Rent Allowance and Impact of Liberalisation Threshold in Amsterdam

In Amsterdam, the liberalisation threshold determines rent allowance eligibility more strictly than elsewhere due to high rental prices. Dwellings below the €900 threshold (2024) qualify for allowance up to €450+ per month for minimum income households, crucial in a city where the average bare rent is €1,800. Above the threshold, no allowance, even for social welfare recipients in neighbourhoods like Bijlmer or West. The Rent Allowance Act (art. 6) bases this on 'deductible rent': bare rent minus service costs. Maximum income 2024: €26,500 single, €35,000 cohabiting. Exceedance leads to abrupt loss, easily doubling living expenses in Amsterdam to €2,000+. Exception: temporary liberalisation upon renovation retains allowance for 2 years, relevant for housing association projects in Nieuw-West. Tenants must report changes within 4 weeks via Mijn toeslagen; landlords risk fines for incorrect registration in the property register. Locally: 180,000 Amsterdam households dependent, with 15,000+ annually affected by liberalisation due to gentrification. Strategy: negotiate service costs or split service costs to stay below the threshold, popular among private landlords in De Pijp. Tax Authority tables monthly; energy performance A++ in newbuilds in Zuidoost provides bonus and deferral. Legally: Council of State (2023) ruled disproportionate in exceptional cases, such as under Amsterdam's poverty policy. Check eligibility on toeslagen.nl. Amsterdam Rent Teams advise for free. This highlights pitfalls in the urban rental market.