Buying, renting, or leasing land
What is it?
The municipality owns plots of land within the municipality. In some cases, you can purchase, rent, or lease a plot of land from the municipality. Examples include building plots, agricultural land, or green spaces.
By signing a purchase agreement, you become the owner of the land. If you lease or rent, you are permitted to use the land. Leasing land is only possible if you intend to use it for agricultural purposes.
How does it work?
- You can purchase land. The municipality determines how it sells the land. For example, by registering on a waiting list, by lottery, or by allowing you to make an offer.
- You can rent land. In that case, the rules of ordinary tenancy law apply.
- You can lease land. This land, or part of it, is intended for agricultural use.
Building on land
You cannot simply start building on the land. There are conditions that apply:
- The environmental plan states that construction is permitted on the land.
- You have an environmental permit to build.
- You either own the land or you have a building right or leasehold right on the land.
If you do not own the land and you do not have building or leasehold rights, you must request permission from the owner to build on the land. The landowner will then also become the owner of the structure.
What should I do?
You investigate whether you can use the piece of land you want to buy, rent, or lease for your purpose:
- Check the zoning of the land. You can do this via Ruimtelijkeplannen.nl. At
, you can view the plans that were submitted before January 1, 2024, in accordance with the Spatial Planning Act (Wro). Plans submitted after January 1, 2024, can be found under the rules section on the map of the new environmental desk. - Check what you are and are not allowed to do with the land. This is stated in a Cadastral Property Notice. You can order this notice from the Land Registry.
Then contact the municipality about the plot of land.
Additional information
Land that is leased may only be used for agricultural purposes. In many cases, a lease agreement must be approved by the Land Chamber. A rental agreement does not. A lease agreement is valid for a specific period of time. A rental agreement can also be valid for an indefinite period of time.
Soil pollution
Before purchasing the land, it must be clear whether the soil is contaminated. The seller must inform you about this. A soil investigation will reveal whether the soil is contaminated. Therefore, always have a soil investigation carried out first.