KNM 3: Wonen

Housing. This theme is about finding a suitable home, arranging energy, water and internet, and keeping your home safe and your surroundings clean.

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For a first home you often depend on what the municipality offers, unless you join family who already have a home.
You can rent social housing (sociale huur), rent on the free market (vrije sector), or buy (koop).
Register as a home seeker early: waiting lists can be long, and housing markets differ a lot between municipalities.
Look for a home that fits the market, your situation and your income. For buying, a real estate agent (makelaar) can help.
A rental contract (huurcontract) sets out the rent, the rules and what you and the landlord must do.

Tenants have legal rights. If the landlord treats you unfairly, raises the rent unfairly, does not do overdue maintenance or breaks the contract, you can get help, for example from the Juridisch Loket.

You arrange your own connection to energy, water and internet, and choose your energy supplier and internet or phone provider.
You may have to read your meters (meterstanden) and pass them to the supplier, and report a fault (storing) to the supplier.
Energy and water cost money and prices can change a lot. Your bill shows your use (verbruik) and the costs.
An energy contract can have a variable or a fixed rate, and different lengths.
Using less energy and water is better for the environment and your bill: turn the heating down, shorten showers, switch off lights.

The municipality collects household waste and sets the local rules for collecting and separating it. Rules differ between municipalities, so check yours.
Separating waste matters because materials can be reused and it is better for the environment.

Rules and amounts change: your letter from DUO and Mijn Inburgering always win.

Checked on October 19, 2026.