The main changes to mortgage regulations in 2026

Wages are expected to rise by an average of 4.1% in 2026, which means that you may be able to borrow more for your home. But if your income remains the same, you’ll probably be able to borrow less in 2026. Every year, the Dutch National Institute for Family Finance Information (Nibud) decides on a safe and sensible limit to household borrowing. The government accepts and implements their figures.

How much more you can borrow after getting a pay rise depends on your household’s total income. Example:

• If your household has a joint gross annual income of €70,000, you’ll be able to borrow approximately €6,000 more in 2026.
• If your household has a joint gross annual income of €100,000, you’ll be able to borrow approximately €15,500 more in 2026.

Good to know: a higher income doesn’t automatically mean that you can borrow more. The mortgage interest rate also plays a role, and this is constantly changing. The higher the interest rate, the higher your monthly repayments and the lower your maximum mortgage.

The Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) is a safety net designed to protect you if you are suddenly unable to meet your monthly mortgage repayments if you lose your job, for example, or get divorced. Banks run less risk and you often benefit from a lower interest rate.

• As of 2026, all types of home will be subject to the same Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) threshold, including caravans and pitches
• In 2026, the threshold for the Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) will rise to €470,000 (in 2025:  €450,000)
• If you are making sustainable home improvements, the maximum threshold is €498,200
• The one-off fee for the Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) remains 0.4% of the mortgage amount.

If you’re planning to buy a house in 2026, you may be eligible to pay less (or no) property transfer tax.

• The exemption for first-time buyers up to 35 years old will rise from €525,000 to €555,000. If your home’s purchase price is lower than this, you won’t pay any property transfer tax.
• Good to know: the date of the transfer of the property before the notary determines which threshold applies to you. If you buy a property in 2025, but the transfer is in 2026, the higher threshold of €555,000 will apply.
• The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration uses the highest valuation of the property. If the appraisal value of the property is higher than the purchase price, the Tax and Customs Administration will use the appraisal value. This can make a difference to whether you are above or below the threshold for paying property transfer tax. 
• The regular rate of 2% applies to all properties valued or sold for above the price threshold.
• If you’re buying a second home or a home for rental purposes, you’ll pay 8% property transfer tax (in 2025: 10.4%). Example: if a home costs €450,000, you’ll save around €10,800 in property transfer tax (from €46,800 to €36,000).

The government is encouraging sustainability measures by offering extra borrowing capacity: you can borrow a higher amount if you’re undertaking energy-saving home improvements, such as insulation or solar panels. This benefit will be slightly lower in 2026, particularly for the most energy-efficient homes.

What this means for you

• The additional €10,000 that buyers of homes with an A+++ energy label could borrow to make their houses more energy-efficient will also be withdrawn. These houses often only need additional solar panels.
• Nothing will change for houses with energy labels A++ to G. 

Why certain incentives are being scrapped
Solar panels are becoming less beneficial now that the compensation for supplying energy to the national grid is being reduced. The netting scheme is also being withdrawn, which means that you’ll save less on your energy bills.

Good to know: 
We’ll give you a discount on your mortgage interest rate if you buy an energy-efficient home or make sustainable home improvements. This sustainability discount can help to lower your costs.