What the WOZ value tells you about an Amsterdam home

Every property in the Netherlands has a WOZ value, set once a year by the municipality. It is the basis for local property tax, it feeds into the rent points system, and it tends to track, at a distance, what a home is worth. It is not the price you would pay on the open market, and confusing the two leads people astray.

What it is, and what it is not

The WOZ value is the city's estimate of a home's worth on a fixed reference date, the first of January of the previous year. Because it lags and is calculated in bulk, it usually sits below the actual sale price, sometimes well below in a fast-rising market. Use it as a floor and a trend line, not as a valuation.

Why buyers should glance at it

A large gap between the WOZ value and the asking price is worth a question. Sometimes it reflects a genuine improvement or a hot street. Sometimes it is just an ambitious seller. Either way, knowing the gap gives you a sharper sense of whether the price is grounded.

Why renters should care

In the regulated rental sector the WOZ value contributes points that help set the maximum legal rent, with caps that stop a high value from dominating in the most expensive areas. If you rent in such a home, the WOZ value is one of the inputs deciding whether your rent is lawful.

Reading the trend

A single WOZ figure is a snapshot. The shape over several years says more: a neighbourhood on a steady climb, a plateau, or a dip. On the 500meters neighbourhood pages we show the average WOZ value for the buurt over time, so you can see the direction of travel. For the exact figure on a specific home, look it up on the national wozwaardeloket.