First year rental agreement cannot be terminated
A rental agreement with Verhuurtbeter.nl always has an initial minimum term of 12 months. The first year you can terminate the rental agreement, but you will still owe the rent for the first 12 months. After the 12 months, the rent can be terminated per calendar month by the tenant. This first year is therefore the most important risk for both you and the landlord, as if you can no longer pay the rent, both parties will suffer. If circumstances make it difficult for you to pay the rent, we of course advise you to get in touch with the landlord as soon as possible. You can limit the risk of any default for yourself after the first year by cancelling the lease. After the first year, therefore, the risk is lower for all parties. Therefore, to calculate your rental budget, the first year of your lease is very important.
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Sources of income | income
To calculate the rent budget, we also look at your income. This includes what you earn monthly. Depending on the sources of income that apply to you, we also look at the security of that income. For instance, permanent employment with an employer is more secure than someone who has just started a temp job. An entrepreneur who has been in business for less than 1 year is also less secure for the landlord than one who has been demonstrably successful in business for at least 2 years. Someone on unemployment benefits, whose payout is only certain for two months, will therefore have a significantly lower rental budget, than someone with a steady job. Is your income certain, or less certain? We take this into account when calculating the rent budget.

Particulars | income
​Students: if the main income consists of a scholarship and parental contribution, an extra month's deposit (i.e. two months' deposit in total) and a guarantor are required. Tip: also fill in any side job separately! If the income from a secondary job is high (enough), we may not require an extra month's deposit.
​Temporary workers: if you undertake only temporary work, an extra month's deposit (i.e. two months in total) and a guarantor is mandatory.
​Entrepreneurs operating for less than one year: if you undertake for less than one year, an extra month's deposit (so two months in total) and a guarantor is mandatory.
​Benefit claimants: in most situations, an extra month's deposit (i.e. two months' deposit in total) and a guarantor are compulsory for prospective tenants on benefits.
​30% ruling: if you are a highly skilled migrant, it is quite possible that you will use the 30% rule. In this case, you will keep more net income. This benefit is calculated in the rent budget, provided you set the 30% rule to 'Yes' in your declared income. See the question on this in the image above.
​Living together, sharing a home as friends or as lovers: if you are renting a home together with someone, we will of course also look at the income of the second person. That income counts in full. We also look at whether you share the property (as friends/students, for example) or whether you run a permanent household together as lovers. If you share the home (i.e. not as a family), a guarantor is required. You can read an interesting article on sharing housing here.
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Equity: equity (which can be demonstrated, of course) is readily available to pay the rent and therefore counts when calculating your rental budget.

Expenses
If you have debts and have to pay off an amount of these every month for at least the first year of your rental agreement, this amount will count in the calculation. It then implies that you will have a lower rent budget. If the debts are paid off within a few months, we also take this into account, of course. Your expenses and other questions around expenses can be answered in your account: Profile > section 3 Expenses.
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Security deposit
If you are willing to pay an extra month's deposit, it provides a little more security for the landlord and your rental budget is a little higher. The standard security deposit is one month's rent for each tenant. A second month (the extra month) is also the maximum the landlord will ask for a deposit. A higher deposit than two months is not allowed under the Good Landlord Act since 01-07-2023.
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Guarantor

If you are willing to attach a guarantor to your tenancy agreement, it provides more security for the landlord and your rental budget is higher.
PLEASE NOTE: in some situations, a guarantor is mandatory. For example, for house sharers, students, benefit recipients, entrepreneurs who have been in business for less than a year. Read more about guarantors for rental properties here
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We do not look at what the prospective tenant is willing to pay monthly, but apply the rules of the game (the rent budget) we mentioned above.