There is The Dutch Landlords (Good Practices) Act. This act contains clear rules that landlords must follow. If a landlord does not follow the rules, as a tenant, you can file a report with the municipality. The act has given municipalities more resources to combat undesirable landlord behaviour, such as discrimination, intimidation, unreasonable service fees and excessively high deposits.

What does this mean for you?

Do you rent a home from a private landlord? Is this landlord also violating the rules? As a tenant, you can report the violation to the municipality. You can do so using the form on this page.

This complaints office is for tenants of private landlords and housing corporations (Ieder1, Rentree or De Marken). Do you rent your home from a housing corporation? In that case, we recommend contacting the housing corporation’s complaints committee first. You can do this through the housing corporation’s website. If you do not wish to file a complaint with the housing corporation directly, you may also file your report with the municipality.

What can you report on?

If you are a tenant, you can file a report with the municipality in the following situations: 

• If your landlord does not have a clear and transparent selection procedure for finding and choosing new tenants. This is to prevent housing discrimination.
  If your landlord intimidates you. The intimidation can be physical, verbal or in writing. Examples include threats to terminate the tenancy agreement or cut off the electricity.
• If your landlord requests a deposit that exceeds two months’ basic rent. As of 1 July 2023, the maximum deposit value is two month’s basic rent. The deposit must also be refunded within 14 days after you have moved out of the home.
• If your landlord does not want to draw up a written tenancy agreement. As of 1 July 2023, landlords must record all agreements with the tenant in writing with a tenancy agreement.
• If your landlord does not provide you with information about your general rights and obligations as a tenant. Upon entering a tenancy agreement, the landlord must also provide written information about any other important matters, such as agreements about when the landlord is allowed to enter the home (only in case of emergency).
• If your landlord asks for unreasonable service fees. Service fees are expenses charged in addition to the basic rent, such as cleaning and maintenance fees. The service fees must be recorded in writing. Each year, the landlord must present an overview of how the service fees have been spent relative to the home.
• If the landlord spends less than you have paid for the service fees, the landlord must reimburse the difference. 

For more information on the rules that landlords must follow, visit the Government of the Netherlands (Rijksoverheid) website (information in Dutch).

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We may have a question about your complaint. This will help us to resolve the problem more quickly and effectively. Or we may want to explain something. In that case, we would like to get in touch with you. We will only use your telephone number and email address for this complaint. You may also file your complaint anonymously.