Renting office space in the Netherlands and arranging internet
An office without good internet is not a workplace. This is how you check the internet before you sign a lease in the Netherlands, and how you arrange your business internet without delays.
Why internet is the first question when you rent an office
When you rent an office, you look at the location, the rent and the parking. But your team notices something else every day: video calls that freeze, slow files in the cloud and WiFi that drops out in the meeting room. That is rarely the laptop. Usually it is the building's connection, the cabling or the WiFi.
The tricky part: Dutch rental brochures almost never say anything about internet. Many tenants only find out after signing that there is no fibre, that installation takes months, or that they are tied to the building's provider. So put internet at the top of your list, before you sign.
Internet check for tenants
What internet do you need?
Answer a few short questions and get personal advice straight away: which connection suits you, what you need to arrange and what to check with the landlord.
Takes about a minute. You do not need to leave any details.
Your advice
Your internet profile:
This is what we recommend
https://www.it-label.com
This advice is a first indication based on your answers, not a measurement. Want certainty about the building? A Certified Partner inspects it on site with a pre-inspection.
What to look for in an office
Fibre into the building
Ask whether fibre really enters the building, and how far it goes. Fibre in the street is not yet a connection in your office.
WiFi for many people
An office with twenty people on video calls needs more than one router in the corner. Ask how many access points there are.
Your own network
In a multi-tenant building, tenants sometimes share one network. Ask whether your network is separate from your neighbours'.
A backup connection
If your work stops without internet, you want a second connection or a 4G/5G backup. Ask whether there is room for one.
Fibre, cable, DSL or 4G/5G: what suits your office?
| Technology | What you should know |
|---|---|
| Fibre | The best choice for an office: fast, stable and as fast for uploads as for downloads. Ask whether it reaches into the building. |
| Cable (coax) | Often fast for downloads, but slower for uploads. You notice that in video calls and the cloud. |
| DSL (phone line) | Usually slower, especially for uploads. Often too little for an office with several people. |
| 4G/5G | Quick to arrange and useful as a backup or temporary solution. Less stable as the main connection for a whole office. |
Six questions for the landlord of your office
Ask these questions before you sign. The answers decide whether you can work from day one.
- What internet connection is there? And does it reach into the building and into my unit?
- Can I choose my own provider? Or am I tied to the building's provider?
- Is my network separate from other tenants'? The WiFi too?
- Who can access the meter cupboard, patch cabinet and server room? Are they locked, and who has the key?
- Is there room for a second connection? In case the first one fails.
- Does the building have an IT-Label? Look it up in Find your IT-Label.
https://www.it-label.com/en/office-space-internet-netherlands
Arranging internet
Arranging internet for your office in 7 steps
Ask what is already there
Ask the landlord which connection exists, with which provider, and whether it runs through a building network. Sometimes there is already a connection you only need to take over.
Check the exact address
Use the address check on the websites of several providers to see which technology is available: fibre, cable, DSL or 4G/5G.
Choose a business subscription
Look at the repair time in case of a failure (SLA), a fixed IP address, equal upload and download speeds and a fixed point of contact. That is the difference with a home subscription.
Apply in time
Start right after signing the lease, not in the week you move in. A new connection can take weeks to months.
Get permission for installation
Drilling, cables through the shaft and a place for the router often need the landlord's permission. Agree on this in advance.
Match the contract term
Choose a contract term that fits your lease, so you are not tied to the subscription for longer than you rent.
Arrange a backup
Can you not work without internet? Add a second connection or a 4G/5G backup that takes over when the main connection fails.
Setting up internet in the Netherlands: what is different?
Check the exact address
Dutch providers check availability per postcode and house number. Two buildings on the same street can have different options, so always check the exact address of your unit.
Have your KVK number ready
For a business subscription, providers usually ask for your registration number at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK). Register your company in time.
Ask for English
Contracts, installation appointments and support are often in Dutch. Ask whether the provider can help you in English, or bring someone who reads Dutch.
Read the lease carefully
Many Dutch commercial leases follow a standard model (ROZ). Check what it says about the connection, cabling and who pays for installation work.
Tips and pitfalls for your office internet subscription
Speed is not everything
Upload speed, stability and the repair time for failures matter just as much as download speed.
WiFi is a separate matter
A fast subscription does not help if the WiFi in your office is poor. Have the WiFi designed for your space and the number of people.
Shared WiFi is not your network
The WiFi of a multi-tenant building is handy for guests, but not suitable for your business data.
Moving from another office?
Check the notice period of your current subscription, and ask whether you can keep your phone number. That way you do not pay twice.
Secure it from day one
Use a good router or firewall. Small Dutch businesses can get a subsidy for this: read about the MCZ subsidy.
Put agreements in writing
State in the lease who is responsible for the connection, the cabling and failures.
How the IT-Label helps
The IT-Label is the independent standard for the digital quality of buildings in the Netherlands. It shows the connection, the cabling, the technical rooms, the WiFi and the security of an office building, at a level from IT1+ PREMIUM to IT5 SHELL. So before you sign, you know what the landlord provides and what you still need to arrange yourself.
Look up the building in Find your IT-Label. No IT-Label yet? With an IT-Label Pre-inspection, a Certified Partner inspects the space on site. More for tenants on the IT-Label for tenants.
Frequently asked questions about internet for your office
Know what you rent
Have a Certified Partner check the internet and digital infrastructure of your new office before you sign.
Related information
Business premises Netherlands: arranging internet
Renting business premises or a warehouse in the Netherlands? How to check the internet before you sign, and how to arrange it: 7 steps, tips and questions.
Retail space Netherlands: internet for your shop
Renting a shop in the Netherlands? Check the internet for card payments before you sign and arrange internet for your retail space: 7 steps and tips.
The IT-Label for tenants
The IT-Label clarifies before signing which digital delivery level a building has and which investment is still yours to make.
What should you pay attention to?
What should you pay attention to when assessing a building's digital infrastructure? From connectivity and WiFi to Smart Building features.