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How much can I borrow? Dutch mortgage limits in 2026

How Dutch lenders set your maximum mortgage in 2026: income, test rate, student debt, partner income and the NHG limit. With a worked example.

Written by: Woningmarkt NL editors. Updated

Income and the housing-cost ratio

In the Netherlands your bank does not decide freely how much you may borrow. The government sets the limits in the Temporary Mortgage Credit Regulation (Tijdelijke regeling hypothecair krediet, Trhk). It contains a table of financing-cost percentages (financieringslastpercentages, often called the woonquote): the share of your gross income that may go to interest and repayment. Nibud, the national budget institute, advises on the table every year and the ministry sets it.

The percentage depends on your test income and the interest rate used in the test. A higher income gives a higher percentage. The result is a maximum monthly payment, which is converted into a loan amount using the rate and a 30-year term.

There is also a cap based on the home: the mortgage may not exceed 100% of the market value. That is why you normally pay the buying costs from savings.

The test rate

If you fix your rate for less than 10 years, the lender must test with at least 5%, even if your actual rate is lower. The AFM, the Dutch financial markets authority, sets this minimum each quarter. Fix for 10 years or longer and your actual rate is used. A longer fixed period can therefore give you more borrowing room, even at a slightly higher rate. See mortgage rate outlook for how to think about fixed periods.

Student debt and partners

Student debt. Since 2024 lenders use the actual monthly amount you pay to DUO, the student finance agency, not an estimate based on the total debt. That amount is grossed up with a factor from the Trhk (it depends on the test rate) and subtracted from your maximum monthly payment. If you have not started repaying yet, have a repayment holiday or pay a reduced amount, the lender works with your current balance, rate and remaining term.

Partner. According to Nibud, the lower earner's income has counted in full since 2023. Two people with the same combined gross income can borrow the same amount, however the income is split.

Energy label. A home with a good energy label, or a plan for energy-saving measures, adds a fixed amount of borrowing room. The amounts are in the Trhk and built into our calculator.

The NHG limit

If your mortgage stays at or below €470,000 (€498,200 with energy-saving measures), you can take out a mortgage with the National Mortgage Guarantee in 2026. NHG does not change how much you may borrow, but it affects your rate and your safety net. See NHG mortgage explained.

Worked example

A single buyer earning €60,000 gross a year, no student debt, a home with energy label E, and a rate of 4.0% fixed for 10 years. Our mortgage calculator uses the 2026 Trhk tables:

These are indications from our own calculator. A lender also looks at other debts, your contract and your age, and may arrive at a different figure.

Read more

Disclaimer

This guide is indicative and not financial advice. Your own situation may work out differently. Talk to an independent mortgage adviser before you decide.

This text was written with AI assistance. The editors checked the rules and figures against the sources below (as of 17 October 2026).

Sources

  1. Temporary Mortgage Credit Regulation (Trhk), in force from 1 January 2026 (Dutch): https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0032503/2026-01-01/0
  2. Amending regulation on mortgage credit 2026 (Staatscourant 2025, 36471, Dutch): https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stcrt-2025-36471.html
  3. Nibud, Advice on mortgage standards 2026 (second income, student loans, test rate; Dutch): https://www.nibud.nl/download/22171/
  4. NHG, NHG limit in 2026 (Dutch): https://www.nhg.nl/nhg-actueel/nhg-grens-in-2026-vastgesteld-op-470000/

Not financial advice. This guide explains rules; your own situation may work out differently.

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