The Netherlands to relax building regulations for quicker and cheaper housing
By Simone Jacobs
To build homes in the Netherlands more quickly and at lower costs, the Dutch government has proposed a plan to introduce more lenient building regulations. If the plan is approved, the new regulations would come into effect in 2026.
Dutch government mulls easing measures for housing construction
In a letter to the House of Representatives, Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning Mona Keijzer outlined a plan to put more relaxed rules in place to build homes more quickly. “The housing shortage is high and we need to build more, cheaper homes faster,” wrote Keijzer. “In doing so, we have to adhere to many rules that lead to delays, higher costs and uncertainties.”
Listening to recommendations from the STOER committee, an advisory group tasked with removing conflicting and redundant rules for Dutch housing, Keijzer plans to adjust several regulations, including those related to ceiling and door heights, stair steepness, sound and daylight requirements. The hope is that by easing these rules, it will be possible to reach the government’s target of building 100.000 houses every year.
Which Dutch building regulations could be relaxed?
If the proposal is passed, the changes would be implemented from 2026. Ceilings would be allowed to be 2,5 metres high instead of the current 2,6 and doors could be just 2,1 metres high instead of 2,3. According to NOS, this would reduce costs by 1.250 euros per apartment.
Stairs would also be allowed to be steeper, and less internal noise insulation would be required. Additionally, there would be fewer regulations around ventilation and daylight for a home.
Concerns about lower housing quality
Dutch housing association Vereniging Eigen Huis (VEH) has concerns that the lax construction rules would affect the quality of homes. "Lower ceilings, steeper stairs and more flexible requirements for ventilation and daylight have a negative impact on the quality of living,” a spokesperson told NOS.
Chairman of the trade association for architects, Jeroen de Willigen, also has worries. "I am glad that we are now going to look at regulations, because it can really be faster and cheaper. But I do not understand why we are now going to lower the ceilings. They are not so high for nothing, we are getting taller and that really affects the quality of living."
The government has also previously submitted several proposals to try to increase housing availability, from relaxing rules on living in holiday homes to paying municipalities to build affordable housing.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more