Making alterations to your rented home yourself: permission and agreements in advance

1. Start by describing exactly what you want to change

Turn your ideas for the work into a concrete plan. 'Updating the kitchen' could mean replacing loose handles, but it could also mean moving pipes and disposing of the existing kitchen. Write down which parts will remain, which will be removed and what will be attached to them. Add photographs and a simple drawing. This provides a useful basis for discussion and prevents the parties from discovering later that they had different alterations in mind.

Distinguish an improvement you want to make from the repair of an existing problem. Reporting a leaking pipe is different from requesting permission for a different kitchen layout. If the two overlap, ask for separate answers: which repairs will the landlord carry out, and which additional alteration do you want to pay for? Keep both issues clearly identifiable in the same correspondence.

Is the main issue a repair that the landlord must carry out? Keep that question separate from your own improvement and consult the guide to serious defects and rent reduction. A joint project to improve sustainability requires different steps; for that, read improving the sustainability of your rented home.

2. Minor alterations that are easy to reverse

Article 7:215 of the Dutch Civil Code (BW) provides an exception to the permission requirement for alterations that can be reversed and removed at the end of the tenancy without significant expense. This is not a general exemption for everything that someone doing DIY can technically restore. The cost and extent of the restoration work matter. The Dutch government gives small drill holes as an example.

Work out in advance how removal would take place. Once the item has been removed, will only an easily repairable fixing point remain, or will flooring, tiling and pipework need to be reconstructed? Do not invent a fixed euro threshold for all homes. If in doubt, obtain written clarification before ordering materials. A photograph of the original condition also helps distinguish subsequent damage from existing damage.

3. Request written permission for substantial alterations

For substantial alterations, such as a different bathroom or kitchen, prior written permission is the starting point. The Dutch government explains that the landlord must respond within eight weeks and identifies reduced lettability and a decrease in value as grounds for refusal. The statutory rules also provide a route through the courts if permission is not obtained. A failure to respond cannot simply be treated as written consent.

Send a request stating the address, a description, the materials, who will carry out the work and the schedule. Ask for a decision on that specific plan. A practical closing sentence is: 'Please confirm whether you agree to the proposed work set out in the attachment and specify any conditions you attach to your consent.' Keep the request you sent, together with its attachments. If you subsequently make substantial changes to the drawing, submit the revised proposal as well. Consent for a cupboard is not clear consent to remove a wall.

4. Check the exterior and government rules separately

For the exterior of rented residential accommodation, Article 7:215(6) BW permits contractual terms that depart from the statutory rules to the tenant's disadvantage. Do not therefore automatically assess an installation on the façade or an external extension as though it were an internal alteration. Read the applicable contractual provision and describe the attachment location precisely.

Also check whether government rules apply to your work. The Omgevingsloket, the Dutch environment and planning portal, lets you check by location and activity whether a permit, notification or submission of information is required. Include demolition work and work on a listed building, for example, if these are actually part of the plan. Keep the result together with the details you entered. The terms of use warn that the check does not provide definitive authorisation that cannot be challenged. Refer an unclear result to the competent authority and coordinate any necessary applications with the landlord.

5. Make the consent useful for carrying out the work

A brief response such as 'fine, good luck' leaves many practical questions unanswered. Ask which drawing and choice of materials have been approved, when the work may take place and how completion will be documented. Discuss in advance whether a qualified professional must carry out or inspect particular parts of the work. If there is uncertainty about the structure or building services, first have the technical feasibility assessed.

Also record how changes during the work will be handled. A contractor may discover that a pipe needs a different route or that existing material cannot be retained. Agree who will decide in that situation and how additional permission will be documented. Take photographs before components are concealed, and keep invoices, product information and any warranties. This administrative preparation helps with maintenance later and with questions about the work actually carried out.

6. Maintenance, removal and compensation are separate issues

Ask who will be the point of contact for faults and maintenance after the alterations. For alterations made by tenants themselves, Article 7:242 BW contains an exception to certain protective maintenance rules. The precise agreement therefore deserves attention; permission alone does not fully answer this question. Describe, for example, how a fault in your new equipment will be distinguished from a problem in the existing installation.

Also discuss what will happen when you move out. Article 7:216 BW governs removal, leaving permitted alterations in place and possible compensation based on unjust enrichment. It does not automatically entitle you to repayment of your entire investment. Take photographs and prepare a cost breakdown, but do not already count an expected payment as guaranteed income. Have a condition requiring restoration or the waiver of claims assessed if it has significant financial implications. A takeover by a subsequent tenant also requires clear agreements with everyone involved.

7. Fictional example: turning a kitchen plan into a workable proposal

Fictional example: Mila rents a flat and wants to install a dishwasher. Initially, she thinks she only needs to replace a cupboard. As she develops the plan, it becomes clear that a water connection and an alteration to the electrical installation are also needed. She photographs the kitchen, requests an itemised quotation and sends the landlord a plan with two options.

The landlord gives written consent to one option. Mila then asks separately who will maintain the new components and what must happen when she moves out. She has the completed work inspected and keeps the documents with her tenancy agreement. This example does not predict that permission must be granted in every comparable home. It shows how a general idea for DIY work can be turned into verifiable agreements before costs are incurred and irreversible work begins.

8. If permission is refused or the conditions are unclear

Ask for a refusal to be explained in relation to your specific proposal. Does the objection concern technical issues, future letting, value or a contractual provision concerning the exterior? Investigate whether a revised proposal would resolve the problem. A different fixing method or location can sometimes offer a practical alternative. Also record when the landlord is merely requesting additional information, so you know which matters have not yet been decided.

Article 7:215 BW allows you to bring a claim seeking court authorisation. The court may attach conditions to that authorisation. Before starting proceedings, have someone assess which documents are needed and what costs are involved. In the meantime, keep orders and arrangements for the work flexible. A dispute about permission becomes unnecessarily complicated when most of the work is already complete and removal would immediately cause further damage or expense.

9. Checklist before finalising arrangements for the work

Use the checklist below for your final plan. An unanswered item is a reason to ask a focused follow-up question. Pay particular attention to aspects that will be difficult to put right later or that could have significant financial consequences.

Have you already made alterations without clear consent? First document the current condition and previous correspondence. Request an assessment of the alteration actually carried out, and have any demand for restoration examined before starting further demolition. If there is immediate danger, making the situation safe takes priority. Then seek a concrete agreement on investigation, the work and restoration, with a clearly identified point of contact.

• Describe the alteration with photographs, dimensions and a drawing.
• Investigate how the alteration can be removed and at what cost.
• Check the contractual terms, particularly those concerning the exterior.
• Obtain written permission for the final proposed work where necessary.
• Check permits, notifications and other government rules.
• Agree who will carry out the work, what technical inspections are needed and how changes during the work will be handled.
• Record arrangements for maintenance, handling damage and warranties.
• Discuss removal, leaving alterations in place and any compensation separately.
• Keep the consent, attachments and photographs of the completed work.