Good Landlord Act: what your hospita must follow

As a room tenant in Amsterdam you may have heard that landlords "have to arrange a lot more these days". That is correct. Since July 1, 2023, the Good Landlord Act (Wet Goed Verhuurderschap, WGV) applies, and since 2025 Amsterdam has added its own landlord permit on top of that law. This has impact on everyone renting out a room, including hospita's with a single spare room. This article explains what the law contains, what changes for hospita's, and what it means for you as a tenant.

What is the Good Landlord Act?

The Good Landlord Act (WGV) has been in force since July 1, 2023. It is a code of conduct for landlords, with the municipality as enforcer. For the first time, clear rules for landlords are codified in law, and municipalities can impose fines on violations.

The seven basic rules in the act:

1. No discrimination: in selecting tenants, no distinction based on origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability
2. No intimidation: threatening or aggressive behaviour is prohibited
3. Written rental contract: the rental agreement must be on paper
4. Deposit max 2 months bare rent: more is no longer allowed
5. Transparent service costs: a clear overview of what falls under service costs
6. Information duty: tenant receives information about rights and obligations at contract signing
7. No unreasonable contract clauses: clauses that go too far are void

What is specifically different in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam went a step further with a landlord permit since 2025. Anyone renting out a room or home in Amsterdam under a certain points score (social and middle rent), must register with the municipality in advance. Landlords receive a registration number.

What this means concretely:

• Hospita's with a room below the middle rent threshold must register with the municipality
• Without a registration number, renting out is strictly speaking not allowed
• The municipality can revoke the registration number on repeated violations of the WGV
• Fines can reach thousands of euros for serious breaches

For the pure hospita situation (room in your own house where you also live), the threshold is slightly lower. Some exceptions apply, but the main rule remains: registration and conduct rules.

What changes for hospita's in practice?

For a hospita who once informally rented out a room "for a bit of extra income", there is quite some homework:

• Step 1: register with the Amsterdam municipality, via Amsterdam landlord permit (~10 minutes, free)
• Step 2: draw up a written model contract, use the Dutch government model rental agreement or hire a notary
• Step 3: deposit max 2x bare monthly rent without exceptions
• Step 4: service costs overview maintained and settled yearly with the tenant
• Step 5: provide information to the tenant about the Rent Tribunal, the Legal Counter, and the municipal reporting channel

Hospita's who arrange all this properly are safe. A hospita who prefers to stay under the radar? They risk fines and a revoked registration number.

What if your hospita does not follow the law?

As a tenant you now have a real instrument. The Amsterdam municipality has a Reporting Point for Unwanted Rental Behaviour (Meldpunt Ongewenst Verhuurgedrag). You can report anonymously if your hospita:

• Makes a verbal agreement and refuses a written contract
• Asks for 3 months deposit (not allowed, max 2)
• Gives no specification of service costs (water, gas, internet, cleaning of shared spaces)
• At viewing asks about things not relevant (origin, religion)
• Threatens with notice if you do not pay quickly, without first sending a reminder

Specific attention points for hospi-evenings and selection

At a hospi-evening (selection meeting) a household or hospita picks between several candidates. The WGV states that selection must be objective. Concretely:

• Preference for "someone who fits the house" is allowed, but cannot be based on protected characteristics
• Asking about age, profession, hobbies is allowed (relevant for lifestyle match)
• Asking about nationality, religion, or coded questions about your lifestyle ("do you throw a lot of parties?") used as a detour to reject, is not allowed

For most hospita's and houses, practically little changes: most selection was already based on lifestyle match. But the law gives candidates who feel they were rejected on wrong grounds a tool to challenge that.

More on how a hospi-evening at Huismaatje works.

What if you address your hospita on the law?

In practice, "hey, I think this is not quite in line with the Good Landlord Act" often produces the right effect. Most hospita's want no hassle with the municipality and adjust the agreement. For matters where the hospita is unwilling:

1. Send a written (email/WhatsApp) complaint referring to the specific rule
2. Wait 14 days for a response
3. No appropriate response? Report to the Amsterdam Reporting Point for Unwanted Rental Behaviour
4. For money issues (excessive deposit, excessive service costs): go to the Rent Tribunal
5. On escalation: free advice at the Legal Counter or a tenancy law attorney

Frequently asked questions

Does the Good Landlord Act apply to my hospita?

Yes, the act applies to all landlords with a commercial rental activity, including hospita's renting out a room in their own house. There is no exception for "small landlords".

What if my contract was signed before July 1, 2023?

Existing contracts remain valid, but the conduct rules apply to all interactions from 2023 onwards. Your hospita cannot say "it was not in your contract, so it does not apply": it is legislation, not a contractual addition.

Can my hospita ask for 3 months deposit?

No. Since the WGV, the maximum is 2x bare monthly rent, including for hospita's. Ask for the third month back. No response? Report to the municipality.

Can my hospita put "Dutch preferred" in the advertisement?

Preference based on nationality is discrimination and not allowed. "Dutch-speaking preferred" is judged differently if it is functionally substantiated (e.g. communication with housemates), but is borderline. In doubt: report to the listing platform and, if needed, the municipality.

How do I know if my hospita is registered?

For Amsterdam, the registration number is on the listing platform or in the contract. Simply ask if you do not see it. A clean hospita shows that they are registered, because it is free and easy to obtain.

What is the difference between the WGV and the Affordable Rent Act?

The Good Landlord Act (2023) covers conduct. The Affordable Rent Act (in force since 2024) covers maximum rents via the points system (WWS). Both apply side-by-side, and together they give tenants more protection than ever.

Looking for a correctly run hospita room?

On Huismaatje you find hospita rooms in Amsterdam where we actively check the hospita's on the WGV basics: written contract, reasonable deposit, and transparent service costs. Also see our Amsterdam room rental pillar guide or read our explainer on the hospita scheme. For specific contract questions, our contract guide helps.