---
title: "How WWS points set the maximum rent price"
description: "How WWS points set the maximum rent price in the Netherlands: 2026 and 2027 limits, energy label points, surcharges and what you must give your tenant."
url: "https://verhuurregels.pro/en/rent-price/"
locale: "en"
author: "Redactie Verhuurregels.pro"
publishedDate: ""
updatedDate: "2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z"
categories: ""
tags: ""
---

# How WWS points set the maximum rent price

How WWS points set the maximum rent price in the Netherlands: 2026 and 2027 limits, energy label points, surcharges and what you must give your tenant.

**Short version:** the maximum rent price of a Dutch rental home follows from its WWS points under the woningwaarderingsstelsel, the national points system. Since the Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur) took effect on **1 July 2024**, every home with up to **186 points** has a legal rent cap. From **187 points** the home sits in the free sector and you agree the rent with your tenant.

Rent is one part of your [landlord obligations in the Netherlands](/en/for-landlords/), and it is the part whose figures move every year. This page covers how the points system works, which limits apply in 2026 and how much the energy label adds.

## What is the WWS points system?

The woningwaarderingsstelsel (WWS) is the national scoring system that turns the quality of a rental home into a maximum rent. A home earns points for things such as its energy label and its WOZ value (the municipal property valuation), and it loses points when it has no outdoor space. The total decides the sector and the highest rent you may charge.

Before 1 July 2024, only social housing had a cap. The Affordable Rent Act stretched the capped band up to 186 points, so mid-rent homes got a legal maximum too. If you own a home in that band, the price rules have applied to every new lease you sign since that date.

## What are the rent limits for 2026?

The limits rose by **3.65%** on **1 January 2026**. These are the [maximum rent limits published by Volkshuisvesting Nederland](https://www.volkshuisvestingnederland.nl/onderwerpen/huren-en-wonen/inkomensgrenzen-huurprijsgrenzen-en-huurtoeslagparameters/maximale-huurprijsgrenzen):

- **Social rent:** up to 143 points, maximum **€932.93** a month.
- **Mid-rent (middenhuur):** 144 to 186 points, maximum **€1,228.07** at 186 points. This amount doubles as the liberalisation limit.
- **Free sector:** 187 points and up, with no legal cap.

Under the new law, the limits change every 1 January. The figures for **1 January 2027** are already out (document dated 7 October 2026): **€959.71** at 143 points and **€1,263.32** at 186 points. The point thresholds stay at 143 and 186, and only the euro amounts rise.

The yearly increase on a running lease depends on the sector as well, and the [rent increases per sector](/en/compare/) for 2026 range from 4.1% to 6.1%.

## How many WWS points does the energy label give?

For homes of **40 m² or more**, the energy label is worth between **-15 and 62 points**. The figures come from the [Rijksoverheid table on energy labels and rent points](https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/woning-huren/vraag-en-antwoord/welke-invloed-heeft-het-energielabel-op-de-huurpunten-van-mijn-woning):

| Energy label | Single-family home | Apartment (multi-family) |
|---|---|---|
| A++++ | 62 | 58 |
| A+++ | 57 | 53 |
| A++ | 52 | 48 |
| A+ | 47 | 43 |
| A | 41 | 37 |
| B | 34 | 30 |
| C | 22 | 15 |
| D | 14 | 11 |
| E | -4 | -4 |
| F | -9 | -9 |
| G | -15 | -15 |

Listed monuments get an exception: where an ordinary home receives minus points, a monument receives **0 points**.

A worked example shows what a better label is worth. A single-family home with label E scores -4 points. After an upgrade to label B, the same home scores 34 points, a gain of 34 + 4 = **38 points**. An apartment moving from label C (15 points) to label A (37 points) gains **22 points**. If your home sits just below 144 or 187 points, a jump like that can move it into a different sector.

There is also a plan on the table: rental homes with label E, F or G would have to reach at least label D by 1 January 2029. The draft decree went to both chambers of parliament on 10 July 2026 and is not law yet, so it has no start date. For upgrades, the SVOH subsidy pays up to **€15,000** per home.

## Which surcharges and caps apply?

Three further rules shift the outcome beyond the energy label. According to Aedes, the association of Dutch housing corporations, these apply under the Affordable Rent Act (in force since 1 July 2024):

- **New builds:** a **10%** surcharge for 20 years, if construction starts before 1 January 2028.
- **National monuments (rijksmonumenten):** a surcharge of up to **35%**.
- **WOZ value:** for homes above 186 points, the WOZ value supplies no more than **33%** of the points.

## Which leases fall under the old rules?

The date the lease was signed decides which rules apply. For leases signed before 1 July 2024:

- Mid-rent and free-sector leases stay uncapped.
- A social home (143 points or fewer) with rent above the old liberalisation limit had to be lowered from **1 July 2025**.
- Rooms are always capped, whatever the signing date.

Sign a lease with a new tenant today and the current limits and the current points system apply.

## What do you owe the tenant, and who checks the rent?

Since **1 January 2025** you hand the tenant the points calculation with every new lease, free-sector homes included. The tenant can then test the rent against the points.

The tenant can ask the Huurcommissie (the Dutch rent tribunal) to assess the starting rent within **6 months** of the start. That costs the tenant **€25**; if you as landlord open a case, the fee is **€500**. Whoever wins gets the fee back.

Municipalities have enforced the Affordable Rent Act since 1 January 2025. The FAQ of Volkshuisvesting Nederland names a maximum fine of **€100,000**.

## Which changes to the points system are planned?

Three changes were announced on 10 April 2025 and do not apply yet:

1. a surcharge based on the WOZ value;
2. scrapping the 5 minus points for a home without outdoor space;
3. a higher score for small national monuments.

A parliamentary motion of 10 June 2026 asked for speed, yet none of the three plans has a start date. An evaluation of the whole law is planned for 2027. Until a decision lands, work with the table and the limits on this page.