Selling a student home: permit, tenants and valuation

Looking for the complete overview? Read our guide selling an HMO property: value, costs, steps and a no-obligation offer within 24 hours.

The short answer

The value of student housing is determined by the net rent per room, the number of rented rooms, the presence of a conversion or HMO permit (kamerverhuurvergunning) and the distance to educational institutions. Selling with residents is possible: through 'koop breekt geen huur' (sale does not terminate lease), the rental agreements pass to the buyer by operation of law and you do not need to give anyone notice.

Valuation per room

These amounts are indicative. The required yield differs per city and is heavily dependent on municipal HMO policy.

The role of the permit

Many municipalities work with a conversion permit (omzettingsvergunning) for room-by-room rental and sometimes with a quota per street. If you have a permit, an investor buys certainty and pays for it. If it is missing, a buyer calculates with the risk of enforcement and the offer drops. Therefore, before the sale, ask the municipality what status your property has.

Selling with or without residents

Our experience: letting rooms become vacant to 'make it easier to sell' almost always costs more than it yields. Six months of vacancy on six rooms is quickly €17,000 in lost rent, while an investor specifically wants to buy a running property. If you sell to an owner-occupier or developer, then delivering vacant can indeed be logical – calculate both scenarios.

Checklist for the sale

• Current rent roll per room including start date and security deposit
• Overview of payment arrears and indexations
• Permit or correspondence with the municipality
• Energy label and fire safety provisions
• Floor plan with usable area per room

More information on our page about selling a student house or HMO property and about selling an investment property.