A number of legal changes come into effect on July 1, some of which will affect your wallets, and some of which just need keeping an eye on. Here’s a list.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rental contracts will virtually become a thing of the past from July and landlords will only be able to offer a one or two-year contract in specific circ*mstances. The new rules will only apply to new contracts.
Landlords will still be able to cancel rental contracts if the space is needed for close family members or if they are returning from abroad and need to get their home back. Temporary contracts for students will also remain an option.
Rent controls
Rent controls will be extended to cover most of the country’s rental housing on July 1. In essence, all property worth up to 186 points in the point system will have a maximum legal rent, and in some cases tenants will be able to force a rent cut. Find out what the changes mean for you.
Housing rents
Landlords can put up the rent once a year and traditionally do this on July 1. This year the rent for social housing will rise by a maximum of 5.8%. Houses that currently fall outside the social housing sector will cost 5.5% a month more.
Sex crimes
From July 1 it will no longer be necessary to prove violence and threats were involved in a case of rape. Sexual intimidation, on the street and online, will also become a criminal offence as will “sex chatting” with children under the age of 16. Hosting companies can also be compelled to remove child p*rn.
Tobacco sales
Supermarkets will be banned from selling cigarettes and rolling tobacco from July 1. Petrol stations and specialist shops can still sell tobacco products.
Pets
The official list of mammals which can be kept as pets has been cut back to just 30. The change means that some animals can no longer be bred or sold as pets and owners will have to be able to prove their “illegal” pets were registered before the July 1 deadline.
Stamps
Stamps go up in price to €1.14 for post within the Netherlands and €1.80 for international mail. Postage prices already rose in January. Registering a letter will cost an additional €1 per item and parcel prices are also rising.
Holiday days
If you have not used up your full 2023 holiday allowance by July 1, you may lose the days off that you have not taken. Check with your personnel department.
Energy bills
If you have a variable energy contract, your supplier can put up or lower their charges twice a year – usually on January 1 and July 1. So keep an eye on your bills. You might also find your phone and internet subscriptions rise on July 1 as well.
Serious crime suspects
People suspected of serious crimes will now be required to attend their trial in person, so that victims and relatives can outline what the offence has meant to them, and so that judges and public prosecutors can question them directly.
Minimum wage
The minimum wage will rise 3.09% to €13,68 for someone aged 21 or over. The rise is related to the increase in negotiated wage settlements. The outgoing government had wanted to push up the minimum wage a little more but that was rejected by the upper house of parliament after incoming government senators voted against it.
Pension and benefits
The state pension AOW and social security benefits are linked to rises in the minimum wage and will also rise by a similar amount. The increase takes the net state pension for a couple to € 1,976.64 – if both partners have lived in the Netherlands for the past 50 years. You build up 2% of a Dutch state pension for every year you live here past the age of 17.
Child benefit
Kinderbijslag, the benefit payable to parents with children up to the age of 17 rises on July 1 as well, and the increase will be reflected in the October payment. The quarterly payment for a child under six will rise to € 281.69, for six to 11-year-olds € 342.05 and for teenagers to €402.41
New government
The new government is also planning various measures which will have an impact on your spending, but these will become clearer in September when ministers publish their first budgets.
