The Price of a Guaranteed Spot
In the densely populated cities of the Netherlands, a private, reserved parking space (gereserveerde parkeerplaats) is a significant luxury. On-street parking is often a frustrating and expensive ordeal, involving municipal permits with long waiting lists or steep hourly rates. Consequently, many modern apartment buildings offer private parking, usually in an underground garage. This convenience, however, comes at a price—a monthly reserved parking fee that is almost always a separate charge on top of the apartment rent. Tenants should not assume that an apartment advertised with 'parking available' means that parking is included in the rent. It is a separate amenity with its own distinct cost and contractual terms, which can significantly increase the total monthly housing expenditure.
The Separate Parking Contract
A crucial detail that many tenants miss is that the parking space is often rented out under a separate legal agreement from the apartment itself. This is a deliberate legal maneuver by landlords. Residential living space (woonruimte) in the Netherlands is protected by a robust set of laws that limit rent increases, restrict the landlord's ability to terminate the lease, and provide tenants with strong rights. A parking space, however, is considered a 'movable property' or a simple garage box (garagebox) and does not fall under these same protections. By using a separate contract, the landlord ensures that the rent for the parking spot can be increased more freely, and the lease for it can be terminated more easily than the lease for the apartment. A tenant might find themselves in a situation where their apartment rent increase is capped at 3%, but the rent for their parking spot jumps by 10% in the same year.
Mandatory vs. Optional Parking
When considering an apartment with associated parking, a key question for the tenant is whether renting the parking spot is mandatory (verplichte afname) or optional. In many new residential developments, developers and landlords make the rental of the parking space obligatory along with the apartment. They do this to ensure all the expensive-to-build parking spots are generating revenue. This can be a deal-breaker for tenants who do not own a car, as they are forced to pay for a service they will never use, effectively adding €100-€300 or more to their monthly rent for nothing. In other buildings, parking is optional, allowing tenants to decide if the convenience is worth the extra cost. If it is optional, tenants should weigh the monthly fee against the cost and availability of a municipal on-street parking permit (parkeervergunning), which is often cheaper but may have a multi-year waiting list.
Rules, Regulations, and Hidden Costs
The use of the parking garage is typically governed by the building's internal rules, or huishoudelijk reglement, set by the Owner's Association (VvE). These rules can be strict, often prohibiting the storage of anything other than a vehicle in the parking spot (no boxes, tires, or furniture). There will also be rules regarding the installation and use of charging stations for electric vehicles (laadpalen), which can involve additional costs and administrative hurdles. The fee paid by the tenant is not pure profit for the landlord; it covers the landlord's own VvE contributions for the spot, which pay for the maintenance, cleaning, lighting, and security of the parking garage.
