Employers may no longer deduct housing costs from minimum wage (withdrawn)

Please note: this proposed change in legislation is cancelled. It has been withdrawn on 30 October 2025 (in Dutch).

What was supposed to change?

Do you employ staff, such as migrant workers, and do you arrange housing for them? Then there would be some changes for you. If the change would take effect, you would no longer be allowed to deduct housing costs from their statutory minimum wage. Now you can still deduct a maximum of 25% of the statutory minimum wage towards housing costs. This was supposed to end. 

With his change in law the government wanted to better protect migrant workers. Abolishing the rule should help prevent abuse and make housing costs fairer. This change would have also made it easier for the Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie, NLA) to check whether employers pay the legal minimum wage.

For whom?

• employers hiring migrant workers
• companies that arrange housing for staff