Renting or buying business premises?

Renting or buying business premises? Renting keeps you flexible and capital-light and is usually the best choice during growth or uncertainty; buying builds equity and protects against rent increases, but requires your own capital and ties you to one location for longer. Ultimately the choice depends on how long you plan to stay, your capital position and your need for flexibility — below we set out all the considerations.

Renting or buying: the core trade-off

The choice between renting and buying is mainly a trade-off between flexibility and certainty. Those who rent pay a periodic rent and stay agile, but build no equity. Those who buy commit their own capital and financing to become the owner, benefit from possible appreciation and fixed monthly costs, but give up flexibility and bear all the property risks themselves. There is no universally right choice: the same company may decide differently at different stages.

When does renting business premises make sense?

Renting suits companies that want to stay agile or would rather invest their capital in the business than in bricks and mortar. You typically choose to rent when:

• your space requirements may still grow or shrink;

• you want to reserve your own capital for stock, staff or growth;

• you want to be in a prime location quickly without a large upfront investment;

• you do not want to bear the maintenance and value risk of property yourself.

When does buying business premises make sense?

Buying becomes attractive once your accommodation is stable and your financing is in place. Consider buying when:

• you expect to stay in the same place for more than seven to ten years;

• you have sufficient own equity available (typically 10 to 30%);

• you want to build equity and be protected against rent increases;

• you want to renovate or make the premises more sustainable as you see fit.

Renting versus buying: the costs at a glance

When renting you pay periodic rent (in the Netherlands roughly €45 to €175 per m² per year for business and office space), service charges and your own fit-out. When buying you pay the purchase price once, 10.4% transfer tax on existing properties, notary, valuation and financing costs, and then interest, repayment, maintenance, insurance and property tax. Work through both scenarios over your expected length of stay — only then does it become clear which option works out more favourably.

Tax and legal points of attention

The choice has direct tax and legal consequences. In any case, pay attention to:

• Transfer tax: 10.4% on existing business premises (non-residential rate, 2026).

• VAT: for new-build or a building plot, 21% VAT usually applies instead of transfer tax.

• Deductibility: rent is fully deductible from profit; when buying, interest and depreciation (within limits) are deductible.

• Lease regime: offices and warehouses fall under article 7:230a of the Dutch Civil Code, retail and hospitality under the stricter 7:290.

• Structure: do you buy privately, in a property holding company or in the operating company? Each variant has its own tax consequences.

How to determine what fits your company

Work through the choice step by step:

1. Determine your expected length of stay and growth scenario for the coming five to ten years.

2. Map out your capital position: how much own equity can and do you want to tie up?

3. Request market rent and a realistic purchase price for comparable properties in your region.

4. Have a buy-versus-rent calculation made, including taxes and financing costs.

5. Weigh the flexibility you give up against the equity you gain.

Rental and purchase request through a single intake at BizzBrix

Do you know which way you want to go — or do you want to compare both options? With BizzBrix you post one search request using our AI intake of about five minutes. Affiliated commercial real estate agents respond with matching rental or purchase listings from their portfolio, including off-market properties that are not on the well-known portals. Thanks to token protection you stay anonymous until you accept an introduction yourself, and for you as a searcher it is completely free. Start your free AI intake →

Also looking for specific listings?

Do you have very specific wishes — a particular location, floor area, sector, appearance or budget? Then our AI intake often works better than filtering on property portals yourself. Instead of searching through whatever happens to be online, you record your exact search request. The intake agent asks targeted follow-up questions, translates your wishes into concrete search criteria and distributes them anonymously to affiliated commercial real estate agents.

Precisely with specific or unusual requirements this pays off. Agents respond with properties that truly fit — including off-market listings that are nowhere online — and you don't have to trawl through dozens of adverts or keep calling around. That way you also find space that a few search filters can't capture. Post your search request via the AI intake →

Prefer to browse by category first?

• Rent business space — warehouses, units and workspace throughout the Netherlands.

• Rent office space — from a flex desk to your own floor.

• Business space for sale — purchase listings, including off-market properties.

Frequently asked questions about renting or buying

Below we answer the most frequently asked questions about renting or buying business premises.