Housing for migrant workers: your rights and the quality rules

If you came to the Netherlands for work — often through an agency — your housing is frequently arranged by your employer or uitzendbureau. That's convenient, but it can leave you vulnerable if the rules aren't followed. Here's what protects you.

Your rental contract must be separate from your job

Since the Wet goed verhuurderschap (Good Landlord Act, 1 July 2023), your rental agreement may not be part of your employment contract — they must be two separate documents. The practical effect is important: if your job ends, you don't automatically lose your home the same day, because the tenancy continues on its own terms.

You're also entitled to receive the key information about your housing in a language you understand.

A transition period if your job ends

Under the temp-sector CAO, if your employment ends and you live in housing rented through your employer, you generally have a transition period of about 4 weeks to leave (huisvestingsbehoud). It's not instant eviction — use that time to find somewhere new.

Quality norms: SNF and AKF

Employer- or agency-provided housing usually has to meet a recognised quality standard — most commonly SNF (Stichting Normering Flexwonen) or, in agriculture, AKF (Agrarisch Keurmerk Flexwonen) — which many CAOs and municipalities require. Typical requirements include:

• A minimum living space per person (a national floor of 12 m²; municipalities can set more, and AKF moves to 15 m² from 2026).
• No more than 2 people per bedroom, your own bed and lockable storage.
• At least 1 toilet and 1 shower per 8 people, a proper kitchen, heating.
• Fire safety: smoke alarms, escape routes, extinguishers.
• An annual inspection by an independent inspector.

You can look up whether a housing provider is certified in the SNF register.

Costs, registration and complaints

• Rent can be deducted from wages in some cases, but it must be transparent and within the rules — be wary of unclear or excessive deductions.
• If you stay longer than 4 months, you must be registered in the municipality's BRP (and you can update your temporary address yourself via MyRNI for shorter stays).
• Every municipality must run a free, anonymous reporting point (meldpunt) for bad landlord behaviour. If your housing is unsafe, overcrowded, or your contract is tied to your job, report it.

The bottom line

Good housing tied to fair rules is your right, not a favour. If something feels wrong — your home is tied to your contract, the place is overcrowded, or the deductions don't add up — those are exactly the situations the law now protects against.

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Working through an agency? Understand your contract too — see the temp-agency phase system.

Rules: 2026 — verified against Rijksoverheid and Volkshuisvesting Nederland. Municipal rules vary; check your gemeente. DutchNewcomer provides information, not legal advice.