Can you rent warehouse space in the Netherlands for a few months, or a year or two? Yes, but rarely through a standard lease. Most Dutch warehouse leases run five years or more, so short-term warehouse rental means choosing a different route: a short lease where a landlord has empty space, taking over part of another company’s warehouse, storing pallets with a logistics provider, or putting up a temporary hall. Each route has its own cost, speed and fine print. This guide compares them, so you can pick the one that fits your timeline.
Most Dutch warehouse leases are written on the ROZ model, and the market default is five years with a five-year extension. Landlords like long terms because they finance and value buildings on secured income, and the rent-free months and fit-out contributions they offer only pay back over a longer period.
The law itself is more flexible. Warehouses, distribution centres and other storage buildings fall under article 7:230a of the Dutch Civil Code, and for these premises there is no statutory minimum lease term. That is the difference with shops and restaurants, which have a minimum of five plus five years. You and a landlord can agree on six months, a year or three years.
What makes landlords careful is eviction protection. When a 7:230a lease ends, the tenant can ask the court to postpone the eviction, and that protection can last up to three years in total. A landlord who lets space for one year therefore wants certainty that you will actually leave. Expect clauses that make the end date firm, and read them with care if there is any chance you will need the space longer.
The market is on your side for now. Vacancy in Dutch warehouse space has risen to around 6.3%, and research firm BCI expects it to keep rising in Flevoland/Lelystad, Twente, Groningen, Arnhem–Nijmegen and South Limburg. A landlord with an empty unit and no tenant in sight is far more open to a short lease than one in a fully let park near Rotterdam.
| Option | Typical term | How fast | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short lease from a landlord | 1–3 years | 2–6 weeks | Running your own operation for a fixed period |
| Sublease from another occupier | The rest of their lease | 2–6 weeks | A lower rent, if the space and timing fit |
| Pallet storage with a 3PL | Week to week | Days | Stock only, without your own staff |
| Temporary hall | Months to years | 1–3 weeks, plus the permit | Overflow next to a site you already use |
| Longer lease with an early break | 5 years, break after 2–3 | Normal search | Uncertain needs, at market rent with incentives |
The cleanest option if you run your own operation: your own unit, your own docks, your own staff. Short leases come up in multi-let business parks, in older buildings, in buildings waiting for redevelopment, and with any landlord who has had a unit empty for a while. Expect the rent at or above market level, few or no rent-free months, and the unit taken as it is. A one-year lease will not pay for a new floor or extra docks.
Companies that have outgrown their plans often sit on surplus space, and they would rather recover part of the rent than pay for empty floor. A sublease can therefore come in below market rent, sometimes with racking already in place. The catch: the standard ROZ conditions do not allow subletting without the landlord’s prior written consent, and your rights end when the main lease ends. Make sure that consent is in writing before you move in, and check the end date of the main lease.
If you only need to store goods, a third-party logistics provider (3PL) is the most flexible route. You pay per pallet per week, and the provider runs the warehouse, the staff and the systems. Indicative Dutch rates for ambient storage are €2.00–5.50 per pallet per week in block storage and €2.80–6.50 in racking, with the lowest rates for volumes above 500 pallets. Handling, order picking and transport come on top, so always ask for an all-in price.
A quick comparison shows where the line is. Storing 500 pallets in racking at €2.80–4.50 a week costs roughly €73,000–117,000 a year before handling. A 1,500 m² unit at €70/m² costs about €105,000 a year in rent, but then you still need your own racking, forklifts, staff and systems. Pallet storage usually wins until you need your own team on site anyway.
If you control land (next to your current warehouse, or on a yard you lease), a temporary hall can add space fast. One Dutch supplier puts the rent for a 500 m² hall at €1,500–4,500 a month for the structure, with transport, assembly, flooring, power, lighting and heating adding another 30–50%. Building it takes days; preparing the site takes one to three weeks.
The permit is usually the slowest part. Many municipalities require an environment permit (omgevingsvergunning) for a temporary hall, and under the regular procedure the municipality has eight weeks to decide, extendable by six. Ask the municipality early, and check with your insurer, because a tent hall full of stock is a different fire risk from a sprinklered warehouse.
If you are not sure how long you need the space, a short lease is not always the cheapest answer. A five-year lease with a break option after two or three years often comes with rent-free months and a lower rent, which a short lease does not. Over the first two years, that can make the effective rent lower than a short lease, and you keep the option to stay. For how break options and indexation work in a Dutch lease, see our guide to leasing warehouse space in the Netherlands.
Short leases and subleases rarely reach the property portals. A landlord willing to let for one year often prefers not to advertise it, and a company with surplus space usually tries its own network first. The supply also depends on the region: the eastern and southern regions have more vacancy than the Randstad and the Rotterdam port corridor, so a short lease near Venlo or Nijmegen is easier to find than one near Schiphol. Compare the regions in our guide to the Dutch logistics hubs.
That is where we come in. We work only for tenants, search the whole market including space that is not advertised, and tell you which route is cheapest for your timeline, whether that is a short lease, a sublease or a longer lease with a break.
Need space soon?Lease warehouse space in the Netherlands, from 500 m²Short lease, sublease or a lease with an early break: we search the whole market on your side and compare the routes for your timeline.Yes. Dutch law sets no minimum term for warehouse leases, so a lease of a few months is legally possible, but most landlords want at least one year. For a few months, pallet storage with a logistics provider or a sublease from another company is usually easier to arrange than a lease of your own.
No. Warehouses fall under article 7:230a of the Dutch Civil Code, which has no statutory minimum term. The market standard is a ROZ lease of five years with a five-year extension, but shorter terms can be agreed, especially with landlords who have empty space.
Pallet storage with a logistics provider costs roughly €2.00–5.50 per pallet per week in block storage and €2.80–6.50 in racking, before handling. A temporary 500 m² hall rents for about €1,500–4,500 a month for the structure, plus 30–50% for assembly, flooring and power. A short lease is usually at or above market rent, with few incentives.
Only with the landlord’s prior written consent. The standard ROZ lease conditions do not allow subletting without it. As the subtenant, also check the end date of the main lease, because your rights end when it ends.
Pallet storage can start within days. A short lease or sublease typically takes two to six weeks to find and sign. A temporary hall takes one to three weeks to prepare, but if it needs an environment permit, the municipality has eight weeks to decide, extendable by six.
Indicative 2026 warehouse rents across the Dutch logistics regions — Rotterdam, Schiphol/Amsterdam, Venlo, Tilburg and more — plus what drives the price and how to budget total occupancy cost.
What international tenants need to know before signing a Dutch lease: indexation, service charges, and break options.