2026-04-13
A Foreign Company’s Guide to Leasing Warehouse Space in the Netherlands
What international tenants need to know before signing a Dutch lease: indexation, service charges, and break options.
2026-10-14
The ROZ Lease Explained: Dutch Warehouse Leases, Clause by Clause
TL;DR
- The ROZ model lease is the Dutch market standard for offices and other business space under article 7:230a of the Civil Code, which includes warehouses. ROZ updated its models in 2025; many leases still use the 2015 version.
- It is a model, not a law: almost every clause can be changed in the special provisions.
- Warehouse tenants have no right to renew when the lease ends, only limited protection against eviction.
- The money is in indexation, service charges, security, maintenance and reinstatement. Read those clauses first.
What is the ROZ lease? The Raad voor Onroerende Zaken (ROZ), the Dutch real estate council, publishes model leases that almost every Dutch commercial landlord uses. For warehouses, the relevant model is the lease for office space and other business space under article 7:230a of the Dutch Civil Code, together with its General Provisions. This guide explains the clauses that matter most for a warehouse, and what tenants and landlords each negotiate.
The lease, the General Provisions and the special provisions
A ROZ lease has three layers: the lease itself, the General Provisions (algemene bepalingen) it refers to, and the special provisions in which the parties agree something different. The special provisions prevail. ROZ updated its models in April 2025, mainly to reflect the new VAT rules for service charges and utilities; the update also lets parties choose a price index other than the CPI. Plenty of leases still use the 2015 model, so always check which version, and which General Provisions, you are signing.
Why warehouses are “230a” space
Dutch lease law treats retail, hospitality and similar premises (“290” business space) very differently from all other business space. Warehouses, offices and light-industrial buildings are “230a” space: there is no statutory minimum term and no right to renew. When the lease ends, the tenant only has eviction protection: within two months of the eviction date it can ask the court to postpone the eviction, by up to a year at a time, and the court agrees only if the tenant’s interests outweigh the landlord’s. That makes the term, renewal and break options you negotiate far more important than for a shop.
The clauses that matter, from both sides
| Clause | What tenants negotiate | What landlords protect |
|---|---|---|
| Use and zoning | A use clause wide enough to grow into, and a condition that the zoning allows it | No use that harms the building, the insurance or the permits, such as hazardous goods |
| Term and renewal | Break and renewal options and notice periods that fit the business plan | A term long enough to justify incentives and investment |
| Rent and indexation | A cap on annual indexation, rent-free months | Full indexation, and no rent reduction through indexation |
| VAT | Clarity on a VAT-taxed lease and the 90% statement | The tenant’s statement, and its obligations if its use changes |
| Service charges | A clear list, a budget and an annual statement | Recovery of running costs, with the correct VAT treatment |
| Security | A lower amount, or a guarantee that reduces over time | A bank guarantee, often three months’ rent, charges and VAT |
| Maintenance | Landlord responsibility for the structure and main installations | Tenant responsibility for minor and day-to-day maintenance |
| Alterations | Freedom to install racking, mezzanines and offices | Consent rights, and removal at the end of the lease |
| Subletting | The right to sublet or share part of the space | Written consent before any sublease |
| Reinstatement | Hand back as received, minus normal wear, recorded in a condition report | Return in the original condition, at the tenant’s cost |
Rent and indexation
Rent is usually indexed every year, in the ROZ model to the consumer price index (CPI, all households) of Statistics Netherlands. After the high inflation of 2022 and 2023, many tenants now ask for a cap of around 3–4% a year, sometimes combined with a floor. Since 2025, parties can also choose a different index, but the lease must name it explicitly.
Service charges and VAT
Service charges cover the costs the landlord makes for the building and the estate, such as security, landscaping, sprinkler maintenance and shared areas. The tenant pays monthly advances and receives an annual statement. Since 1 January 2025, a service-charge item only counts as a separate supply for VAT if the tenant can choose the supplier or decide how much it uses; otherwise it follows the VAT treatment of the rent. With a VAT-exempt lease that means no VAT on those charges, and no VAT deduction for the landlord on the costs behind them.
A VAT-taxed lease is only possible if the tenant uses the building at least 90% for VAT-taxed activities, and it must be recorded in the lease with the tenant’s statement (Belastingdienst).
Security, maintenance and reinstatement
Security is usually a bank guarantee or a deposit. The ROZ model leaves the amount open; three months of rent plus service charges and VAT is common practice. Maintenance is split by the General Provisions: broadly, the landlord carries the structure and major maintenance, and the tenant minor and day-to-day maintenance. Warehouse leases often move installations, dock levellers or sprinklers to the tenant, so read the list.
At the end, the tenant hands the building back in the condition recorded at the start. Insist on a detailed condition report with photos at handover: it is the cheapest protection against a reinstatement claim years later.
Before you sign: a short checklist
- Which ROZ version, and which General Provisions, apply?
- Does the zoning allow your use, and is that a condition?
- Do the term, notice, renewal and break options fit your plans?
- Are the indexation cap, the rent-free period and any fit-out contribution in writing?
- Is the lease VAT-taxed or exempt, and is the 90% statement correct?
- Are the service charges listed, budgeted and settled annually?
- What security is required, and in which form?
- Are the maintenance split and the reinstatement standard clear, with a condition report at handover?
For what else to settle before a foreign company signs, see our guide to leasing warehouse space in the Netherlands.
Looking for space?Lease warehouse space in the Netherlands, from 500 m²We find the building and negotiate the lease on your side, clause by clause. Letting a building?Rent out your warehouse in the NetherlandsWe find a reliable tenant and agree a lease that protects your building’s value.Frequently asked questions
Is the ROZ lease mandatory in the Netherlands?
No. It is a model drawn up by the Raad voor Onroerende Zaken and used by most commercial landlords, but parties are free to change any clause in the special provisions, or to use their own lease.
Is there an English version of the ROZ lease?
The ROZ models are Dutch documents. English translations are widely used with international tenants; agree in the lease which language prevails if the versions differ.
How long is a typical warehouse lease in the Netherlands?
Five years with a five-year renewal is the most common structure. Large and build-to-suit warehouses are often let for ten to fifteen years, while short leases of one to three years usually come at full rent without incentives.
How is the rent indexed in a ROZ lease?
Usually once a year, in line with the consumer price index (CPI, all households) of Statistics Netherlands. Tenants often negotiate a cap of around 3–4% a year; since 2025 the ROZ model also allows other indices if the lease names them.
Can a landlord end a warehouse lease?
Yes, at the end of the term and with proper notice. For warehouses (230a space) the tenant has no right to renew; it can only ask the court to postpone the eviction, by up to a year at a time, which the court allows only if the tenant’s interests outweigh the landlord’s.
