Relocation timelines rarely line up: the employment contract is signed, the start date is fixed, and there are still no Dutch payslips to show anyone. That gap catches almost everyone moving here for work, and the practical question is which substitutes landlords actually accept, not whether the gap can be avoided.
Not having payslips yet doesn't lock you out, it just means substituting a different proof pack. Your signed employment contract plus a werkgeversverklaring or formal offer letter confirming start date and salary carries real weight — landlords have seen this before, especially in expat-heavy cities. Add a few months of bank statements from home showing you're not broke, and if you can line up a garantsteller (guarantor) who lives and works in the Netherlands and meets the income test themselves, that closes most remaining doubt. Some landlords will also accept a chunk of rent paid upfront in lieu of a stronger income file, though that's their call to offer, not something you can demand. If none of that lands a permanent place before you land, a short furnished corporate let (Airbnb-adjacent but monthly) as a bridge for the first month or two is a normal, unglamorous way to buy yourself time to apply properly once you're actually here.