By Renewable Partners B.V. · Published and updated:
On 10 July 2026 the cabinet sent a draft decree to the House of Representatives and the Senate requiring rental homes with energy label E, F or G to be brought to at least label D by 1 January 2029 at the latest. The measure is not yet final: after the parliamentary review period, the Council of State will issue advice, and the cabinet aims to include the amendment in the Decree on Buildings in the Living Environment (Bbl) by the end of 2026. Landlords would do well to already identify which properties fall below the threshold.
From consultation to parliamentary review
The road to a statutory label obligation has been underway for several years. In March 2025 the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VRO) announced that it would work out minimum requirements for the energy performance of rental homes, with the starting point that homes with label E, F or G must reach at least label D by 1 January 2029.
From 12 November to 19 December 2025, a public internet consultation ran on the amendment to the Decree on Buildings in the Living Environment (Bbl). It received 83 responses. On 10 July 2026, the revised draft decree, partly in response to those reactions, was sent to both chambers of parliament for the review procedure. After this review, advice from the Council of State will follow, after which the cabinet aims for final inclusion in the Bbl by the end of 2026.
What exactly is in the draft decree
The requirement applies to existing rental homes with energy label E, F or G. Alongside the label route, an alternative performance requirement is included: a home also qualifies if its primary fossil energy use is no more than 290 kWh per square metre per year, determined according to NTA 8800. The landlord then chooses which combination of insulation and installations is needed to achieve this.
There will be no blanket rental ban. Municipalities will get an enforcement role: they can address owners and ultimately impose a penalty order (last onder dwangsom) if the home has not been improved in time. Existing, valid energy labels remain valid after the amendment until their expiry date.
- Scope: approximately 292,000 private rental homes and 140,000 housing association homes currently still have label E or worse.
- The date of 1 January 2029 is included in the draft decree, but the decree still has to go through the review period and advice from the Council of State.
- As long as the Bbl has not been amended, there is no statutory obligation yet; however, you should already plan your sustainability measures.
Official sources
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch government) – End in sight for rental homes with label E, F and G (parliamentary review)
- House of Representatives – Decision memorandum on the review procedure for the Bbl amendment on EFG labels
- Rijksoverheid – Elaboration of energy performance requirements for rental homes and utility buildings
- Klimaatstarters – Minimum energy label D for rental homes as of 2029
General information, not individual legal or financial advice. Proposed legislation and subsidy conditions can change. Check the source and have your property, contract and improvement plan assessed.
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