Can you rent out a house with a mortgage on it?

If you are travelling for a longer period of time or if you are the owner of several houses, it is a shame to leave the property empty during your absence. Letting the house is then an interesting option, but many people nowadays have a mortgage on their house. You will find out below what the rules are regarding letting a house with a mortgage on it %26nbsp;

What are the rules?

To rent out your house, you have to ask for permission from the bank if there is a mortgage involved. This applies whether you want to rent out the whole property or just part of it. In most cases, the bank will not approve this as tenants are well protected in the Netherlands with various rules. A house for sale is meant to be your own home according to most mortgage agreements.

Why prefer not to rent a house with a mortgage?

Besides the fact that Dutch tenants are well protected and cannot just be evicted from a property, there are other reasons why most lenders do not approve rentals with a mortgage:

• The value of a property goes down after renting it out with a mortgage.

• There is a housing shortage among first-time buyers.

The mortgage lender will only give approval if the housing meets the 'intermediate rental' category under the Empty Homes Act.

The Empty Homes Act

The Empty Homes Act is the exception where you do get permission to rent out your house with a mortgage. If your house is empty, you can rent it out via the Leegstandswet without having to comply with all the rent protection regulations. This is because you can terminate the lease with the tenant at any time. However, in order to claim the Leegstandswet, you must apply for a permit and you must also meet certain conditions.

Emigration as a reason

Even if you plan to emigrate, you can temporarily rent out your house with a current mortgage. Again, you can use the Empty Homes Act, but you will get permission faster. Call in a good estate agent if you plan to rent out your house. Letting your house yourself from abroad is not an easy task if you are not personally present. The estate agent can also manage the property, including things like maintaining the property and contacting tenants.