A tenanted property is worth less than the same property with vacant possession. You know that. But how much less, and why, is exactly the point on which you get your information from parties who want to buy your home.
Your tenant keeps their rights: sale does not break the lease (koop breekt geen huur). The buyer takes over the existing contract. For tax purposes, the value is calculated using the vacant value ratio (leegwaarderatio), which in 2026 is between 84 and 100% of the WOZ value (the municipal property valuation). What a buyer actually pays is a different figure and depends on four factors.
The tenant enjoys statutory rent protection. The tenancy agreement continues unchanged with the new owner. The tenant does not have to agree to anything and does not have to leave.
Since the Fixed-Term Tenancy Act (Wet vaste huurcontracten) of 2024, temporary contracts have become rare. Most tenants have an open-ended contract. As a result, selling with vacant possession without the tenant's consent hardly ever happens any more.
That is not a problem you need to solve. It is a given that you factor in.
This is where conversations often go wrong. There are two figures and they get mixed up.
| Which value | Used for | How it is determined |
|---|---|---|
| Tax value | Box 3, inheritance and gift tax | WOZ value multiplied by the vacant value ratio from the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) table |
| Market value | What a buyer pays | Rent level, contract type, rent protection and location |
They move in the same direction, but they are not the same amounts. Anyone who quotes you a percentage without saying which of the two they mean is either careless or selling you something.
The vacant value ratio only applies when the property is let to someone with rent protection. Not for temporary lettings, holiday homes or recreational properties.
Two things to know. If you let to family at a rent that is not in line with the market, the vacant value ratio no longer applies and you value the property at 100% of the WOZ. And if the actual value is 10% or more below the calculated value, you may use that actual value. The burden of proof then lies with you.
In box 3, for 2026 a deemed return of 6.00% applied to other assets at a rate of 36%, with a tax-free allowance of €59,357 per person. Check the current figures with the Belastingdienst.
And be aware: the vacant value ratio will disappear in 2027, with the switch to a system based on actual returns.
What a buyer pays depends on four things:
That is why we do not give a percentage here. A property with a rent close to the market rent and a flexible contract is worth something quite different from the same property with a low rent and a long-running contract. An average does not buy your home.
Search for this topic and you will mainly find parties that buy up tenanted properties. Binding offer within five working days, no estate agent's commission, we buy with tenants in place.
That can be a perfectly good solution. But these parties have an interest in you thinking your home is worth little. Hence the discounts of 10 to 30% you come across everywhere, usually without a source and without distinguishing between tax value and market value.
Anyone who tells you what your tenanted property is worth is selling you something. Usually an offer. We simply work out the figures for you first and tell you honestly what the open market will yield. Even if the outcome is that a cash buyer is the best route for you.
That is a realistic option and often the simplest. No styling, no viewings, no marketing costs.
Please note: if you sell to your child below market value, the Belastingdienst may treat the difference as a taxable gift. That is an expensive surprise if you are not expecting it.
Since 2026, the transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting) for investors has been reduced to 8%. That supports demand for tenanted property and therefore your position.
Yes, that is very common. The home is then sold as an investment property. The buyer takes over the tenancy agreement and the tenant simply stays on.
No. Sale does not break the lease. The contract continues unchanged with the new owner.
That depends on four factors: the rent compared with the market rent, the contract type, the rent protection and the location. A general percentage says little. For tax purposes, the value in 2026 lies between 84 and 100% of the WOZ value.
A percentage by which you multiply the WOZ value to determine the tax value of a tenanted property. It only applies when the property is let to someone with rent protection, and it will disappear in 2027.
Only if the rent is in line with the market. If you let to family at a lower rent, the ratio no longer applies and you value the property at 100% of the WOZ value.
Yes. If the actual value is 10% or more below the value based on the vacant value ratio, you may use the actual value. You do have to substantiate it.
Yes, and that saves costs for styling, viewings and marketing. If you sell to a family member below market value, the Belastingdienst may regard the difference as a gift.
Since 2026, investors pay 8% transfer tax on an investment property. That makes buying more attractive and supports demand for tenanted property.
We are the estate agent of Helmond and we do things just a little differently. We take a look with you, run the numbers and tell you honestly what we would do. Even if that means you should hold off for now.
Your language. We speak English, German and French. Write to us in Polish by WhatsApp and we reply in Polish.
No surprises in the contract. The purchase agreement is in Dutch and comes with an English translation, so you understand every clause.
Selling from abroad. We guide the whole sale remotely and arrange the paperwork with the notary.
