What happens if my landlord sells the property?

The short answer

Purchase does not break the lease - this is an important principle in Dutch rental law. Your rental contract simply continues, even if the property gets a new owner. The new owner automatically steps into all the rights and obligations of the previous landlord. You do not need to sign a new contract and your rent price also remains the same. Only the name on your rental contract changes.

What does the law say?

The Dutch Civil Code clearly regulates this in Article 7:226. This law protects tenants against arbitrary termination of their rental contract upon sale. The buyer must comply with all agreements in the original rental contract. This applies to both social housing and private rental properties.

What should you pay attention to?

Make sure you are informed in a timely manner about the sale and who your new landlord is. Ensure you know where to pay the rent from now on and keep all correspondence. You can always assert your rights in case of problems.

Example from practice

Maria has been renting an apartment for €800 per month for three years. Her landlord decides to sell the property to an investor. Maria is worried that she will have to move or pay more rent. The new owner sends her a letter that he is the new landlord, but all the terms remain the same. Maria simply continues living there for €800 per month and does not need to take any action.

What can you do?

In the event of a sale, you basically don't have to do anything - the rental contract continues automatically.