What’s changing in the Netherlands in summer 2026
Minimum wage increases
On 1 July, the legal minimum wage increases to €14.99 per hour for full-time workers aged 21 and over. The rates for under-21s go up, too – see here for a full list.
Housing: rent increases
Many tenants will see a rent increase for their home on 1 July 2026 as the rental cap is raised. Social housing rents can increase by up to 4.1%; rents for mid-market homes can be raised by up to 6.1% and rents for private-sector homes can be increased by up to 4.4%. Higher-income renters may face an additional fixed-amount increase between €25 and €100.
Reduction of free bike storage periods
In an effort to free up more space in municipal bike storage facilities, the City is decreasing the free storage period in these facilities from four weeks to seven days. This means that from 1 June onwards, you can store your bike free of charge for up to seven days. The changes apply to the bike storage facilities at Beursplein, Leidseplein, Ceintuurbaan, Ferdinand Bol, Reguliers, Rokin and Station Noord. Another change is that the entry gates will be kept open to simplify usage of the facilities.
‘Fat bike’ ban in Vondelpark
The City is banning so-called ‘fat bikes’, i.e. pedal-assisted electric bikes with tyres that are wider than 7 centimetres, from Vondelpark. The impact of the ban will be monitored and may lead to further bans in other parts of the city.
New rules for business waste
From 1 July, stricter waste management rules (article in Dutch) apply for businesses. Their containers must only be out on the street for a limited time and need to be brought back inside directly after having been emptied. This rule was already in place in the Centrum and Zuid districts and will now be extended to all districts as well as Weesp. The times are 6:00-11:00 (Centrum), 7:00-noon (Zuid) and 7:00-16:00 (all other districts and Weesp). Businesses that leave their container outside the permitted times risk a fine of a minimum of €550. Visit the Commercial waste page for more information.
New rules for childminders and childminding agencies
To improve the quality of care, a number of new rules and regulations are coming in for people that work as childminders and for childminding agencies. From 1 July, there will be stronger coaching and training requirements for childminders. Further new rules are designed to improve working conditions for childminders.
Find out more
You can find more detailed information on the summer and autumn changes that are relevant for businesses on business.gov.nl and the Dutch Government website (in Dutch) and keep updated with news for the City of Amsterdam and Weesp. And if you aren’t already, don’t forget to sign up to the IN Amsterdam newsletters for regular updates on news and events of interest to the international community in the Amsterdam Area.