Renting SNF-certified housing

01Why do you (or your client) need SNF housing?

Anyone housing labour migrants in the Netherlands soon meets the Stichting Normering Flexwonen (SNF). The SNF standard is not a law, but in practice it is hard to avoid. The main reason is the collective labour agreement.

According to the ABU, the Collective Labour Agreement for Temporary Agency Workers says: if you, as an agency, provide housing yourself, SNF certification is mandatory. Since 1 January 2025 the price-quality system (PKS) also applies. It sets, per dwelling, the maximum you may deduct or offset for housing, based on quality points for privacy, space and extra facilities. The standard ceiling is 25% of the statutory minimum hourly wage times 40 hours.

For you as a tenant this means: a house that does not meet the standard is of little use for housing agency workers. You risk the location failing an inspection, and your own registration being put at risk. If you rent a house for your staff, the SNF question is not a bonus but a condition.

Looking more widely for staff accommodation? Read our guide on renting housing for staff and the page renting staff housing.

02Is there such a thing as an 'SNF-certified house'?

Not exactly. SNF is clear about this: only companies can be SNF-registered, not locations. So strictly speaking there is no 'SNF-registered location'. What does exist:

a company listed in the public SNF register because it meets the standard;
a location (address) that this company has entered in the location register Informis and that an inspection body has checked.

When a landlord advertises an 'SNF house' or 'rental with SNF standard', he usually means that his company is registered and that this address is in his location register and has been inspected. That is exactly what you want to know, but you have to ask for it specifically. A house that 'would meet the SNF standard', without registration and inspection, is a promise, not proof.

The standard itself also differs by type of housing. The requirements for an ordinary house, units in a complex, a hotel or a holiday park differ on some points. What the standard requires in detail is in our article the SNF standard explained.

03Who is the primary responsible party when you rent?

This is the key question when renting housing for labour migrants. SNF has two roles per location:

Role	Usually	What it means
Primary responsible party (EV)	The housing provider or property company	Has the location inspected and resolves findings. Checks the location at least four times a year and records this in a logbook.
Other interested party (AB)	The company using the beds, for example the agency	Registers the location with the capacity it rents. Gets a yearly administrative inspection: are all locations it uses in the register?

According to the SNF FAQ, the EV is usually the housing provider, but it does not have to be. It is an agreement. If you rent from an SNF-registered provider who is the EV, you do not have to have the location inspected yourself. You only register it as an AB. You can do that only after the EV has entered the location and it shows up in your dashboard.

If you rent from an owner who is not registered, in practice you become the EV yourself. You are then responsible for the inspection, fixing findings and the logbook. That is a big responsibility for a building you do not own.

Note: transferring or claiming the EV role only works from a future date, never retroactively. So agree who is the EV before the start date.

A private landlord can also register with SNF, but may then let at most one location to labour migrants in addition to their own home.

Keep every rented house SNF-ready

eyesonrooms measures temperature and humidity per room, flags mould risk and cold rooms, and keeps inspections with photos in one file per address.

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04How do you check a landlord in the SNF register?

The public register on the SNF website lists companies, not addresses. In October 2026 it held 784 companies. You search by company name, place or Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number. For each company you see the name, address, KvK number and a declaration to download.

Look up the landlord by name or KvK number and compare the KvK number with the one on the rental offer.
Download the declaration and keep it in your file.
Ask about the location. The location register (Informis) is not public. Only the company itself, the inspector and SNF can see it. So you cannot look up an address yourself. Ask the landlord for a screenshot or confirmation that the address is in their register, with the capacity.
Ask for the latest inspection report for this address: when, by which inspection body, and which findings there were.

SNF works with four accredited inspection bodies: Normec VRO, TÜV NORD Nederland, SKG-IKOB Certificatie and Bureau Cicero. If the report names another party, ask further.

If you become an AB on the location, you will see the address in your own dashboard once the EV has entered it. That is your best proof that the location really is registered.

05What should you ask the landlord before you sign?

Use this list at the viewing and with the offer. Ask for documents, not just answers.

Registration: is the company in the SNF register, and who will be the EV for this address from what date?
Inspection: date and outcome of the last location inspection; have all findings been closed?
Occupancy: for how many people is the location registered? Does that match the number of beds you are renting?
Floor area: the usable living area (GBO) and the area of each bedroom, ideally with a measurement report or floor plan.
Facilities: number of toilets, showers, hobs, fridge and freezer space, wardrobes and beds per person. There must be at least one toilet and one shower per 8 people; a urinal does not count as a toilet.
Housing type: how is the address registered: ordinary house, unit in a complex, hotel or guesthouse? The wrong type means different requirements.
Logbook: may you see the maintenance logbook, with checks at least four times a year?
Permit: has the municipality allowed this use of the building? Local rules differ; see also group housing rules.

Occupancy and facilities also determine the PKS points, and so the maximum you may deduct. A house that looks cheap on paper but scores few quality points can turn out more expensive in practice.

06What changes on 1 October 2026 for new locations?

SNF published a new version of the standard effective 1 October 2026; the previous version dates from 1 July 2025. For anyone renting a house now, what matters most is what applies to new locations with a start date on or after 1 October 2026. According to inspection body Normec:

at least 15 m² GBO per resident;
in principle a private bedroom for each resident. Sharing by up to two people is allowed only at the residents' request (for example partners) and must be recorded in writing. Even then, 15 m² GBO and at least 3.5 m² of bedroom per person apply;
the information sheet for new locations (appendix 6) must be available on site;
management signs a declaration that the location was checked against fire safety requirements (the Dutch Building Decree, Bbl, and the municipal building bylaw), and a declaration that any notification or permit requirement was checked.

So for an existing address that is already registered and inspected, these new-location requirements do not apply automatically. But as soon as you rent an address that is not yet in the register, it is a 'new location'. A house that fitted well on 1 September may then be too small for the number of beds you planned. Work back from the GBO to the number of people.

Normec also reports that in 2025 and 2026 all locations for which a company is the EV are re-inspected. Ask whether your address has already been seen in this round.

07What belongs in the lease?

A standard lease usually says nothing about SNF. Agree at least the following in writing, and have the text checked by a lawyer:

Who is the EV, from what date, and that the landlord keeps the location in their register for the whole term.
Compliance: the landlord ensures the location meets the current SNF standard for the agreed number of people.
Repair deadlines that fit the SNF deadlines. According to Bureau Cicero, a major finding at a location must be fixed within 6 weeks and a minor finding before the next inspection. Agree shorter times for things that affect residents directly, such as heating and hot water.
Access for inspectors, for the periodic checks and for your own coordinator, with reasonable notice.
Duty to inform: the landlord shares inspection reports and findings with you within a fixed time.
Occupancy: you house no more people than registered; the landlord announces changes in capacity in advance.
End of the lease: who enters the end date in the location register? According to SNF it cannot be set more than 3 months ahead, and after that the location can no longer be changed.
Consequences if the landlord leaves the register or fails to fix a major finding in time.

Letting property to companies yourself? Then letting a house to a staffing agency is the mirror image of this article.

08What happens when there is a finding, and how do you stay prepared?

At an inspection SNF distinguishes minor and major findings. According to Bureau Cicero, a major administrative finding must be fixed within 10 working days and a major finding at the location within 6 weeks. If a major finding is not fixed in time, this can lead to suspension and removal from the register. Normec reports that a re-inspection follows a major finding.

For you as a tenant the question is: whose registration is at risk? If the landlord is the EV, fixing it is their job. But your residents live there, so you feel the effects first: complaints, moves, or a location you may no longer use. In addition, your administrative inspection as an AB checks whether all locations you use are in the register.

That is why it pays to see for yourself what is happening in the houses. A few habits help:

carry out a fixed inspection with photos at check-in and check-out (see check-in and check-out inspections);
record damp and mould early, because they are hard to explain away at inspections and complaints;
keep one file per address with the landlord's SNF declaration, reports and repairs.

With eyesonrooms you measure temperature and humidity in each room and see mould risk, a room that stays too cold or heating that is not working. Inspections with photos and a PDF report per room complete your file. How to prepare further for an inspection is in preparing for an SNF inspection.

09Frequently asked questions

Can I look up whether an address is SNF-certified?

No. The public SNF register lists companies, not addresses, and the location register Informis is not public. Look up the landlord in the register and ask them for proof that the address is in their location register and has been inspected.

Do I have to have a rented house inspected myself?

Only if you are the primary responsible party (EV). If you rent from an SNF-registered provider who is the EV, you register the location as another interested party and the landlord arranges the inspection.

Does the 15 m² per resident apply to my existing houses too?

According to Normec, 15 m² GBO per resident applies to new locations with a start date on or after 1 October 2026. Existing, already registered locations follow the version of the standard that applies to them; check the current SNF text.

May a private owner let a house to my agency workers?

Yes, but if you need SNF housing the location must fall under a registered company. A private person can register with SNF, but may then let at most one location to labour migrants besides their own home. Otherwise you become the primary responsible party yourself.

What if the landlord drops out of the SNF register?

Then the location is no longer covered by a registered EV. Agree in the lease what happens in that case, for example a deadline to resolve it or a right to end the lease. Consult a lawyer for the wording.

Renting SNF-certified housing: what to check before you sign