How much you can borrow in 2026 depends mostly on your gross income and on the interest rate the lender uses in its calculation. The energy label of the home also counts, and in principle you cannot borrow more than the home is worth. You can get a first indication in a few minutes with our mortgage calculator. Below we explain how that number comes about.
Which rules set your maximum mortgage?
The limits are set out in the Dutch Temporary Mortgage Credit Regulation (Tijdelijke regeling hypothecair krediet). The government updates it every year based on advice from Nibud, the Dutch national institute for budget information. Nibud calculates what share of your income you can spend on housing while keeping enough for groceries, energy and other fixed costs. That share is called the financing burden. The higher your income, the larger the share that may go to housing.
For 2026, Nibud assumed a wage increase of 4.1 percent, the forecast of the CPB (the Dutch Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis). If your salary rises by that much, you can borrow a little more than in 2025. According to Nibud, a household with a gross annual income of € 70,000 can borrow roughly € 6,000 more. If your income stays the same, you can actually borrow slightly less, because inflation leaves less room in your budget.
Your income
Lenders look at your assessment income. For employees that is your gross annual salary, including holiday pay and fixed extras such as a thirteenth month. With a permanent contract or an employer's statement this is usually quick to establish. If you run your own business, the lender looks at your profit over the past years. You can read more about that on our page for self-employed buyers.
If you buy together, the lender uses your combined income. If you buy alone, the regulation offers some relief. With an assessment income above € 30,000, the lender may leave up to € 17,000 out of the housing cost calculation (article 3, 2026 version). For many single buyers that means up to that amount of extra borrowing room. The regulation allows lenders to do this, so how it works out can differ from one lender to the next.
The test rate
The higher the interest rate, the less you can borrow on the same income. If you fix your rate for ten years or longer, the lender calculates with the rate you will actually pay. For a shorter fixed period, the regulation prescribes a test rate that the AFM (the Dutch financial markets authority) publishes every quarter, with a minimum of 5 percent. A short fixed period with a low rate therefore does not automatically give you a higher mortgage. You can find the current rates per fixed period on our mortgage rates page.
Debts and student loans
Existing loans reduce what you can borrow. Think of a revolving credit, a private lease car or a student loan from DUO. For a student loan, the lender looks at the amount you pay each month in interest and repayment, not at the amount you originally borrowed. That monthly amount counts as a fixed cost. If you have already paid off part of the loan, the lender may use the current outstanding balance and the remaining term. So bring your DUO statement to the meeting.
The energy label of the home
An energy efficient home has lower energy bills, so you may borrow more for it. In 2026 these amounts come on top of what you can borrow based on your income:
| Energy label | Extra borrowing room in 2026 |
|---|---|
| E, F or G | € 0 |
| C or D | € 5,000 |
| A or B | € 10,000 |
| A+ or A++ | € 20,000 |
| A+++ | € 25,000 |
| A++++ | € 30,000 |
| A++++ with energy performance guarantee | € 40,000 |
For the most efficient labels the amounts are lower in 2026 than in 2025, because solar panels earn less now that net metering (the salderingsregeling) ends on 1 January 2027.
If you want to make the home more energy efficient after buying it, you can also borrow extra for energy saving measures, regardless of your income. In 2026 that is € 20,000 for label E, F or G, € 15,000 for C or D and € 10,000 for A up to and including A++. If the home has no label, the maximum is € 10,000. You may only spend this money on those measures. It cannot be used to bid higher on a house.
The value of the home
Besides your income there is a second limit: in principle the mortgage cannot exceed 100 percent of the market value of the home, as stated in the valuation report. That means you usually pay the buyer's costs, such as transfer tax and notary fees, from your own savings. For energy saving measures the mortgage can go up to 106 percent of the home's value.
If you choose a mortgage with the Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG), keep the NHG limit in mind. In 2026 it is € 470,000, or € 498,200 if you also finance energy saving measures. Buying for the first time? Also read our page for first-time buyers.
An example from Almere
Say you buy a terraced house in Almere Buiten together, with energy label A. Your incomes and the test rate determine most of your maximum mortgage. Label A adds € 10,000 compared with the same house with label E. If you then want to insulate the roof or add solar panels, you can borrow up to another € 10,000, as long as you really spend it on that. If the valuation equals the purchase price, you bring in the buyer's costs yourself. This example is indicative. What you can actually borrow depends on your full situation and on the lender.
What the lending rules do not tell you
The lending rules set an upper limit. Whether borrowing that much is sensible depends on your plans. Someone who wants to start a family or work fewer hours sometimes chooses a lower mortgage on purpose. Lenders also differ in how they assess a temporary contract or a variable income.
Would you like to know what you can borrow in your own situation? Book a free introductory meeting with one of our advisers at Schoutstraat in Almere.