points calculation (indicative):

• Surface area (11 m²): 11 points
• Washbasin with hot water: 1 point
• Heating: 2 points
• Energy label C: 0 points (neutral)
• WOZ bonus: approximately 5 points
• Shared kitchen (shared with 1 tenant): approximately 4 points
• Bathroom (shared): approximately 3 points
• Garden (shared): approximately 1 point
• Total: approximately 27 points

Maximum rent 2026 at 27 points: approximately €420 per month bare rent

For a small room in a popular district this seems little, but the points system looks objectively, not at popularity. For a hospita in Amsterdam this is the legal upper limit. You may not ask more, regardless of how many people respond to your room.

Tip: You may charge a separate fee for utilities (gas, water, electricity, internet) on top of the bare rent, provided it is reasonable and specific. In the Amsterdam city centre that quickly sits around €100–€150 per month. The total this hospita can ask comes to around €520–€570 per month all-in.

Example 2: Average room in Utrecht (Tuinwijk)

Situation:

• Room: 16 m²
• Washbasin in room
• Central heating
• Energy label B
• WOZ value of the home: €480,000
• Shared kitchen, bathroom, spacious garden of 60 m²

Points calculation (indicative):

• Surface area (16 m²): 16 points
• Washbasin: 1 point
• Heating: 2 points
• Energy label B: 1 point (slightly positive)
• WOZ bonus: approximately 3 points
• Shared kitchen: approximately 4 points
• Bathroom: approximately 3 points
• Garden (larger): approximately 2 points
• Total: approximately 32 points

Maximum rent 2026 at 32 points: approximately €495 per month bare rent

For a more spacious room in Utrecht this is a fair price. With a utility fee of €80–€100 on top you arrive at €575–€595 per month all-in. That sits neatly below the room rental tax exemption of €6,633 per year (€553/month threshold), so staying tax-free remains possible if you're careful.

Example 3: Large room in Groningen (city centre)

Situation:

• Room: 22 m²
• Own washbasin
• Central heating
• Energy label A
• WOZ value of the home: €280,000
• Shared kitchen, bathroom, no garden

Points calculation (indicative):

• Surface area (22 m²): 22 points
• Washbasin: 1 point
• Heating: 2 points
• Energy label A: 2 points (positive)
• WOZ bonus: 0 points (lower than threshold value)
• Shared kitchen: approximately 4 points
• Bathroom: approximately 3 points
• Total: approximately 34 points

Maximum rent 2026 at 34 points: approximately €530 per month bare rent

A large, energy-efficient room in Groningen can therefore yield serious money, more than a small room in Amsterdam. The points system corrects for home size and quality, not for city popularity. Often good news for the tenant (lower price in cities where people want to live a little less), for the hospita a reminder that surface area and label weigh more heavily than postcode.

What did the 2024 Affordable Rent Act change?

Before 1 July 2024 the points system for non-self-contained rental was not mandatory. A tenant could challenge the price within six months, but there were no automatic sanctions for landlords. Since the Affordable Rent Act that has changed.

The three key changes for hospitas:

1. The points system is mandatory law

If you charge more than the points maximum, the Rent Tribunal can lower the price, with retroactive effect to the start date of the contract. That means you may in theory have to repay a substantial amount of overpaid rent.

2. Fines for landlords

Since 1 January 2025 municipalities can impose fines for structural exceeding of the maximum rent. For a hospita with one tenant the chance of being caught is low, but for landlords with multiple properties it is a serious risk (up to €22,500 per violation).

3. Transparency requirement

Landlords must indicate in the contract which points have been assigned and what the corresponding maximum rent is. That sounds formal, but it makes it easier for tenants to exercise oversight.

For most hospitas, practically little changes, provided you stick to the rules. It does raise the risk of unfair pricing, a good argument for checking in advance what your room is worth.

How do you combine the points maximum with the room rental tax exemption?

Here comes the strategic puzzle piece. Two thresholds to keep in mind:

1. The points maximum, that is the upper bound of what you can ask.
2. The room rental tax exemption of €6,633 per year (€553/month), that is the fiscally smartest ceiling.

What if these two ceilings collide? Three scenarios:

Scenario A: Points maximum lower than the exemption. For example, points maximum €420 per month. Here there is no problem, ask the points maximum, you sit comfortably below the fiscal threshold, all rent is tax-free.

Scenario B: Points maximum equal to the exemption. Points maximum around €550 per month. The fiscal optimisation and the legal upper bound coincide. Ask €550 or just below.

Scenario C: Points maximum higher than the exemption. Points maximum €700 per month. Here a dilemma arises. If you ask €700, your entire annual income (€8,400) is taxed in box 1. If you ask €550, everything is tax-free. Run through the three scenarios from the room rental tax exemption article, usually net €550 turns out more advantageous than net €700.

The practical rule: the points maximum is a legal ceiling; the €6,633 is your fiscal optimum. If the points maximum sits above the exemption, often choose the exemption threshold. Unless you are in a high tax bracket and the extra net rent still pays off even after tax.

How do you use our rent calculator?

In the past, you had to do your points calculation via an Excel file on rijksoverheid.nl, with manual lookups in tables. A mistake was easy and nobody wanted to do it.

Our rent calculator makes it simple:

1. Enter the surface area of your room (measured)
2. Select the facilities in the room (washbasin, own toilet, etc.)
3. Indicate the energy label of your home
4. Fill in the WOZ value (found on the WOZ assessment or on wozwaardeloket.nl)
5. Indicate the number of co-tenants for distribution of common areas

The tool calculates immediately:

• The total number of points
• The maximum points-based rent for 2026
• Advice for your asking price (taking into account the room rental tax exemption)

No account needed. No email address required. Free. It is one of the instruments we deliberately keep free, because fair pricing is the core of what Huismaatje wants to promote on the Dutch room market. Also read Kamernet vs Huismaatje comparison for the broader difference.

Frequently asked questions

Can I round the points-based rent up?

No, the points maximum is a hard upper limit. A few euros above (for example €420 points maximum, you ask €425) is technically a violation and can be brought back via the Rent Tribunal. In practice nobody will fight over €5, but legally you must stay at or below the maximum.

What if my room is below the points maximum for the market?

That can happen in cities like Amsterdam, an 11 m² room with a points maximum of €420 while the market price in de Pijp is €600. Legally you cannot ask more than the maximum. You can ask a reasonable fee for utilities, internet and services on top of the bare rent, provided you can substantiate those costs.

Can I index the rent annually up to the new points maximum?

Yes, observing the statutory maximum increase. In 2026 it sits at a published percentage for non-self-contained rental (verify on rijksoverheid.nl). Within that, you may raise the rent up to the new points maximum. Send your tenant a written announcement at least two months in advance.

My tenant says the rent is too high, what do I do?

Ask him for a points calculation from the Rent Tribunal or from an independent adviser. If he shows that the points maximum sits below your asking price, talk with him before he goes to the Rent Tribunal. Reduction by mutual agreement is always friendlier than a Rent Tribunal ruling with retroactive effect.

Do I have a points maximum with short stay too?

With short stay (rental shorter than six months, or without BRP registration) the situation is different. For ordinary short stay the points system does not apply in the same way; the market determines the price. But then the room rental tax exemption also lapses and you have to declare 70% of the rent. For most hospitas, permanent rental is therefore more attractive.

List your hospita room calmly on Huismaatje

Looking to rent out your room as a hospita without Kamernet pricing or aggressive invitations? On Huismaatje you list your room for free, plan a viewing night with time slots and pick your housemate at your own pace. List your room →