Herengracht 142, Amsterdam
Amsterdamseweg 71, Amstelveen
CoC: 63404230

Self-occupancy obligation for Amsterdam owner-occupied homes

On April 1, 2022, the municipality of Amsterdam introduced the self-occupancy obligation for homebuyers. For new homes this obligation has already been in place for a year and a half, now it is the turn of owner-occupied homes. The purpose of the measure is to prevent homes being bought up by investors who then rent them out.

Stop on rising house prices

The average price for a house in Amsterdam in March 2022 was over €600,000. A value that has roughly doubled in less than seven years. For years now, a limited supply of housing has been driving up prices nationwide; in large cities like Amsterdam, this price rise is further enhanced by the speculative purposes for which most homes are bought up. In Amsterdam, for example, one in three homes is already owned by private investors. With the introduction of the obligation to live in your own home, the municipality wants to prevent homes that have been put up for sale from falling into the hands of real estate investors and being rented out. This way, they hope to at least slow down the rise in house prices in the Amsterdam region.

Self-occupancy obligation only partially protects Amsterdam housing market

The self-occupancy obligation does not apply to all Amsterdam homes that are put up for sale from April onwards. In the first instance, it applies to existing homes with a maximum WOZ value of € 512.000, which together account for about 60% of the total number of houses for sale in Amsterdam. If you buy a house that falls into this category, you must live there yourself for at least the first four years. Exceptions to the obligation to live in one’s own home are situations involving renting to immediate family members or temporary stays abroad. Also, homes directly adjacent to an office or retail space may be rented out within the new measures.

Self-occupancy obligation for newly built houses

The new measure can be seen as an addition to the self-occupancy obligation that the municipality of Amsterdam already introduced one and a half years ago for newly built owner-occupied houses. In this segment, the self-occupancy obligation applies to houses with a long lease, so that every future buyer of that house has the same obligation.

With the combined obligation for both new construction and existing owner-occupied homes, the municipality of Amsterdam hopes to calm the craziness on the Amsterdam housing market and give first-time buyers a better chance of securing a home. Jakob Wedemeijer, alderman for housing in Amsterdam, explains. “The price of an owner-occupied house has more than doubled in the past seven years, to an average of six tons. With the buy-out protection for existing owner-occupied homes, starters and middle-income earners have a better chance of buying a home, because they will no longer be outsmarted by investors who buy up homes in order to then rent them out at sky-high prices.

Would you like to know more about the self-occupancy obligation and what this means for you if you are planning to buy a house in the Amsterdam area? Please contact Aankoopmakelaar Amsterdam, we would love to discuss this with you in more detail!

Maak een afspraak

Boek vandaag nog een afspraak met een van onze makelaars en ga voor een succesvolle aankoop.

Ik wil een afspraak makenBel me terugBel ons : 020 – 7640808

Reviews

Checklist Viewings

In addition to our no-obligation purchase advice, we offer the option to receive a ‘viewing checklist.’ This checklist allows you to quickly make an initial assessment.

Checklist viewing

  • We are a team of specialized buyers agents
  • Professional guidance throughout the entire process up to the moment of transfer
  • Sworn registered real estate agents with 25+ years of experience
  • More chance of a successful purchase with the best conditions
  • 100% independent buyers agent with no cure, no pay

Let us call you

Leave your phone number here. We understand the market and aim to be in touch within two hours.

* This is a required field.

Let us call you

Leave your phone number here and we aim to contact you within two hours.

* This is a required field.

Call us: +31 20 764 08 08 Or mail us