Dutch · B1 (Intermediate)
Housing in Dutch: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Dutch words for housing are het huurcontract (the rental contract), de servicekosten (service charges) and de borg (the deposit). The full Dutch housing phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Dutch vocabulary for housing, with example sentences and English translations. This is B1 (Intermediate) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Dutch to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key housing vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het huurcontract | the rental contract |
| de servicekosten | service charges |
| de borg | the deposit |
| de opzegging | the termination notice |
| het overdrachtformulier | the handover form |
| de woningcorporatie | the social housing provider |
| het energielabel | the energy certificate |
| de vaste lasten | fixed costs (rent + utilities) |
| de huurtoeslag | housing benefit |
| de onderhuur | subletting |
Example sentences
Ik heb een huurcontract voor twee jaar getekend.
I have signed a rental contract for two years.
De servicekosten bedragen honderd euro per maand.
The service charges are one hundred euros per month.
De borg is gelijk aan twee maanden kale huur.
The deposit equals two months bare rent.
Ik stuur de verhuurder de opzegging.
I send the landlord the termination notice.
Ik ontvang huurtoeslag van de Belastingdienst.
I receive housing benefit from the Tax Authority.
Onderhuur is in veel huurcontracten verboden.
Subletting is forbidden in many rental contracts.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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