Temporary Housing While Your Home Is Renovated in Amsterdam (2026)
Why people renovating in Amsterdam get stuck on housing
A kitchen can be lived around. A new roof, a foundation repair (funderingsherstel), a full rewire, removing a load-bearing wall, or a ground-floor extension with the back of the house open to the garden cannot — especially with children, a baby, or anyone who works from home. Amsterdam adds its own complications: pre-war buildings hide surprises behind every wall, contractors are booked months ahead, and the VvE may limit working hours. So the three-month estimate becomes four, and the "we'll stay with my parents in Haarlem" plan runs out of goodwill in week five.
The housing options people reach for first don't fit the problem. Hotels are priced per night for two people, not per month for a family. Holiday lets in Amsterdam are capped at 30 nights a year per home — 15 nights in Centrum and De Pijp since April 2026 — so a legal one can't house you for three months. And a standard unfurnished rental means a second set of furniture, a twelve-month commitment you don't need, and a landlord screening you'd rather not do for a few months.
Your options for the renovation period, compared
| Option | Typical monthly cost (family of 4) | Flexible end date | Pets & kids | Furnished & ready | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel, two rooms | €9,000–15,000 | Yes | Rarely | Yes | First few nights only |
| Aparthotel / serviced apartment, nightly rate | €6,000–9,000 | Yes | Sometimes | Yes | Works, at a price |
| Holiday let (Airbnb-type) | €4,500–7,000 | No — host's calendar | Sometimes | Yes | Not legal for 2+ months in Amsterdam |
| Furnished rental on an indefinite tenancy (e.g. City Retreat) | €3,450–5,400 all-inclusive | Yes — one month's notice | 2–3 bedrooms; pets in selected apartments | Yes, incl. utilities & Wi-Fi | Best fit for 2+ months |
| Standard unfurnished rental | €2,500–3,500 + utilities + furnishing | Yes — one month's notice | Varies | No | Too slow and too empty |
| Family or friends | Free, nominally | Until it isn't | Negotiable | Their furniture | Fine for 2–3 weeks |
A furnished rental for a renovation is the same product City Retreat offers relocating professionals: an indefinite residential tenancy with a minimum rental period (from two months, depending on the apartment), one calendar month's notice from you, a deposit of one month's rent returned within 14 days of moving out where nothing is in dispute, and an all-inclusive monthly rent covering utilities, internet and local taxes. Many of our tenants are Amsterdammers, not expats — a renovation, a divorce, a sale that completed before the purchase did.
Stay in your own neighbourhood
The thing that makes a renovation bearable for a family isn't the apartment, it's keeping the rest of life unchanged: the same school run, the same sports club, the same ten-minute cycle to work, the same vet. With apartments across Amsterdam, you can usually stay within a couple of kilometres of home — close enough to drop in on the builder on the way back from school.
Oud-Zuid, De Pijp, Zuidas
Family apartments near the Vondelpark schools, Beatrixpark and the Zuidas commute.
Jordaan, Oud-West, Westerpark, Centrum
Canal-ring and 19th-century-belt homes — where most Amsterdam renovations happen.
Oost, Noord, Nieuw-West
More space per euro, including larger family apartments and the lowest-priced studios.
Tell us the street you're renovating and we'll start with what's closest. Our neighbourhood guides cover each area if you fancy a change of scene for a few months instead.
When your insurer pays: housing after a leak, fire or storm
A planned renovation is your own cost. But if your home is uninhabitable because of insured damage — a burst pipe, a fire, storm damage, a neighbour's leak coming through your ceiling — most Dutch home and contents policies (opstal- and inboedelverzekering) cover the cost of replacement accommodation while repairs are carried out. Conditions vary by insurer, but typically the accommodation must be comparable to your own home in size and price, you need the insurer's approval before signing, and cover runs for the repair period up to a policy maximum (often a number of weeks, sometimes a percentage of the insured sum).
City Retreat can invoice the insurer, loss adjuster or another third party directly, and provides the tenancy agreement and monthly rent invoices in the format claims handlers expect. Send us the claim reference and the adjuster's contact details and we'll deal with the paperwork; it is the same arrangement we use when an employer pays for an employee's housing, described on our corporate housing page.
What it really costs: a three-month example
A family of four, three months out while the ground floor is extended, rounded 2026 figures:
| Three months out of the house | Hotel, two rooms | Aparthotel, nightly rate | City Retreat 2-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | €27,000 (€300 × 90) | €19,800 (€220 × 90) | €10,350 (€3,450 × 3) |
| Cooking at home | No — add €2,000–3,000 of eating out | Kitchenette | Full kitchen |
| Washing machine | Laundry service | Sometimes shared | In the apartment |
| If the builder runs 3 weeks late | +€6,300 | +€4,600 | Tenancy continues; you give notice when the keys are back |
| Realistic three-month outlay | €29,000–30,000 | €19,800 | €10,350 |
Two discounts apply on top of the rents shown: 10% when you commit to a minimum rental period of four months or more, and a further 10% on tenancies starting between November and February — which is, conveniently, when a lot of indoor renovations happen. Current rents by apartment size are on our monthly apartments in Amsterdam page.
Registration, post and the mortgage: what changes and what doesn't
A furnished tenancy at City Retreat is a residential tenancy, so you register at the apartment address with the gemeente for the period you live there — it's a ten-minute change online with DigiD, and ten minutes again when you move home. Your own house doesn't lose its status as your eigen woning for mortgage interest relief while it's being renovated to live in; the tax authority's rules allow for exactly this situation. Set up mail forwarding with PostNL for the building period, tell your contents insurer where your belongings are, and if you're storing furniture, book the storage before the builder's start date — Amsterdam self-storage fills up in spring and early autumn.
If you're arriving from abroad to oversee a renovation of a home you've bought, the same registration rules apply as for any new resident: see how to register in Amsterdam.
A renovation housing timeline
- When you sign with the contractor Ask for the start date, the quoted duration, and the date the house becomes uninhabitable (often not day one). Add three to four weeks to the quoted duration before you plan anything.
- 6–8 weeks before the start Choose the apartment — we accept new tenancies up to seven weeks ahead — sign, and pay the deposit and first month. Pick a start date a few days before the builder's, so moving out isn't done around skips.
- The week you move Key handover, change your registration online, forward the post, move the essentials. Leave the rest in storage or in a sealed room at home.
- During the build Live normally. Snagging visits are easier from two streets away than from Haarlem. If the project slips, nothing changes on our side.
- When the keys come back Give one calendar month's notice, move home, final inspection, deposit returned within 14 days where nothing is in dispute. Then enjoy the kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I live during a home renovation in Amsterdam?
For anything longer than a few weeks, a furnished apartment on an indefinite residential tenancy is the practical choice: minimum rental period from two months, one month's notice, utilities and Wi-Fi included, and usually available in or near your own neighbourhood. Hotels and aparthotels work for a few nights but are priced per night; holiday lets can't legally house you for months in Amsterdam; unfurnished rentals come empty and take weeks to arrange.
My renovation will take about six weeks. Is a two-month minimum still worth it?
Usually yes. Six weeks in a family hotel costs more than two months in a furnished two-bedroom apartment, and six-week renovations have a habit of becoming nine-week ones. If the work genuinely finishes early you still pay the two-month minimum, but you have a comfortable home with a kitchen for the whole period rather than a hotel room with a kettle.
Can we bring our dog or cat?
In selected apartments, yes — it depends on the owner of the individual property. Tell us about the pet when you enquire and we'll only propose apartments where it's welcome.
Do you have family-sized apartments?
Yes. Two-bedroom apartments start from €3,450 a month and three-bedroom apartments from €5,400, all-inclusive. Tell us how many bedrooms you need and which school or neighbourhood you want to stay close to.
What if the builder overruns?
Nothing changes. Your tenancy is for an indefinite period, so it continues until you give one calendar month's notice. There is no fixed end date to extend and no second move to organise.
Does my home insurance cover temporary accommodation?
For a planned renovation, no. If your home is uninhabitable after insured damage — a leak, fire or storm — most Dutch opstal- and inboedelverzekeringen cover replacement accommodation during the repairs, subject to the insurer's approval, a comparability test and a policy maximum. City Retreat invoices the insurer or loss adjuster directly and supplies the documents they need.
Do I have to change my BRP registration while I live in the apartment?
Yes. The apartment is let on a residential tenancy, so you register there for the period you live in it and re-register at home when you move back. Both changes take a few minutes online with DigiD. Your renovated house keeps its owner-occupied status for mortgage interest relief while the work is being done; confirm the details with your tax adviser.
How far ahead can I arrange the apartment?
Up to seven weeks before your start date. We keep that window deliberately short so that sitting tenants can continue their tenancies, which is what makes the one-month notice period possible for you too. Contact us as soon as you have a contractor's start date and we'll tell you what will be available.
Can I cancel if the renovation is postponed?
You can withdraw free of charge within 48 hours of signing or up to one month before the start date. If the builder moves the start by a week or two, tell us as early as you can and we'll adjust the start date where the apartment allows.
What's the cheapest way to house a family during a renovation?
A furnished two-bedroom apartment on a monthly rent — from €3,450 all-inclusive, with 10% off at a four-month minimum rental period and a further 10% for tenancies starting November to February — is roughly a third of the cost of two hotel rooms over the same period and about half the cost of an aparthotel, before you count cooking at home instead of eating out.
Furnished apartments for your renovation period
Two- and three-bedroom family apartments across Amsterdam, indefinite tenancies with a minimum rental period from two months, one month's notice, all-inclusive monthly rent. Pets welcome in selected apartments. Insurer and third-party invoicing available.
View available apartments Tell us your builder's start date