Hoofdbewoner

Hoofdbewoner is a Dutch noun meaning the person who primarily resides at a dwelling. It refers to the main resident—the individual whose everyday life and personal affairs are centered at the address. The term is used to distinguish the principal occupant from others who live there, such as roommates or cohabitants, who may be described as bijbewoners or medebewoners.

In practice, the hoofdbewoner is often the person who registers the address as their hoofdverblijf and uses the property as the main residence for administration and services. The concept appears in forms, tenancy conversations, and municipal records to identify who is responsible for the residence or who most data should be associated with.

In households with multiple residents, one person is typically regarded as the hoofdbewoner, usually the individual who spends most time at the address and is registered there. Other residents are described as occupants or cohabitants without the hoofdbewoner designation.

The term is widely understood in Dutch administrative language, but it does not by itself create a separate legal status. It is primarily a descriptive label used in contact with authorities, insurers, and service providers to indicate the primary place of residence.

See also: hoofdverblijf, medebewoner, inhabitant, personal residence.