A good place to start
Treat the housing search as its own project. Agree a realistic area, prepare the application and choose how much help you want with viewings, proposals and the lease.
CBS’s June 2026 release uses 2024 for this group. These are arrivals for work across occupations, not a count of high-income expats or YEB clients.
Read the CBS sourceWhat your move needs
Local context
Understand which areas fit your commute and what to ask about each property.
A coordinated application
Prepare your rental documents and clarify what you can provide before moving.
Help at the important moments
Get support from the viewing and proposal through the lease and handover.
Work is a continuing reason to move within Europe
CBS’s work-migration table shows a substantial flow of EU/EFTA workers into the Netherlands. It covers many occupations and circumstances. We use it to identify a real audience, not to assume a particular salary or household type.
Your housing brief may be straightforward, but local unfamiliarity can still slow decisions. A neighbourhood that looks close on a map may not work for your routine. A photograph may not tell you what is included in an unfurnished property.
Choose a routine before choosing an address
Start with work, study or family locations and the journey you are willing to make. Then decide which needs are fixed and where you can be flexible. Bring those priorities to the first conversation so the search has a clear direction.
Our Rotterdam and Utrecht guides are useful starting points. Confirm practical details for each home, including furnishing, move-in timing and any costs listed separately from rent.
Local support without handing over every decision
You remain involved in choosing a home. We help prepare the search, coordinate viewings and put forward a proposal after discussing the strategy with you. Personal contact gives you a place to ask questions as opportunities arise.
Our network sits alongside public listings. We also explain the lease and help at handover. If you can visit in person, discuss the schedule with us; if you cannot, video viewings can be arranged.
Decide which parts you want help with
If you have time, know the area and can manage appointments, a self-managed search may work for you. YEB is a strong fit when you want an active search team and help joining up the steps.
Being able to move easily does not guarantee that a rental application will be accepted. Discuss your documents and expectations before committing to a search, and keep a practical plan for accommodation during the transition.
Bring these to your consultation
A few concrete details help us make the first conversation useful.
- Preferred region and commuting limit
- Employment details available for a rental application
- Furnishing and household needs
- Dates you could attend viewings
- Monthly budget and move-in flexibility
Common questions
Do you only help people moving from outside Europe?
No. We help internationals moving to the Netherlands and those already here who need a new rental home. Tell us your circumstances during intake.
Can I do some of the search myself?
Discuss this when agreeing the assignment so everyone knows who is contacting which properties. Clear coordination helps avoid duplicate applications.
Can you arrange viewings around a short visit to the Netherlands?
Tell us your travel dates and availability before booking appointments. We can discuss viewing coordination, although individual appointments depend on the properties available and the agents or landlords involved.
Can I assess a rental before travelling?
Video viewings can be arranged if you are still abroad. Use them to ask about the layout, furnishing and practical details, and discuss anything that needs further checking before you decide to apply.
What should I check in an unfurnished rental?
Confirm exactly which furniture, appliances and other items are included for that property. Also ask what you would need to arrange before moving in and which costs are listed separately from the rent.
How do I decide whether to search outside my preferred city?
Compare the journey to your actual workplace with the travel time you are willing to accept. Add nearby areas only if they work for your routine and household, rather than judging distance from the map alone.
What support is available after a suitable property is found?
The housing service includes help with the rental proposal, lease explanation and key handover. Agree the assignment’s scope at the outset so you know which steps we handle and which decisions or documents need your input.
Sources & approach
These guides use published migration and education data to identify real audience groups. They describe situations we can discuss, not individual client stories. National arrival counts, student populations and permit-holder counts are different measures and should not be added together.
YEB’s figure of 1,400 expats helped is company-reported as of September 2026. Service details and statistics were reviewed on 15 September 2026; source years are stated where relevant.
- CBS, 30 June 2026: migration in 2025, with EU work and family data for 2024
- Your Expat Butler: housing search, viewings and aftercare
- Your Expat Butler: off-market expertise
