Flexible Office vs Lease in Amsterdam: Contracts, Terms, Deposits and Tax (2026)

In Amsterdam the contract decides almost everything else: the term, the deposit, who fits out the space, and whether you need a local company to sign. This guide sets the three contract forms side by side and then covers what a company from abroad needs in place before it signs. Flexible space is quoted per desk per month; conventional leases are quoted per square metre per year. Both are before VAT (btw) at 21%.

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The three contracts

Coworking or serviced office

A service agreement (dienstverleningsovereenkomst), not a lease, monthly or for six to twelve months with one month’s notice. One all-in fee per desk covers rent, service costs, utilities, internet, cleaning, reception and meeting-room credits; a deposit of one to two months is usual. Btw at 21% is added.

Managed office

Twelve to thirty-six months for a dedicated floor fitted and run by the operator, priced per desk or per month.

Conventional lease (huurovereenkomst kantoorruimte)

Office space falls under the lighter regime of article 7:230a of the Civil Code (no statutory renewal right, but eviction protection of up to a year after the lease ends). Most leases use the standard ROZ model: five years with five-year renewal options, rent per square metre per year indexed annually, service costs on top, a bank guarantee or deposit of three months’ rent plus btw, and the tenant’s own fit-out and reinstatement.

Side by side

Setting up as a company from abroad

• A foreign company can take flexible space with its registration extract and the signatory’s ID; longer managed-office terms may call for a Dutch entity or a guarantee.
• Incorporating a Dutch BV needs a civil-law notary and registration in the KVK trade register; allow one to three weeks. There is no minimum share capital (€0.01 is enough) and no residency requirement for directors, but the company needs a registered address in the Netherlands, which operators sell as a virtual office. A foreign company can also register a branch with the KVK instead.
• The 30% ruling gives qualifying foreign hires a tax-free allowance on part of their salary, which is one reason companies set up in Amsterdam; the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency helps with the process.
• Btw at 21% applies to office fees and, where the landlord has opted (the norm for offices), to rent; a Dutch VAT-registered business recovers it.

Who pays

• Flexible space: the operator pays the introducer when a tenant signs; the tenant pays nothing and the rate is the same as going direct.
• Leases: the landlord pays its letting agent; a tenant’s own adviser is paid by the tenant, usually a percentage of the first year’s rent.

SquareFoot is adding Amsterdam operators now; live listings for Amsterdam will appear on the markets page as they are collected. Guide written by SquareFoot; last reviewed October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is a flexible office in Amsterdam a lease?

No. It is a licence or service agreement for a fitted room with one monthly fee, usually one to twelve months and rolling after that. It gives no security of tenure and no fit-out obligation, which is the trade-off against a conventional lease.

Do I need a Dutch company to rent an office in Amsterdam?

Not for flexible space, which a foreign company can take on a service agreement. A lease usually needs a Dutch BV or a registered branch; a BV takes one to three weeks and has no minimum capital or resident-director requirement.

What is the ROZ model lease?

The standard office lease published by the Dutch real-estate council and used by most landlords: five-year terms with five-year options, annual indexation, service costs on top and a bank guarantee of three months. Flexible contracts sit outside it.

Related: How to find office space in Amsterdam · Where to put an office in Amsterdam · SquareFoot international markets

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