Renting a hofje in Amsterdam: courtyard housing 2026

If you have lived in Amsterdam for a while, you start noticing them: narrow wooden doors in the facade of a regular street, and behind a brick wall a green courtyard with twelve houses around a water pump. Hofjes. We still have dozens, mostly in the Jordaan and around the Westermarkt. The Begijnhof near the Spui is the famous one, but the hofjes where people actually live today are far less visible. You can walk past one for years without realising there is a self-contained little world behind the gate.

For renters looking for affordable housing in the centre, a hofje is one of the few routes that still works. But it is not a normal rental process, and it is not for everyone. Here is how it works.

What exactly is a hofje?

A hofje is a group of small houses around a shared courtyard, originally built in the sixteenth or seventeenth century as charitable housing. A wealthy merchant or a craft guild would commission a row of cottages for widows, elderly women or poor church-goers, often with a requirement of pious behaviour and regular church attendance. That historic function still shapes them: almost every hofje is owned by a foundation with a statute from the founding period, and that statute decides who is allowed to live there now.

A typical Amsterdam hofje has eight to thirty homes, each three to six metres wide. Often a steep stair upstairs, small windows, a courtyard with planters, and a central gate that closes at night. Sint Andrieshofje on Egelantiersgracht is a fine example, founded in 1614 and still occupied. Karthuizerhof on Karthuizersstraat is another, with the largest courtyard garden of all the Jordaan hofjes.

Which hofjes still rent out homes?

Amsterdam still has over thirty hofjes actively inhabited. Some take new applicants, others have closed lists. The best known that still admit new residents:

In the Jordaan and surroundings:

Sint Andrieshofje (Egelantiersgracht): single women, criteria set by the foundation.
Karthuizerhof (Karthuizersstraat): historically Catholic, now broader but with social criteria.
Lindenhofje (Lindengracht): women only, foundation manages the list by hand.
Claes Claesz Hofje (Eerste Egelantiersdwarsstraat): cultural and creative residents (musicians, artists).
Suykerhofje (Lindengracht): small, women only, long waiting list.

In the city centre:

Begijnhof (Spui): still home to single women (originally beguines), closed to new applicants at time of writing.
Pieter Symonzhofje (Sint Annenstraat): small, traditional.

Outside the centre:

Van Brienenhofje (Prinsengracht): still in use, foundation-run.

Each hofje has its own board of regents or foundation board, and that board decides on admission. There is no central application portal like the Dutch social housing platform WoningNet. You must contact each hofje individually to ask if there is a waiting list and how to register.

What eligibility criteria do hofjes apply?

Criteria differ by hofje, but three categories of rule turn up almost everywhere:

Personal status. Most hofjes rent only to single women, because the foundation rulebook from the seventeenth century requires it. A number rent only to people aged fifty-five and over. A few are more open (Claes Claesz Hofje, for instance, admits artists and musicians regardless of age or gender).

Income. Income usually has to fall below a threshold, often around the Dutch social housing ceiling (roughly 47,500 euros per year in 2026, adjusted annually).

Local ties. Some hofjes prioritise applicants from Amsterdam, or people who have lived in the city for a number of years. Others have no postcode requirement.

How much does a hofje home cost?

Hofje rents are strikingly low for central Amsterdam. Most hofjes charge between 350 and 650 euros per month for a home of twenty to forty square metres. That is possible because the foundations are non-profit and cover maintenance from historical endowments and donations.

In return, the homes are small, often poorly insulated, and you have limited freedom to modify them. No washing machine on the second floor, no major renovation, no subletting. For the rent of a hofje you would not find anything comparable elsewhere in Amsterdam, which explains why waiting lists are long.

How long is the waiting list?

Lists vary, but for the most popular hofjes (Jordaan, centre) expect three to seven years before an offer comes through. The Begijnhof officially sits on a list of over ten years. Karthuizerhof around four. Smaller hofjes with tighter criteria (older female artists, for example) can move faster because the eligible group is narrower.

One important detail: the lists are not always transparent. The foundation board sometimes decides personally who receives an offer, based on an interview or a recommendation from current residents. That sounds arbitrary, but there is a logic: a hofje community is small and tight, and the fit with existing residents matters more to the board than the queue position alone.

How do you apply?

There is no central portal. Each hofje has its own application process:

Write to the foundation. Addresses are available through the Amsterdam city archive or through hofjesberaad.nl (the umbrella body for Dutch hofjes). Send a short letter or email with your situation, age, income and motivation.
Wait for an interview. Sometimes you go straight on the waiting list, sometimes the board invites you to come and meet them. They want to get a sense of fit with the community.
Supporting documents. On admission the board usually asks for income evidence, an extract from the municipal personal records database (BRP), and sometimes a declaration of good conduct.
Wait. From that point on it is patience, sometimes for years. Some foundations send annual updates.

What tenant rights apply in a hofje?

Here is an important nuance. Because a hofje often works with a right of use rather than a regular rental contract, the standard Dutch tenant rights do not always apply. No tenant protection under Book 7 of the Civil Code, no recourse to the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) for rent disputes.

What you do get: a written agreement that usually runs for life as long as you meet the conditions. In practice a hofje home is often more stable than a market rental, because the foundation has no incentive to evict you. But the legal protection differs and it is wise to read the agreement carefully before signing. For general tenant rights in Amsterdam, see our complete guide to tenant rights in Amsterdam.

What is daily life in a hofje like?

Practically: small, old, sometimes draughty, often charming. A house five metres wide and seven metres deep is normal. Windows look onto the courtyard, so very little street noise but plenty of kitchen sounds from your neighbours. Many hofjes have a shared communal room, a laundry, sometimes a shared garden with a rota.

Socially: most hofjes have a close-knit resident group. People live there for decades, sometimes their whole lives. That brings warmth, but also social oversight: who visits, what kind of life you lead, all of it gets noticed. For some, ideal; for others, suffocating. It is not comparable to a regular student house or an anonymous apartment block.

Guests and overnight visitors: nearly every hofje has rules about overnight stays. Some allow partners, others do not. A few nights a week of visiting is generally fine, but actual cohabitation in the home is forbidden almost everywhere.

Hofje versus other affordable options

If a hofje is not available or not a fit, Amsterdam offers a few other routes for small, central living. The closest comparators are anti-squat housing (temporary use of vacant properties) and Dutch social housing via WoningNet. For younger renters, a room in a shared student house is usually more realistic than a hofje. For applicants who know the hofje route is a multi-year plan: put yourself on several lists, settle somewhere temporary in the meantime. A room in the Jordaan gets you close to the hofje atmosphere without the wait.

If you want a larger home or a faster route, the broader entry point is our pillar guide on renting a room in Amsterdam. It covers how to structure the search, which platforms do what, and realistic timeframes. Also useful as a bridge during the hofje wait: Huismaatje matches you to a household, not just to four walls.

Frequently asked questions

Can a man live in a hofje?

In most classic Amsterdam hofjes, no. The foundation rules from the original donors often specify single women only. A handful of hofjes (Claes Claesz, Van Brienenhofje) are more open and admit men too. Always check the rulebook of the specific hofje.

Can a student apply to a hofje?

Yes, if you meet the criteria. Students are accepted at hofjes for young women or for artists (depending on the foundation). The income ceiling is rarely a problem for a student, but the waiting time means you will probably finish your degree before an offer arrives.

What happens if I find a partner while living in a hofje?

The rules vary by hofje. At most classic single-women hofjes you cannot cohabit with a partner in the home. Visits or a partner living elsewhere are usually fine, but if you want to move in together you typically have to move out. A few newer hofje-style projects are more flexible.

Can I buy a hofje home?

No. Hofje homes are always foundation property and are only rented or given in use. Sales to private buyers are extremely rare.

How do I find out which hofjes still take new applicants?

The Hofjesberaad (umbrella foundation) maintains a list of active Dutch hofjes and contact persons. For Amsterdam, most are in the Jordaan, around the Westermarkt and along the canal ring. The Amsterdam City Archive holds extensive historical records and a full inventory.

Can I claim Dutch housing benefit (huurtoeslag) on a hofje home?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Whether housing benefit applies depends on the legal form the hofje uses (regular rental contract or right-of-use agreement) and on your income. With a regular contract below the housing benefit ceiling, benefit is normally available. With a right-of-use agreement, not automatically. Ask the foundation about this explicitly before accepting an offer.