The Dutch housing valuation system (woningwaarderingsstelsel, or WWS) is the statutory points system that decides how much basic rent you may charge for a home in the Netherlands. It translates the features of a dwelling into points, and the point total maps to a maximum rental price. Careful letting therefore starts with an accurate points count.
Rule version of this article: the explanation below follows the Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte, which wetten.overheid.nl lists as valid from 1 January 2026 onwards, and the Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur), which according to the Huurcommissie applies from 1 July 2024. Both sources were consulted on 3 August 2026. Points and maximum rents depend on the date and the rule version, so always check the version that applies when you sign a specific contract. The primary sources linked here are published in Dutch.
What is the housing valuation system?
The WWS is a national, objective system that expresses the quality of a home in points. The more points, the higher the maximum rent you may legally charge. The calculation rules sit in the Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte. Annex I to that decree contains both the valuation system for accommodation that forms a self-contained home (part A) and the system for accommodation that does not (part B).
The points count applies to the basic rent. The Huurcommissie describes that as the basic rent you pay without the service charges. Service charges sit alongside the basic rent and are not a route to exceed the maximum.
The count protects tenants against excessive rents and gives landlords a verifiable, transparent basis for the rental price.
WWS or WWSO: which system applies to your accommodation?
Decide which system applies before you count anything. What matters is whether the accommodation is self-contained.
The Huurcommissie describes accommodation as self-contained (zelfstandig) when the home has its own front door, its own kitchen, its own toilet and its own bathroom or other washing facility. It describes accommodation as non-self-contained (onzelfstandig) when there is no private front door and the washing facility, kitchen and/or toilet are shared.
| What you compare | Self-contained accommodation | Non-self-contained accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| Typical example | apartment or family home with its own facilities | room with a shared kitchen, shower or toilet |
| Which system | housing valuation system (WWS) | housing valuation system for non-self-contained accommodation (WWSO) |
| Legal basis | Annex I, part A, Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte | Annex I, part B, Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte |
| Which check | Huurprijscheck zelfstandige woonruimte | Huurprijscheck onzelfstandige woonruimte |
The abbreviation WWSO comes from Volkshuisvesting Nederland, which calls it the woningwaarderingsstelsel onzelfstandige woonruimte (WWSO).
For non-self-contained accommodation, shared rooms and shared facilities do count, but not in full per occupant. In its policy manual for non-self-contained accommodation the Huurcommissie states that the points for a communal room or shared facility are divided over all occupants entitled to use it.
When in doubt, look at the actual situation (private front door, private kitchen, private toilet, private washing facility) rather than at the label on the contract.
How do WWS points work?
Every part of the accommodation earns points under fixed rules. The Huurcommissie's policy manual for self-contained accommodation states that there are 12 categories: rooms, other spaces, heating and cooling, energy performance, kitchen, sanitary facilities, adaptations for people with a disability, outdoor spaces, communal rooms and facilities, communal parking, points for the WOZ value, and special facilities.
The points from every category are added together into a total score. Two categories usually move the total the most: energy performance and the WOZ value.
Energy performance is based on the registered energy label. The same policy manual states that labels E, F and G produce negative points for a self-contained home. You look up a registered label in EP-Online, which describes itself as the official national database holding the energy labels and energy performance indicators of buildings.
How much does the WOZ value count?
The WOZ value does not always count in full. The Dutch government states that at 186 points or fewer the WOZ value counts in full, and above 186 points it counts for one third. The same page explains that the measure is meant to stop social and mid-market rental homes from becoming too expensive.
You can look up the WOZ value of an address in the WOZ-waardeloket. According to the Dutch government you can request the WOZ value of your home there free of charge.
From points to maximum rent
Each point total maps to a maximum rent. Those amounts are indexed every year, so always use the current table. For a self-contained home the point total also drives the rental segment, but for mid-market rent the point count is not the only condition. The Huurcommissie names two conditions for a mid-market rental home: the tenancy agreement is new and was signed on or after 1 July 2024, and the home has a quality of 144 up to and including 186 points under the housing valuation system. It refers to the free sector at 187 points or more.
- Below 144 points: the home does not reach the mid-market boundary and sits in the lower regulated segment.
- 144 up to and including 186 points: mid-market rent under the Affordable Rent Act, but only when the tenancy agreement is new and was signed on or after 1 July 2024.
- 187 points or more: free sector.
These boundaries apply to self-contained accommodation. If you let non-self-contained accommodation, use the Huurprijscheck for onzelfstandige woonruimte and do not assume the same boundaries apply.
If your home sits just below a boundary, an improvement can make the difference between segments. Check first whether that improvement really earns points in one of the twelve categories.
Worked example with fictional points
The figures below are an invented illustration of how the addition works, not a guide to what a category yields. Suppose an apartment scores as follows:
- Rooms and other spaces: 82 points
- WOZ value: 34 points
- Energy performance: 25 points
- Remaining categories combined: 23 points
That adds up to 164 points. This total sits inside the band of 144 up to and including 186 points that the Huurcommissie names for mid-market rent. You look up the matching maximum rent in the current table; because the amounts change yearly, it is best to calculate with a tool that uses the most recent rules.
How to check your property in five steps
- Establish whether the accommodation is self-contained or non-self-contained, and therefore whether you use the WWS or the WWSO.
- Look up the WOZ value free of charge in the WOZ-waardeloket.
- Check in EP-Online whether a valid registered energy label exists.
- Measure the floor areas and work through every category, including outdoor space and shared facilities.
- Attach the points count to the rental contract. The Huurcommissie states that, to show your rent is reasonable, from 1 January 2025 you must attach a points count to every new rental contract.
One missing room or a wrong energy label changes the outcome, so gather the basics (address, WOZ value, energy label and floor areas) before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is the housing valuation system?
The housing valuation system is the points system set out in the Besluit huurprijzen woonruimte. It scores the quality of a home in points across twelve categories. The point total maps to a maximum basic rent. That gives tenant and landlord a verifiable basis for the rental price instead of an estimate.
When does the WWSO apply instead of the WWS?
The WWSO applies to non-self-contained accommodation. According to the Huurcommissie, accommodation is non-self-contained when there is no private front door and the washing facility, kitchen and/or toilet are shared. So if you let a room in a home with shared facilities, you calculate with the WWSO rather than the ordinary WWS.
From how many points is a home in the free sector?
For self-contained accommodation the Huurcommissie refers to the free sector at 187 points or more, and names a quality of 144 up to and including 186 points for a mid-market rental home. Those boundaries reflect the rules the Huurcommissie published as of 3 August 2026, so check them again for a new contract.
Do I have to attach a points count to a new rental contract?
Yes. The Huurcommissie states that from 1 January 2025 you must attach a points count of the property to every new rental contract to show that the rent is reasonable. You produce that count with the Huurprijscheck and attach the resulting PDF to the contract.
How much does the WOZ value count in the points system?
That depends on the point total. The Dutch government states that at 186 points or fewer the WOZ value counts in full, and above 186 points it counts for one third. The measure is meant to prevent social and mid-market rental homes from becoming too expensive because of a high WOZ value.
Where do I find the energy label of my property?
Registered energy labels are held in EP-Online, the official national database of energy labels and energy performance indicators for buildings. You search there by postcode and house number. Without a valid registered label the energy performance category does not fall away: the Huurcommissie then awards the points on the basis of the building year of the home, which it takes from the BAG. It notes that the absence of a valid energy label generally leads to a lower number of points.
Next step
Want to know how many points your home has and the maximum rent that goes with it? Work through the free WWS rent check. You enter the property details at no cost, and in the last step you sign in with a free account to calculate and save the points count and the maximum rent. The outcome is an indication based on the data you enter and not a ruling by the Huurcommissie.