Rent vs Buy as an Expat Staying 3

Q: Can I rent out my house if I leave?

Usually NO. Standard mortgages have a 'huurbeding' preventing rental. You need a 'verhuurhypotheek' (higher interest) or permission from the bank.

Q: What if I get the 30% ruling?

The 30% ruling makes renting/investing more attractive (no Box 3 tax). Buying loses that specific advantage.

Expat Scenario: Staying 3–5 Years

Many expats in the Netherlands face a dilemma: "I'm staying for 3 to 5 years. Is it worth buying?"

The short answer: Usually not, but it depends on the market.

Why Short Horizons Behave Differently (#horizon)

In a short timeframe (3-5 years), property appreciation rarely has enough time to offset the high transaction costs.

Year 0: You lose ~4-5% (Kosten Koper).
Year 3-5: You sell and lose another ~1.5% (Makelaar).
Total Loss: Roughly 6-7% of the home value.

To break even, the house must appreciate by at least 7% (plus cover mortgage interest and maintenance) just to get back to zero.

Costs That Dominate

Buying Costs: Notary, tax, advice, valuation.
Selling Costs (#sell-costs): Real estate agent fee (courtage) is typically 1% - 1.5%.
Risk: If the market dips by 5% when you need to leave, you are selling at a loss plus paying costs.

Conservative Assumptions Checklist

If you still want to buy, stress-test your model:

Horizon: Set strictly to 3 or 4 years.
Appreciation: Assume 0% (flat market). Can you afford the loss?
Rent: Compare against a realistic sturdy rental price. If rent is extremely high (€2,500+), buying might still win simply because the monthly cash flow saving is huge.

Practical Decision Rules

Buy if: You plan to stay 5+ years, OR you are willing to keep the property and rent it out (check mortgage rules first! Most residential mortgages forbid renting out).
Rent if: You might leave in <3 years, or if you value flexibility (no selling hassle).

FAQ

Can I rent out my house if I leave?

Standard Dutch mortgages generally prohibit renting out the property without bank permission. If you convert to a Buy-to-Let mortgage, the interest rate will be higher and you may need to inject more cash (LTV max 70-80%).

What if I get the 30% ruling?

If you have the 30% ruling, you don't pay Box 3 tax on savings. This makes the "Rent + Invest" strategy very efficient compared to a normal Dutch taxpayer.

Sources

Last updated: 2026-07-03

Rent vs Buy as an Expat Staying 3–5 Years (2026)