The housing market here is tough, and landlords often choose from many applicants. A short, polite Dutch message can quietly put you ahead, because it signals you are settled, serious, and easy to deal with. You do not need perfect Dutch, just the right phrases for three moments: making contact, the viewing, and the contract.

Making contact

Most listings get a flood of replies, so a clear first message helps. Keep it short:

  • “Is deze kamer nog beschikbaar?” (Is this room still available?)
  • “Is de woning nog beschikbaar?” (Is the apartment still available?)
  • “Mag ik een bezichtiging inplannen?” (May I schedule a viewing?)
  • “Ik ben net verhuisd naar…” (I just moved to…)
  • “Ik werk bij…” / “Ik studeer aan…” (I work at… / I study at…)

A landlord skimming twenty messages notices the one that is polite, specific, and in Dutch. Even if you continue in English afterwards, opening in Dutch sets a good tone.

At the viewing

A viewing (“bezichtiging”) goes quickly, so know the questions that matter before you arrive:

  • “Wat is de huur per maand?” (What is the rent per month?)
  • “Zijn de servicekosten inbegrepen?” (Are the service costs included?)
  • “Is het inclusief gas, water en licht?” (Is it including gas, water and electricity?) Often shortened to “inclusief GWL”.
  • “Hoeveel is de borg?” (How much is the deposit?)
  • “Kan ik me hier inschrijven?” (Can I register here?) This matters a lot, because you need to register at the gemeente.
  • “Per wanneer is het beschikbaar?” (From when is it available?)

That registration question is important. You need a registered address to sort out almost everything else, which leads straight into the Dutch words you need at the gemeente.

Words you will see on the contract

A Dutch rental contract (“huurcontract”) is full of specific terms. You do not need to translate every line, but know these:

  • “Huur” (rent) and “kale huur” (base rent, before extra costs)
  • “Borg” or “waarborgsom” (deposit)
  • “Servicekosten” (service costs, for shared maintenance and sometimes utilities)
  • “Opzegtermijn” (notice period for ending the lease)
  • “Huurtoeslag” (rent benefit, a government subsidy some renters qualify for)
  • “Oplevering” (the condition the place must be returned in)
  • “Inschrijven” (to register your address)

If anything is unclear, it is completely normal to ask. “Kunt u dit uitleggen?” (Can you explain this?) is a perfectly good thing to say to a landlord or agent.

Reply to landlord messages in Dutch

Once you have a place, a lot of landlord contact happens by WhatsApp or email, often in Dutch. Try to reply in short Dutch sentences rather than switching to English every time:

  • “Ja, dat is goed.” (Yes, that is fine.)
  • “Wanneer komt u langs?” (When are you coming by?)
  • “De verwarming doet het niet.” (The heating is not working.)
  • “Kunt u een loodgieter sturen?” (Can you send a plumber?)

These are exactly the kind of real messages a phrasebook never covers, and they come up constantly once you have moved in. If replying in Dutch still feels hard because people keep switching to English, see how to learn Dutch when everyone speaks English.

Do not try to learn it all at once

You will not need every word above on day one. Learn the “is it available” and viewing phrases first, since those come up immediately, and pick up the contract terms when you actually have a contract in front of you. Situation by situation is far easier than memorising a glossary.

That is the whole approach we recommend in the realistic guide to learning Dutch as an expat, and it is how the Learn Dutch For Expats app, available on the App Store, is built: the housing phrases live in one short lesson, with audio, ready for the moment you need them, not buried in a grammar chapter. When you reach the contract stage, see Dutch phrases for signing a housing contract.