Welcome to The Hague, the political heart of the Netherlands and the “royal capital”. It is also home to many Embassies and the International Court of Justice. Apart from these formal properties, it is nice to know that it is not only a very beautiful city but also the only large city in the Netherlands that lies directly by the beach. So certainly a nice city to live in.
But now it’s your turn. If you already live in The Hague and want to move, or you will soon start studying or working in a new job in The Hague, then you will have to look for a new home. But as you no doubt already know, that is not very easy. The Hague has many beautiful and reasonably affordable rental properties compared to, for example, Amsterdam or Utrecht, but it is still not cheap. So if you really want to find those affordable or even cheap rental properties in The Hague, you will have to work with a solid plan. Below you can read how to do this and how RentSlam can help you with that.
Why is it so much work and so difficult to get a rental property in The Hague? That is not that difficult to explain. The demand for rental housing in The Hague is still much higher than the supply. But houses are rented on a daily basis, so it is certainly possible, you just have to make sure that you outsmart those other potential tenants. Let that be exactly what we will help you with using the step-by-step plan below. We will share all the information about the different homes in the different neighborhoods in The Hague with their corresponding rental prices and other relevant information, with you.
Index:
- Step-by-step plan: Which 10 steps to take to get your rental home in The Hague.
- The neighborhoods: Which are the neighborhoods in The Hague where you want to live?
- What they cost: Where are you going to be able to rent the cheaper homes in The Hague?
- Type of rental housing: What types of housing are available for rent in which neighborhood?
- Free sector rental home or public sector: Are you getting a social rental home or are you going for the free sector?
- Questions: What questions are often asked about finding a rental property in The Hague?
- RentSlam: What advantages do you have with RentSlam?
Roadmap to find rental properties in The Hague
Below you can read all the steps you need to take into account if you want to rent a home in The Hague. Some of the steps are so logical, but I would still take them seriously. It is often those simple things that go wrong. So read it carefully and take advantage of it.
Step 1: Write down what kind of rental property you want
It is important to make a clear list of your wishes regarding your new rental home. Pay attention to the districts where you would like to live. The number of bedrooms, and important, what your maximum rental price is. Many more criteria are conceivable, so write them all down.
Step 2: Find out what you are able to rent.
It’s nice that you have an ideal picture of your future rental home, but often that is not in line with what you will eventually rent. So now you have to browse the various websites that offer rental properties. You should then pay attention to the listings that fit your list in step 1. Search with a slightly higher budget, so that you can see what is available. Later, when you have a clear picture of what the options are, you will of course start searching with your actual budget.
Step 3: Shorten your list of requirements
You will almost always find out that the ideal home does not match the amount you want to, or can spend on rent. So now you have to remove all non-essential requirements or desires from your list until you are left with a list that allows you to find properties within your budget.
Step 4: The city districts
Rental properties differ in rent between the different city districts, so it can be smart to find out where you get the most home for your money within the districts where you would like to live. But often the homes with the best price / quality ratio are just not close to where you would like to live. It is therefore wise to also explore those other neighborhoods. Just cycle through the “cheaper” parts of the city for an afternoon. You may come to the conclusion that there are actually quite nice neighborhoods where you can rent a much better home without exceeding your budget. We have already made it a bit easier for you by compiling a list with the average price per m2 per district in rental costs.
Step 5: Know where you are looking
There are an incredible number of websites where you can find rental properties, but they are not all equally up-to-date and not all equally reliable. So find out which websites you should keep an eye on and which you should ignore. Rental properties in the private sector are entering the market through real estate agents and housing associations, but you can also find them on social media. If you want to rent a home via the Facebook marketplace or perhaps just on Marktplaats, pay attention very carefully. A large portion of the rental properties on offer there are scams. So in all fairness, you might be better off not doing it through those platforms at all. Searching on websites such as Pararius and Funda is a nice starting point, but in practice that is simply not enough. They certainly have a lot to offer, but not everything, a lot of properties never appear on these sites. And they are not always up to date. You will often be late to respond if you only do it through those sites.
Step 6: You really have to react super fast
There are really masses of people looking for rental housing in the free sector. That is why it is very important to respond to the properties much earlier than all those other people as soon as they come up for rent. In less than an hour after publication, the landlords usually have enough registrations. So if you respond too late, you usually don’t even get an answer from the landlord. It is therefore important that you visit the websites at least every hour if you want to have a chance. Actually, that is even too little. If you have found something beautiful, respond immediately.
Help me: Getting a rental property is much easier with the help of RentSlam
Do you think it’s impossible, you just don’t have the time or don’t feel like chasing rental properties all day long just to be late every time? Then just take the help of RenSlam. You will see that you suddenly get a lot of time off and find a home much faster. RentSlam scans all websites that are reliable and offer rental properties in The Hague. We do this more than three hundred times a day and then immediately email you every home that matches one of your search profiles. Then you can respond to each property on time and therefore not be stuck with the message “ We are sorry, but you are too late, the property has already been rented to someone else ”.
Step 7: Take a look at the house
Have you been invited to view the house, do not arrive late and look presentable. I understand that you think “Yes, hey, nice and logical”, but often people just fail to do this easy step right. And if you ruin this with a broker, you can count on never being invited again for viewings of other properties with this broker, so it can really ruin your chances.
Step 8: Accept the property immediately
Have you just viewed a rental property and you like it, tell the landlord or broker immediately. If you wait, it has already been rented out to other candidates. And now that you are talking to them, ask them what they need from you to be able to rent the house. You can outsmart your competitors if you already have these things with you of course. By default, they always ask for a copy of your ID, an employment contract and of course a few pay slips.
Step 9: Read the contract carefully
If you have succeeded in step 8 and you have chosen each other, now comes the part where you have to pay attention. The contract is a difficult document for a layman to understand in detail. But do your best, and if you have any questions, ask them. If necessary, you ask someone you know to take a look at it as well. Pay attention to all the little rules and special clauses. Often it contains things that are not favorable for you as a tenant, but they sometimes take them out when you ask. An example is the diplomatic clause. The landlord has the right to terminate the lease early.
Step 10: Check the property upon check-in
Once you have signed the contract, the day will come when you will receive the keys. Together you draw up a list of the current state of the home and all the things that are present in the home. Pay special attention to things that are not immediately indicated by the landlord or broker. Also, take photos so that you can demonstrate afterward what the condition of the house was like in case of a conflict. Also take pictures of the meter readings, because then you can also show what your consumption was and what the previous tenant had. All these things are especially important afterwards, when you leave the house empty again, not to have any complications about whether or not to get your deposit back.
Renting in The Hague center, Haagse hout or rather in leidschenveen-Ypenburg?
The Hague is divided into several districts. Fortunately, each district is quite different from the next, otherwise it would be boring. The people differ enormously from district to district, as well as their income and education level. Do you want to be in the center or rather on the beach, that is really very different from each other. So which neighborhood do you choose?
What are the prices of rental properties in The Hague
In which districts are the cheapest rental properties in The Hague? Are prices going up or down? We share the information we have with you so that you can see where you can best look for your new rental home.
Unfortunately, The Hague is not really a cheap city to rent a nice house for the long term. In the second quarter of 2021 the m2 price for housing rented out in the free sector was at its lowest in Leidschenveen-Ypenburg, namely € 14.54 and at its highest in the center with € 20.50 as an average . A big difference, so pay attention to which neighborhoods may be of interest to you,
It is therefore cheapest to rent a house in The Hague in the Leidschenveen-Ypenburg districts and in Escamp.
Below the latest rental prices in The Hague in €/m2:
| District | 2022 – Q2 |
|---|---|
| Centrum | 20,50 |
| Escamp | 15,97 |
| Haagse Hout | 17,35 |
| Laak | 17,72 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 14,54 |
| Loosduinen | 16,70 |
| Scheveningen | 19,73 |
| Segbroek | 18,44 |
Rental properties in The Hague €/m2 – 2021
| Stadsdeel | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrum | 18,94 | 19,48 | 19,60 | 20,01 |
| Escamp | 16,02 | 14,79 | 15,46 | 15,23 |
| Haagse Hout | 17,02 | 16,99 | 20,06 | 20,14 |
| Laak | 16,02 | 17,07 | 17,68 | 16,42 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 14,87 | 13,15 | 12,93 | 13,75 |
| Loosduinen | 15,42 | 15,70 | 15,21 | 16,32 |
| Scheveningen | 19,21 | 18,91 | 18,68 | 19,23 |
| Segbroek | 17,64 | 17,81 | 17,48 | 17,60 |
Rental properties in The Hague €/m2 – 2020
| Stadsdeel | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrum | 20,31 | 19,54 | 19,03 | 19,46 |
| Escamp | 14,56 | 14,31 | 13,94 | 14,87 |
| Haagse Hout | 15,47 | 16,68 | 15,80 | 16,36 |
| Laak | 15,51 | 15,80 | 16,30 | 16,00 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 16,63 | 13,32 | 14,40 | 11,63 |
| Loosduinen | 17,14 | 15,72 | 15,76 | 15,08 |
| Scheveningen | 19,48 | 18,94 | 19,21 | 18,64 |
| Segbroek | 19,84 | 16,71 | 17,86 | 17,34 |
Rental properties in The Hague €/m2 – 2019
| Stadsdeel | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrum | 21,29 | 21,29 | 20,25 | 20,09 |
| Escamp | 13,27 | 13,27 | 13,51 | 13,79 |
| Haagse Hout | 20,91 | 20,91 | 16,75 | 16,85 |
| Laak | 15,16 | 15,16 | 15,22 | 15,80 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 14,43 | 14,43 | 12,80 | 14,28 |
| Loosduinen | 14,43 | 14,43 | 14,70 | 15,69 |
| Scheveningen | 17,26 | 17,26 | 19,39 | 18,76 |
| Segbroek | 15,50 | 15,50 | 16,27 | 17,00 |
* Rental properties that fall within the social rent limit are not included. If these were included, the prices per m2 would be much lower and paint an incorrect picture.
Which district do you choose for your new rental home?
After all the research you have done, you know where you can rent in The Hague so that you do not exceed your budget. But now you actually start looking, and then of course you have to make sure that you are ahead of your competitors, otherwise you will be just too late every time. If you want help with that, you can use RentSlam and it will certainly work. There is really no reason to spend all day sitting behind your PC or on your smartphone staring at those websites so that you can respond quickly. Just use the technology available for that so that you can rent a home really quickly.
Type of properties you can rent in The Hague
What kind of homes can you rent in The Hague? Actually, all types of rental properties. The larger single-family homes, the somewhat smaller apartments, but also studios. What you need depends on your situation, but below you can at least see in which district the home you need is rented out most often.
Studio or 2-room apartment
Rent a house on your own or with your loved one? Then you start looking for a two-room house (1 bedroom) or a studio. If you choose a studio, you have less (no) privacy, but you often pay less rent. If both are an option, you have a lot more to choose from.
This table shows the number of private sector homes that are rented out as a studio or home with 1 bedroom, based on the number of homes rented in The Hague in 2020.
| City district | Number of properties |
|---|---|
| Centrum | 2623 |
| Escamp | 441 |
| Haagse Hout | 701 |
| Laak | 272 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 248 |
| Loosduinen | 407 |
| Scheveningen | 2120 |
| Segbroek | 1581 |
Apartments
Rent a house together with your child and partner? Or perhaps rent a house together with a friend? Then you need a three-room house (house with 2 bedrooms). These are often apartments or flats. Sharing is usually not a problem if you are with a maximum of 2 people. If you want to share with three, read the information about the single-family homes below.
This table shows the number of private sector homes that are rented out with 2 bedrooms, based on the number of homes rented in The Hague in 2020.
| City district | Number of properties |
|---|---|
| Centrum | 2433 |
| Escamp | 554 |
| Haagse Hout | 1299 |
| Laak | 337 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 309 |
| Loosduinen | 556 |
| Scheveningen | 1897 |
| Segbroek | 1450 |
Single-family homes
Moving with your whole family, or living with a group of friends? Then you have to look for, you guessed it, a nice and spacious family home with 3 or more bedrooms. That is difficult, because in The Hague (and in most other large cities) there are simply fewer of these homes available in relation to the entire rental housing market. You also have to take into account a hefty price tag, because they are very expensive. Below you can at least get a good idea of which neighborhoods should be at the top of your list in terms of supply. If you are not a family, but sharers, keep in mind that not all homes have a permit to be rented out to sharers. For more information on this topic, see the frequently asked questions.
This table shows the number of private sector homes that are rented out as a single-family home or with 3 or more bedrooms, based on the number of homes rented in The Hague in 2020.
| City district | Number of properties |
|---|---|
| Centrum | 876 |
| Escamp | 426 |
| Haagse Hout | 622 |
| Laak | 186 |
| Leidschenveen-Ypenburg | 163 |
| Loosduinen | 461 |
| Scheveningen | 924 |
| Segbroek | 691 |
Furnished vs unfurnished
Do you really intend to only look for a furnished home? Then think again. After all, there are far fewer furnished homes for rent than unfurnished ones.
Of course we understand that you prefer furniture when it comes to a temporary rental. Who wants to buy all that furniture for just a year or two when you may want to buy a home in the long run? But the truth is that it is simply much more difficult to rent a furnished home because there is simply much less supply. Here’s the solution.
The difference in rent is usually $100 to $200 per month. For that money you can buy nice furniture over a period of 1 to 2 years at Ikea or Leen Bakker for example. Of course, that’s not the most charming furniture and maybe not the best quality, but it’s only temporary. Of course you can also buy second-hand furniture through marktplaats, for example.
Another option is to rent furniture. Yes, really, it exists and it can be done from €50 per month. For example, look at https://www.moveandrent.nl/ but that’s just an example. If you look it up on google you will come across a lot of furniture rental companies.
Are you joining the waiting list or are you hiring free sector?
Who wouldn’t want a social rental home? They are very cheap compared to the free sector rental properties. But of course they are only intended for people who have a lower income, and that is unfortunately more people than you think. The waiting lists are therefore very long. If you want to rent a house before you retire, you really have to look for a nice free-sector rental home. The border between the two is € 764 and is determined by our government. If you still want to try to get a social rental home and you have patience, pay attention to all the rules that apply, otherwise you will wait for nothing. Maximum income requirements apply to certain family compositions, etc. The rules can be found here https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/sociale-huurwoning
Renting in the private sector of The Hague.
So you’ve decided to start looking for private sector rental properties anyway? Then take a larger budget into account. Yes, it officially starts at € 764, but most homes are really more expensive than that.
Unfortunately, if you do not have a large budget, it is wise to at least look in the districts where the rental prices per m2 are the lowest. And if you still can’t figure it out, in case you’re looking on your own, consider working with someone to find a multi-bedroom home for a wider budget, maybe you can. If you have a RentSlam account, you can do that at the same time, because you can activate 4 searches at the same time.
Frequently asked questions: Renting a house in The Hague
Do I have to meet certain income requirements?
Naturally, every landlord wants some form of guarantee that they can collect the rent from you. So they will always ask for certain documents to see if you have (sufficient) income to pay the rent each month.
Private landlords (via brokers) vs housing associations
- Housing associations: you really cannot get through this if you do not meet the set income requirements. And these are therefore also very strict. 3x the basic rent as gross income is usually the norm. They do not allow for a guarantor, and if you want to calculate with 2 incomes, the second usually only counts for a small percentage. Very difficult..
- Brokers: Fortunately, these are less strict. You will have to show that you have sufficient income, but usually, there are no strict rules and they are also flexible if you come very close to the required income. They sometimes use the “Bo-Ex rental guide” to check whether your capacity is high enough for the rent to be paid. Assets (savings) are also included in this. Sometimes a broker also a guarantor.
- Private landlords: It is often easier to rent from a private landlord. They want to have the confidence that you are going to pay the rent, but they usually do not have strict requirements. Note that the rents are usually higher than you will find with most real estate agents and certainly than with housing associations.
Startershousing, does that really exist?
If you are new to the housing market, you consider yourself a starter. But the term startershome is actually intended for buying a house. On the market for buying homes, the term startershome is used for people who are going to buy a home for the first time and where the purchase price of this home is below the maximum limit of the National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) (€355,000 in 2022). You can often also take out a special “startersmortgage” for these homes.
However, if you want to rent a home, there is actually no official description of a startershome. So we’re really just talking about low-rent housing. Of course you can rent cheaply if you qualify for social housing. And then it becomes even cheaper if you qualify for housing benefit. If you do not qualify for social housing or housing benefit, then you simply have to look for the cheapest homes in the free sector. For this it is best to search outside the most popular areas in the major cities or search in surrounding cities.
Can I get housing benefit?
Whether you can get housing subsidy depends on your income and especially the rent of the house. Only homes below the so-called “liberalization limit” are eligible for housing benefit. You may also not earn more than a certain amount if you want to be eligible. In practice, it means that you will only receive housing benefit if you are already lucky enough to live in a social rental home. This never applies to the homes that RentSlam finds, because we exclusively search for free-sector rental properties.
I am still studying, how do I rent a house in The Hague?
Well, just like everyone else. Only you do have 2 extra challenges. The first is that some landlords prefer not to rent to students, and there is little you can do about that. The second is that income is always asked for, and most students cannot show a high enough income. Of course there is something to be done about this. You could ask someone (your parents) with a good income to act as guarantor. So it really is possible, and you will certainly succeed, only you have to try even harder. If you use the RentSlam software, you can use the filter for students, then you will not be sent homes that you are not eligible for all the time.
Can I also share a nice home with a group of friends?
Yes, you can. There are many people who share a home. Some because they like it, others because they do not have enough budget on their own to rent a house. But the situation is important because it depends on how many people you want to share with. Legally speaking, it is not a problem for two or three people, but it may of course happen that the owner himself prefers not to. But with four or more it gets a lot more difficult. The landlord must then have a permit. Sharing now falls under the heading “room rental”. Anyway, it is possible. If you have a RentSlam account, you can use the filter “sharers not allowed” if you do not want to receive rental properties that may not be shared. Here is the website with information sharing a house or room rental in The Hague https://www.denhaag.nl/woning-delen
Why do I never get an answer when I respond to properties?
Unfortunately, this is a very common phenomenon. You respond to homes, but you never hear anything back, which is very frustrating. Believe me, you are not alone. Fortunately, there is an explanation and therefore a solution. The reason you don’t get any responses back is usually because you simply submitted your response too late. And sometimes that is already when you respond an hour after publication. You really have to make sure that you are among the 10 first people to respond. Landlords simply don’t have time (or don’t feel like) to send a message back to everyone who responds, so they only respond to the first 5 or 10. So speed is really, really important. Fortunately, by using RentSlam you can respond super fast to every home and therefore get an answer much more often and be invited for a viewing.
Also a common problem is that some people write things that scare the landlord. For example, if you write that you have no income or that you play in a band or something like that, then you immediately drop out because they immediately see nuisance or problems coming. If you would like us to look at your text and help you improve it, please let us know.
Are you really faster than your neighbor?
Ok, so now it is clear, you have to be really fast. Only then will you be invited to view those nice rental properties in The Hague. But how do you do that? Are you going to sit behind your screen 24 hours a day and refresh all those hundreds of websites every minute? Or are you going to be smart about it?
If you use RentSlam, it will work and it won’t cost you loads of time. RentSlam is monitoring all websites 24/7 for new rental properties. As soon as one is found that matches your search profile (s), we will send it to you immediately by email. You can therefore respond much faster and therefore rent a house in The Hague much earlier.
We wish you every success in finding a beautiful rental home in The Hague. And if you want to use RentSlam, you are of course very welcome. You can register here.