The first thing to establish about any Amsterdam rental agency is whose side it is on, because an agency working for the landlord is not allowed to charge you and an agency you hire yourself is.
The four below split roughly that way: three have offices you can walk into and a public phone number, and one works by intake call and video only.
Addresses, hours and what each actually does are below, so you can rule out the ones that do not match your situation before you ring.
1) HousingNet
HousingNet works out of Churchill-laan 39 in the Rivierenbuurt and covers renting, letting, buying and selling with the rental side aimed at internationals.
It is the busiest of the four by a wide margin, with 496 reviews averaging 4.7, so there is more evidence to go on here than anywhere else on this list.
The office answers on 020 760 1500 between nine and five on weekdays and is closed at weekends, which matters if you are searching from another time zone.
Consultants handle viewings, negotiation and the practical follow-on of city registration and utilities.
2) Housing & Co.
Housing & Co. is at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 91 in the centre and works on a no-cure, no-pay basis, so nothing is owed if no home is found.
Its 176 reviews average a straight five, the highest rating here, though on a fraction of HousingNet’s volume.
It offers video viewings, which is the reason to use it if you are trying to arrange a home before you land.
Reachable on 020 209 0827, weekdays nine to six.
3) Amsterdam Housing
Amsterdam Housing has been letting for more than 30 years and works from Slingerbeekstraat 29, a few streets from HousingNet in the Rivierenbuurt.
It covers Amstelveen as well as Amsterdam, which widens the search if the city itself is out of budget.
Its 89 reviews average 4.4, and 81 per cent of them are five-star, so the average is dragged down by a small tail rather than general mediocrity.
The line is 020 671 7266, weekdays until half past five.
4) Amsterdam Life Homes
Amsterdam Life Homes starts with an intake form rather than a listings feed, and answers within a day with a link to book a free video call.
That call is where budget, area and commute get set, and the shortlist that follows is meant to be short rather than exhaustive.
It states eight years of trading and more than 250 homes managed, and works weekdays nine to five on 06 1374 9944.
It publishes no address, so this is a phone-and-video relationship rather than an office one.
What An Agency May Charge You
Dutch law does not allow the same agent to be paid by both the landlord and the tenant for arranging the same property.
If the agency found the flat on the landlord’s instruction, its fee is the landlord’s to pay, and tenants who have paid one in that situation have been able to reclaim it.
You can legitimately be charged when you engage a search agency yourself and it has no relationship with the owner of the property it finds you.
So the question to ask before signing anything is simple: are you also acting for the landlord of this property?
Get the answer, the fee and what it covers in writing, including VAT and any administration charge, before a viewing rather than after one.
How To Choose A Rental Agency In Amsterdam
Decide first whether you want a search or a relocation, because those are different products at different prices.
If you are renting from abroad, narrow immediately to the ones that do video viewings and digital signing, which here means Housing & Co. and Amsterdam Life Homes.
If you want somewhere to walk into with a problem, that narrows it to HousingNet, Housing & Co. and Amsterdam Housing, the three with street addresses.
Read reviews for patterns rather than verdicts, since repeated complaints about communication or unexpected charges say more than any single bad experience.
Ask whether the agency has handled your specific situation before, whether that is a pet, a diplomatic clause or an employer paying the rent directly.
Once the contract is signed, our directories of Amsterdam movers and storage firms and Amsterdam property management companies cover the next two practical steps.
Red Flags To Watch For
No legitimate Amsterdam agency asks for a deposit or a first month’s rent before there is a signed contract.
Pressure to pay by transfer to a personal account, or by anything other than a normal invoice, is where to stop.
A large canal flat in the Jordaan at well below market rent is not a bargain that slipped through, and the listing should be checked against the agency’s own website before you reply to it.
Every real agency will give you a written fee agreement setting out what you pay and when, and a refusal to do so is the answer to your question.
Check the KvK number, which every registered Dutch business has and can be looked up free, and be wary of any firm that will not give you one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which rental agencies in Amsterdam are worth approaching as an expat?
HousingNet, Housing & Co. and Amsterdam Housing all have Amsterdam offices, published phone numbers and a public review record.
Amsterdam Life Homes works remotely, so it is worth a call if you would rather start with a video viewing than an office visit.
What fees should I expect from a rental agency?
If the agency is acting for the landlord, the fee is not yours to pay, and you should establish that before a viewing.
Where a fee is legitimate, get the total in writing, including VAT and any administration charge, before you agree to anything.
How do I check that an agency is legitimate?
Ask for the KvK number and look it up, then check that the office address on the register matches the one on the website.
Three of the four here publish a street address you can visit, which is the simplest test of all.
Is it still hard to find a rental in Amsterdam?
Yes, and the practical consequence is that good flats are gone within days, so you need viewings arranged rather than listings emailed.
That is the main argument for paying an agency at all, particularly if you are searching from abroad.
Which neighbourhoods should I look at?
De Pijp, Oud-Zuid, the Jordaan and Oost are the usual expat choices for transport and amenities.
For the Zuidas offices, Buitenveldert and Amstelveen are cheaper and closer than the centre, and Amsterdam Housing covers both.
Which sites should I search myself?
Funda carries the widest coverage of the Dutch market, and Pararius lists heavily in English.
Kamernet and HousingAnywhere are the ones for rooms and shorter lets rather than whole flats.
Related reading
See also: Amsterdam Rental Scam Guide: How To Spot And Avoid Fraud.
