Property ownership in the Netherlands

What you really buy when you buy a Dutch home

In the Netherlands, "buying a house" does not always mean buying the land under it. Sometimes you own the building, but the city still owns the ground. This short guide explains every type of ownership you will see on Funda, in plain language for people new to the Netherlands.

1 The big idea: land and house are two things

Dutch law treats the land and the building as separate legal objects. Most countries assume "the land belongs to whoever owns the house on top of it." The Netherlands does not assume that.

In Ukraine (typically)
1 owner = both

When you buy the house, you also get the plot of land under it. One contract, one owner, one Kadaster record.

In the Netherlands
you city

Sometimes you own the house, but the city owns the land. You pay yearly rent (called canon) to use the ground. This is called erfpacht.

Why this matters: Two houses can have the same price on Funda, but very different real costs over time. Always check the Eigendomssituatie field on the listing before falling in love with a property.

2 The 3 main types of ownership

Almost every Dutch property falls into one of these three buckets. Learn these three words and you can read 95% of Funda listings.

1
Best case

Full ownership

Volle eigendom

You own the building AND the land. Forever. No yearly rent to the city. The same kind of ownership most Ukrainians know from home: it is just yours.

Where: Most of NL outside Amsterdam, Den Haag, Rotterdam center
Risk: Lowest
you city
Common in Amsterdam

Leasehold (you own the house, rent the land)

Erfpacht

You own the building, but the city (or a private owner) still owns the land underneath. You pay yearly ground rent called canon. Some leaseholds are paid off forever; others must be paid every year.

Where: ~80% of Amsterdam, parts of Den Haag, Rotterdam, Utrecht
Risk: Depends on subtype (see section 3)
you
Apartments

Apartment right

Appartementsrecht

When you buy an apartment, you do not own a "physical" apartment, you own a share of the whole building plus the exclusive right to use your unit. All owners together form a homeowners' association called the VvE (see section 4).

Where: All apartments in NL
Risk: Depends on VvE health
?
Rare

Building right (opstal)

Recht van opstal

A specific right to keep a structure on land that belongs to someone else. Similar to erfpacht in feel, but used for things like solar panels on a rented roof, jetties, or houses on dike land. Almost never the main right for normal homes.

When you see it: Ask the notary to explain. Do not assume it is standard.

3 Erfpacht has four flavors. The name matters.

If the listing says erfpacht, you must read the next word too. The difference between two erfpacht flavors can be tens of thousands of euros over your lifetime in the house.

How long does your right last, and when do you pay? 1. Eeuwigdurend afgekocht (paid off forever) no more payments, EVER 2. Eeuwigdurend (forever, with yearly canon) small yearly fee, never changes much (CPI only) 3. Voortdurend (renewable, canon resets every 50-75 years) period 1: paid off period 2: ?? higher canon period 3: ?? cost is unpredictable across periods 4. Tijdelijk (ends on a fixed date, no renewal) building goes back to landowner
Visual: when payments happen and when your right ends.
Name on Funda In plain words Mortgage?
Eeuwigdurend afgekocht
paid off forever		 Like full ownership for your wallet. No more canon, ever. The cleanest erfpacht. Easy
Eeuwigdurend (canon)
forever with yearly canon		 You pay a small yearly fee that almost never grows (CPI only). Predictable. The modern Amsterdam standard since 2017. Easy
Voortdurend
renewable in periods		 Canon is paid for a fixed period (e.g. until 2056). After that, the city sets a new canon based on new land prices. You cannot know that number today. Possible, harder
Tijdelijk
fixed-term, ends on a date		 Right ends on a specific date with no renewal. The building goes back to the landowner. You are buying time, not a home. Almost always rejected
Red flag: If you see tijdelijke erfpacht or a date like "until 2034" with no renewal mentioned, walk away unless you have cash and a lawyer. Most banks will not give you a mortgage.
Good to know: Yearly canon reduces how much mortgage you can get. Banks treat canon roughly like extra interest: every EUR 1,000 of yearly canon can lower your borrowing limit by about EUR 15,000.

4 Apartments: the VvE is the boss

Buying an apartment means joining a club. Every owner in the building is a member. The club is called the VvE (Vereniging van Eigenaars). It collects monthly fees, maintains the roof and stairs, and decides on big repairs together.

Active VvE = healthy meets, pays, saves money Sleeping VvE = mortgage blocker Zzz no meetings, no money saved vs
Always ask: is the VvE active? Banks will check.

What to ask about the VvE

Question Good answer Bad answer
Is it active? Yes, registered with the KvK, has yearly meetings "Sleeping" (slapend)
How many owners? 6 or more 2-3 (any conflict = stuck)
Maintenance plan (MJOP)? Yes, less than 5 years old None or "we will make one"
Reserve fund? At least 0.5% of building rebuild cost per year saved Empty or unknown
Monthly contribution? EUR 100-250 (typical for a normal building) Very low (EUR 20) on an old building
Sleeping VvE blocks mortgages. Dutch banks now refuse to lend on apartments where the VvE has no meetings, no plan, and no money. If the seller says "the VvE is sleeping but it is fine," ask your mortgage advisor before signing anything.

5 A quick visual: how to read a listing in 30 seconds

Open the listing on Funda, scroll to Kadastrale informatie and Eigendomssituatie. Follow this tree.

Read Eigendomssituatie on the Funda page "Volle eigendom" full ownership Easy buy. Move on. No extra checks needed "Erfpacht" leasehold Read the next word. "afgekocht" = OK "voortdurend" = check canon "tijdelijk" = stop "Appartementsrecht" apartment Check the VvE first. Active? Reserve fund? Sleeping VvE = blocked May ALSO be on erfpacht Then check: monumental status? rijksmonument / gemeentemonument / beeldbepalend

6 Before you sign: a 1-minute buyer checklist

If you cannot say "yes" to all of these, you are not ready to sign the koopakte.

  • I know whether this is volle eigendom, erfpacht, or appartementsrecht.
  • If erfpacht: I know the exact subtype (paid off / canon / voortdurend / tijdelijk) and the next reset date.
  • If apartment: I have read the latest VvE meeting minutes and seen the reserve fund balance.
  • My mortgage advisor has confirmed in writing that the bank will accept this property.
  • I know whether the house has monumental status (this can limit what you may change).
  • My notary (notaris) has confirmed the seller is the registered owner in the Kadaster.
  • I have an independent technical inspection (bouwkundige keuring) report.
  • I understand the 3-day cooling-off period after signing the koopakte (Art. 7:2 BW).

7 Glossary: Dutch words you will see

Funda listings use Dutch terms even in English mode. Here are the ones that matter.

Eigendomssituatie The legal ownership status field on the listing. Always read it.
Volle eigendom Full ownership of land and building. The cleanest case.
Erfpacht Leasehold: you own the building but rent the land long-term.
Canon The yearly fee you pay for erfpacht land.
Afgekocht "Paid off." Combined with eeuwigdurend means no more canon ever.
Eeuwigdurend "Perpetual" - forever, no expiry date.
Voortdurend "Continuing" - renewable in periods of 50 or 75 years.
Tijdelijk "Temporary." Right ends on a fixed date. Avoid.
Appartementsrecht Apartment right: share in the building + use of your unit.
VvE Homeowners' association of the apartment building. Must be active.
Slapende VvE "Sleeping" VvE = no meetings, no money. Banks refuse mortgages.
MJOP Multi-year maintenance plan. Healthy VvEs have one.
Kadaster National land registry. Source of truth for who owns what.
Notaris Notary. Mandatory to transfer property. Neutral, not "your" lawyer.
Koopakte Purchase agreement (private contract). 3-day cooling-off applies.
Bouwkundige keuring Technical inspection of the building. Strongly recommended.
Rijksmonument National monument. Strict rules on what you can change.
Beeldbepalend "Character-defining" - softer protection than monument status.
Disclaimer: This guide is educational and simplified for newcomers. It is not legal or financial advice. Always confirm with a Dutch notary (notaris) and licensed mortgage advisor before signing. Sources: Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 5, Amsterdam AB2016 erfpacht regulations, Nationale Hypotheek Garantie 2026 norms, BW Art. 7:2 (cooling-off period). Last updated 2026-05-24.