Property investors in the Netherlands are increasingly offering substantial financial incentives to persuade tenants to leave their rental homes, with some payments exceeding €100,000. The strategy allows landlords to
sell their properties without tenants in place, potentially securing significantly higher prices.
The trend was highlighted by Proranje Vastgoed, a company specialising in the acquisition of occupied rental properties. According to the firm, more than half of the private investors who approached it in the third quarter of 2026 had already attempted to negotiate voluntary lease terminations with their tenants in exchange for compensation.
The financial motivation is clear: properties sold without tenants generally command considerably higher prices than those subject to existing rental agreements.
Jelmer Schortinghuis, owner of Proranje Vastgoed, said the company regularly encounters landlords attempting to reach agreements with tenants before putting their properties on the market.
“We speak every day with owners looking to sell rental properties. What stands out is that many of these investors first try to reach a financial deal with their tenants,” Schortinghuis said.
He added that compensation packages frequently reach tens of thousands of euros, with exceptional cases exceeding €100,000.
Although such sums may appear extraordinary, Schortinghuis argued that they can be commercially justified when the difference between the value of an occupied and vacant property is sufficiently large.
“For someone outside the real estate industry, €100,000 to leave a home may sound implausible. But when an empty property is worth considerably more, that sum can make economic sense for the owner,” he explained.
Tenants reluctant to surrender secure rental agreements
Despite the generous offers, tenants do not always agree to leave. Those benefiting from relatively low rents and permanent rental contracts have limited incentives to give up their homes, particularly when finding suitable alternative accommodation has become increasingly difficult.
For many renters, accepting a substantial one-off payment also means sacrificing long-term housing security and potentially facing significantly higher rental costs elsewhere.
When negotiations fail, landlords frequently proceed with selling their properties while tenants remain in occupation.
Proranje Vastgoed specialises in purchasing such homes, allowing owners to complete a sale without requiring tenants to leave. The company said it preserves existing rental agreements after acquiring the properties.
Schortinghuis noted that many sellers approach the firm only after exhausting other options.
“Owners have often already gone through a lengthy process. They have tried to get the tenant out, but selling with the tenant still there turns out to be the most realistic option,” he said.
Investor uncertainty drives growing demand for property sales
Proranje Vastgoed reported a sharp increase in interest from private landlords seeking to sell their rental properties. The company received more than 31% additional enquiries in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
Schortinghuis attributed the increase partly to uncertainty surrounding Box 3, the Dutch tax regime covering income and assets held by private individuals, including investment properties.
According to the company, investors remain uncertain about the future financial implications of the tax system, prompting some to reconsider their property portfolios.
The growing number of landlords seeking to exit the rental market is contributing to a changing housing landscape in the Netherlands, where tenants with long-term agreements may find themselves negotiating substantial compensation packages while facing the challenge of securing alternative accommodation.
