This article only applies for Long Stay. Click here to find more information about the difference between Long Stay and Short Stay housing.

What does the rent consist of?

The rent consists of the basic rent (also called net rent) and the service costs. Service costs vary per accommodation type but often have to do with cleaning, heating, water, electricity and municipal taxes. The basic rent is the fee you pay for the use of the accommodation and any communal (outdoor) areas. The basic rent, including service costs, is the gross rent: this is the amount you pay to the SSH each month.

Basic rent + service costs = gross rent

How do you determine my rent?

We set the basic rent based on the government's point system. This sets the maximum rent that landlords are allowed to charge. This point system is called the WWSO: the Housing Rating System for non-self-contained accommodations (rooms). Within this system, the quality of a room is assessed by means of points. Based on the total number of points the (net) rent is calculated. Factors that determine the amount of the rent include the size of the room, facilities in the accommodation and the number of roommates with whom facilities are shared. You also pay service costs, for example for internet, gas, water or electricity. In your rental contract you can see exactly which costs apply for you.

What is a WWS(O)?

The Housing Rating System (WWS) is a points-based system to determine the maximum (permitted) rental price of a social rental house or room. The WWS for rooms is also called the WWSO. The O stands for non-self-contained (in Dutch: onzelfstandig). A room is a non-self-contained dwelling because you share facilities and a front door. The SSH follow the rules and legislation of the central government. We are obliged to apply the new WWSO.

A new WWSO, why is that?

The old WWSO came from 1979 and was severely outdated. This made building, renting and preserving rooms loss-making. This while (additional) rooms are desperately needed due to the housing crisis. In 2024 there was a shortage of 23,100 rooms. The WWSO has therefore been renewed. This gives housing corporations more financial space to build additional rooms or make existing rooms more sustainable. The maximum rents will increase due to the new WWSO. This will enable housing associations (and specifically student housing providers) to continue to build, rent and make rooms more sustainable. Because we're a foundation, we do not aim to make a profit. The new WWSO has been published for a while, but the rating system has been in use by the SSH since January 2025. For more information, please take a look at this page.

Why is the rent for vacant rooms in my house suddenly different?

Because for new rentals, the rent is calculated according to the new WWSO. This new calculation method affects the rent for new lettings. Rents of already ongoing contracts will not be adjusted. We may not yet have all the data for calculating rents using the new WWSO. Rents for new vacant rooms in your home may therefore still change in 2025. We never charge more than the legal maximum.

Where can I see how my rent was established?

If you signed (or will sign) a rental agreement in 2025, you will find the calculation of your rent in your (draft) lease. For tenants who signed their lease in 2024 or earlier, the calculation will follow on My SSH during 2025.

Does the new WWSO affect my rent?

The new WWSO has no negative impact (in terms of rent) on rental agreements already in place. It is possible that you pay too much rent according to the new WWSO. In that case you will receive a message from us (or you may have already received a message) about the reduce of your rent - if applicable with retroactive effect from 1 January 2025. 

Does the new WWSO affect my rental allowance?

Unless you have received a message from us, the new WWSO does not affect your rental allowance. The new WWSO is applied to new rentals and not to current rentals. 

Does the new WWSO also apply to internal moves?

Yes, the WWSO is applied to all new rentals, so also for internal moves. Please keep this in mind when one of your roommates is going to submit (multiple) internal moves. 

Can I check if my rent has been calculated correctly?

Yes, you can. We rent our rooms based on the point system.

• Did you rental agreement start after 1 January 2025? You can do a rent check on the website of de Huurcommissie. You can find the housing data you need for this on My SSH. Do you have a question about the rent check or do you need help? Please contact us.
• Did your rental agreement start before 1 January 2025: You can do a rent check on the website of de Huurcommissie. You will find the data you need for this on My SSH later this year. Don't want to wait? You can request the data at info@sshxl.nl. Do you have a question about the rent check or do you need help? Please contact us.

Please note: we are currently working on updating our housing data. Therefore, the data on My SSH may still change in 2025. You will then see that de Huurcommissie's website lists a higher rent than is stated in your rental contract. We will not change the rent in that case, and never charge more than the legal maximum.

How often do you adjust the rent?

Separate from the WWSO, on July 1st of each year, we adjust rent rates, typically following the inflation rate. You will receive a notification regarding the rent adjustment before May 1st. It's important to note that we will never ask more than the maximum rent determined by the government's point system, not even after a rent increase. Do you disagree with the rent increase? Then you can object with the  rent tribunal  before 1 July. 

Please note that in addition to the net rent, the service costs are also adjusted, often simultaneously with the annual adjustment of the net rent price. In exceptional cases, we may adjust the service costs multiple times yearly if the actual consumption exceeds the advance payment.

Also, with our tenants' representative BoKS, we’ve agreed that we will increase the rent once the accommodation becomes vacant. We call this rent harmonisation. As a result, you may pay a different amount of rent than your housemate.

What is income-dependent rent increase?

If you live in a studio or flat and your income in 2023 was higher than €57.143, you may receive an income-dependent rent increase of up to €100. This increase is intended to ensure that people live in housing appropriate to their income, in line with government policy.

Each spring, we request income data from the Dutch Tax Authorities to determine whether this increase applies to you. If your information was shared with us, you will have received a message from the Dutch Tax Authorities.

You can find more information about the income-related rent increase on the central government’s website.