The calculation has a specific order

First, the lender establishes qualifying annual income. The 2026 financing-burden table then supplies a percentage based on income and the applicable test interest rate. That creates a maximum annual financing load.

Existing financial obligations and the annual erfpacht canon are deducted from that load. The remaining amount is converted to a mortgage using a 30-year annuity calculation. Statutory allowances can then apply, but the property-value and lender-acceptance limits still bind.

• Qualifying, sustainable gross annual income
• 2026 financing-burden percentage and test interest rate
• DUO, loans, private lease, alimony, and erfpacht
• Single-applicant and energy-label allowances
• Appraised property value and lender policy

Official basis: Rijksoverheid — maximum borrowing for a home, Tijdelijke regeling hypothecair krediet — 2026 rules and tables, AFM — Q3 2026 mortgage test rate

Annual salary counts; extra income must be sustainable

For a salaried applicant, the base is the gross annual salary. Holiday allowance should be added only when it is paid on top of that salary. A 13th month or year-end payment belongs in the fixed-income total only when it is unconditional under the employment agreement.

Variable pay is not one universal yes-or-no rule. The NHG employer statement distinguishes unconditional fixed components from structural irregular-hours pay, overtime, and commission. Structural variable components can be documented using the latest 12 months when they are customary in the industry and expected to continue. Other income methods use a longer history. The calculator deliberately uses a conservative three-complete-year average and flags lender-specific exceptions for professional review.

Official basis: NHG — employer statement and income assessment, NHG — model employer statement

Monthly debts reduce the payment room before the mortgage is calculated

The lender considers financial commitments such as DUO student debt, personal loans, revolving credit, private lease, and partner alimony. For DUO, the normal required monthly payment is usually the starting point. A temporary payment pause or income-based reduction may be replaced by the payment that would normally apply.

This is why a €100 monthly debt does not merely reduce the mortgage by €100. It removes €100 from every month of the permitted financing load, which is then capitalised over the mortgage term and interest rate.

Official basis: Rijksoverheid — maximum borrowing for a home, Rijksoverheid — how student debt affects a mortgage

VvE and erfpacht are both real costs, but they enter the test differently

For an apartment, the VvE contribution pays for service costs, insurance, reserves, and building maintenance. It belongs in the monthly affordability view alongside the mortgage, even though the statutory NHG total-financing-load list does not treat a normal VvE contribution as the same direct deduction as erfpacht.

A periodic erfpacht canon is different: NHG includes it in the total financing load. A known new or revised canon within 12 months must also be considered. The practical effect is less room for mortgage interest and repayment.

Official basis: NHG — Conditions and Norms 2026, Rijksoverheid — costs when buying a home

The energy label can add room, but value still caps the result

The 2026 regulation allows specified amounts to be left out of the financing-burden test when buying a more efficient home. Separate allowances may apply when the loan funds qualifying energy improvements. These are statutory ceilings, not automatic approval or free cash.

The normal mortgage is capped at 100% of the appraised market value. Energy measures can have a limited separate loan-to-value exception, but the extra money must be used for those measures.

Official basis: Tijdelijke regeling hypothecair krediet — 2026 rules and tables, Rijksoverheid — extra mortgage room for energy measures

Common questions