Our frequently asked questions

At Wonen in Rotterdam we are happy to show you around the city. You can find information about the neighborhoods (under On the map at the top right of the menu), take our Neighborhood Test to see which neighborhood suits you best and we have many news items about new construction projects, self-build plots and housing news in Rotterdam. You can read interviews with residents and we also have Funda’s selection of rental and owner-occupied homes on our site.

We have also specially prepared an article with tips and advice: How do I find a rental property in Rotterdam?

Do you want to know more? Then feel free to ask us your question via [email protected].

You want to move within or to Rotterdam, but are unsure about buying or renting? You can completely customize your own home to your liking. And if you rent, you will not be faced with financial surprises. Think carefully about what is the best choice in your situation.

Buy a house
Advantages
– You can completely adapt the house to your own wishes.
– If interest rates do not change, mortgage payments are usually stable.
– You build wealth by repaying.

Cons
– You can move less easily.
– Housing costs can change if interest rates rise or fall. These changes are not always clear in advance.
– You must maintain the house yourself.
– You have to pay extra insurance and taxes: the building insurance and levies from the municipality and water board.
– Your house may decrease in value. As a result, you can be left with a debt if you sell it.

To rent a house
Advantages
– As a tenant you have legal rent protection. This means that the landlord cannot simply terminate the lease.
– As a tenant you may be eligible for rent allowance.
– You can often terminate a rental contract at short notice. You are not dependent on the situation on the housing market.
– You do not have to carry out (major) maintenance on the house. This must be done by the owner or lessor.

Cons
– You have less freedom to fully adapt the house to your own wishes.
– You will almost certainly get a rent increase every year. Read more about the rent increase on Huurcommissie.nl.

Choosing to buy or rent?
Weigh the pros and cons carefully before choosing to rent or buy. Also consider what part of your income you can spend on housing. Take one-off costs and extra fixed costs into account. Also take a good look at your own situation and wishes for the future. The following questions can help:

– How long do you want to live somewhere and how flexible do you want to be?
– Are you sure about the new residential location?
– Do you have a stable income?
– Are you eligible for a social rental home?
– Are you entitled to rent allowance?
– How much maintenance is required for the home you have in mind?

Before you make an offer or register, first determine what you can spend on buying or renting a home so that you do not get into trouble afterwards. A financial advisor can help you with this.

On the Self-build page on our site, we always have an up-to-date overview of all self-build plots made available by the municipality of Rotterdam. Have a look around here to see if there is something for you.

The self-build team is constantly working on new offerings, but nothing has been communicated about this yet. After all, it may happen that an investigation shows that the location being investigated turns out to be unsuitable for development. Only when it is 99.9% certain that a location under investigation will actually be put on sale, we will communicate this via the Self-build page on this website. The offer will then still carry the label ‘future offer’, which means that we will inform you that it will go on sale, but that we do not yet have (sales) information available.

Do you want to be kept informed? In our newsletter we also always mention the new Self-build plots.

Since the summer of 2021, the municipality has been offering starter loans for Rotterdammers who are buying a house in the city for the first time. A total of 200 starter loans are available. 100 loans were available to all Rotterdam starters between the ages of 18 and 35. These loans have all been granted or will be granted soon. There are currently no starter loans available for this group of starters.

The other 100 starter loans are reserved for Rotterdam starters who now live in social housing or student accommodation from a housing corporation. They do not have to meet an age requirement. As a result, people with a lower income can also buy a home at a later age with the help of the starter loan. Read more here.

The introduction of Purchase Protection has increased the chances of first-time buyers and people with a middle income buying a home at a reasonable price.

Rotterdam is the first city in the Netherlands to introduce Purchase Protection. As of January 1, 2022, you can only buy a home with a value of up to € 355,000 in 16 neighborhoods if you also live there yourself. The municipality does this because the housing market is out of balance in some neighbourhoods. Two things play a role in this. Due to competition from buyers, starters and middle-income earners who are looking for a home in the cheap and middle segments have little chance. And because there are many temporary residents, quality of life is under pressure.

Up-to-date information about Purchase Protection can be found here.