How do contractors find accommodation for workers in the Netherlands?

Where do contractor crews actually stay in the Netherlands?

Most Dutch construction and energy work happens outside the big cities, in places where hotel stock is thin. Across 17 Netherlands bookings in our system (cancellations excluded), crews stayed in Rotterdam and in small towns in Groningen and North Brabant, such as Termunten, Stadskanaal, Lith and Oisterwijk. The median stay was 28 nights, and 53% of stays were under 30 nights [Bonjour Residences OS, 8 October 2026, n=17]. That is longer than our median of 16 nights across all countries (n=201).

A four-week stay in a small town sits awkwardly between the options bookers usually know. It is long for a hotel, short for a standard lease, and the certified worker housing nearby may already be full with agency workers. So the first decision is the housing type, not the address.

Option	Usually fits	Check before booking
Hotel, aparthotel or short-stay lodging	A few nights to a few weeks, small crews	21% VAT on lodging, local tourist tax, parking and laundry for vans and workwear
Certified labour migrant housing (SNF register)	Larger crews, longer rotations	Location in the SNF register, which norm version applies, bedroom sharing rules
Private homes rented for the project	Crews of 4 to 8 staying a month or more	Separate tenancy document, whether the address allows registration, local rental permit rules

What is SNF certification, and does a contractor need it?

SNF (Stichting Normering Flexwonen) runs the Dutch quality standard and register for labour migrant housing. Its norm was tightened on 1 October 2026. For locations of newly registered companies, and for new locations of existing members, each resident must have at least 15 m² of usable living space, and a bedroom is in principle for one person. Two residents may share only if they choose to, for example partners, and the housing provider must be able to show that in writing. Existing locations keep the space rules that applied before. Providers must also sign declarations that their locations meet fire safety rules and that they have checked whether the municipality requires a notification or permit.

Whether you need SNF depends on who supplies the workers. From 1 January 2027, under the new admission system for labour providers (Wtta), a business that supplies workers and arranges their housing may only use a housing corporation or a landlord certified against the housing norms set in the collective agreement, in practice SNF certification. A contractor posting its own employees is not caught by that rule, but SNF is still the best benchmark for what a Dutch crew house is expected to look like.

What does the Good Landlord Act require?

The Wet goed verhuurderschap (Good Landlord Act) defines a labour migrant as a national of another EU member state whose main residence is not in the Netherlands and who stays there to do temporary work. That covers most posted construction crews. Anyone renting accommodation to them must record the tenancy separately from the employment contract and give the key tenancy information in a language the worker prefers or understands. Municipalities can also require a rental permit in designated areas, and several have adopted local rules specifically for labour migrant housing.

VAT and tourist tax on short stays

Since 1 January 2026 short-term lodging in hotels, guesthouses and holiday accommodation carries the standard 21% VAT rate, up from 9%. Municipalities may levy a tourist tax on people staying who are not registered as residents there, so check whether it is included in the price. We explain how to treat crew housing costs in pay in Can we deduct crew accommodation from posted workers' pay? The Dutch housing deduction from the minimum wage only works with certified housing and written consent.

Do workers need to register their address?

Yes, if they stay long enough. A worker who will live in the Netherlands for more than four months must register with the municipality where they live (BRP). Shorter stays can be registered in the non-residents records (RNI) at one of 19 desks, which gives them a citizen service number (BSN) for tax and payroll. For long rotations, ask the host before booking whether the address can be used for registration.

What should bookers do differently?

• Choose the housing type from the stay length. Hotels for days, homes or certified housing for weeks and months. Our clients have saved 20-30% by using the correct market for the length of stay.
• Ask which SNF norm version applies if you book certified housing, and whether residents will have their own bedrooms.
• If an agency supplies your workers, ask now how its housing will meet the 2027 rule.
• Keep the tenancy separate from the employment contract and in a language the crew understands.
• Check VAT and tourist tax on every quote so totals compare like for like.
• Start early near large projects. Begin the search before the mobilisation date is fixed, not after.

For project areas we already cover, see Eemshaven and Eindhoven and Veldhoven. For the space standards in other countries, read What accommodation standards do we have to meet for posted workers in Europe? and our guide to accommodation for workers in Germany.

FAQ

Is SNF certification mandatory in the Netherlands?

Not for every landlord. From 1 January 2027 businesses that supply workers and arrange their housing must use a housing corporation or a landlord certified to the collective agreement housing norm. Contractors housing their own posted crews are not bound by that rule.

How much space does a worker need in Dutch labour migrant housing?

Under the SNF norm in force from 1 October 2026, new locations must give each resident at least 15 m² of usable living space. Existing locations keep the space rules that applied before.

What VAT applies to worker accommodation in the Netherlands?

Short-term lodging in hotels, guesthouses and holiday accommodation is taxed at 21% since 1 January 2026. Check with your tax adviser how a longer private rental is treated.