Rent reduction
Rent reduction
Anyone who rents an independent accommodation, room, mobile home can have the rent assessed by Huurteams Nijmegen. Huurteams Nijmegen will visit you and assess whether your rent complies with the housing valuation system (see also point system) link. This rating is based on the size and amenities of your property. If your rent does not comply with this system, your rent is probably higher than the maximum legal rent.
Huurteams Nijmegen can help you reduce the rent. If the rent is too high, you can ask the Huurcommissie to reduce the rent. A condition for this is that your basic rent is below the liberalization threshold (see also social and free rent. Link). The Huurcommissie will assess whether the proposal is justified. Note: During the procedure you have to keep paying the old (too high) rent. Afterwards Huurteams Nijmegen can help you recover the overpayment. So you should not start paying a lower rent on your own accord.
Rent reduction for defects
Rent reduction for defects
A landlord does not always keep the agreements regarding repair of defects. In many cases, a tenant has already knocked on the landlord's door multiple times to fix the problems in the housing unit. If a landlord remains negligent and does not fix the problems within 6 weeks, the tenant may be entitled to a rent reduction. It is important, however, that you have put your landlord in default in writing. If you still cannot solve the problem, you can call in Huurteams Nijmegen to guide you through the procedure for a rent reduction due to defects. Negligence on the part of the landlord does not mean that you can suspend or reduce the rent yourself. A rent reduction must always be requested through a procedure.
Testing Initial Rent
Testing Initial Rent
Anyone signing a new lease has the right to have their rent reviewed. This procedure is called rent review. With a temporary lease, you may start this procedure within 6 months after your lease ends. With an indefinite rental contract, you must start the procedure within 6 months after your rental contract has started. Suppose your rent is € 1100 at the start. However, the point score shows that your house is worth € 800,-. If it is below the liberalization threshold, the Rent Commission may lower the rent. Does the scoring show that it is above the liberalization threshold? Then the rent remains € 1100,- and the Rent Commission may not lower the rent. You are entitled to a rent reduction with retroactive effect from the moment your rental contract started.
Annual service charge statement
Annual service charge statement
On top of the bare rent, your landlord may also pass on other costs, called service charges. These include, for example, gas, water and electricity, as well as use of washing machines and refrigerators. Service charges are a compensation for actual costs incurred. Therefore, your landlord may not make a profit on this. Your landlord must inform you annually in a final statement what was spent on service costs and whether that amount corresponds to the advance payment you made. This statement must be provided within six months of the end of the year. If your landlord has spent less, you should be reimbursed for the overpayment. If more has been spent than what is covered by the advance payments, you must reimburse the landlord for this amount. If your landlord does not provide this statement or lists costs on it that cannot be passed on to tenants, Huurteams can help you get the statement fixed and recover the overpayment of advances. Did you not receive a serial cost statement or suspect that your landlord is charging you unfairly? Then file your case and Huurteams Nijmegen will request the service charges from your landlord and check them for you free of charge!
Split all-in rental price
Split all-in rental price
With an all-in rental price, the landlord cannot demonstrate which part of the rental price is the basic rent and which part is the service costs. This means that it is not possible to have the basic rent assessed by the Rent Assessment Committee. Service charges may only be requested as compensation for costs actually incurred by the landlord. The landlord may therefore not make any profit from this. (See also annual service charge statement)(link). An all-in rental price is not legal
Allowed. You may be paying too much rent every month. In order to be able to make this distinction, the Rent Assessment Committee can (ultimately) be requested to split the rent. Because the basic rent is not known for an all-in rental price, there is no maximum rental price for starting a procedure. Please note: As long as the landlord does not make a distinction between the basic rent and the service costs, the landlord may not increase the rent. Do you have an all-in rental price? Then submit your case and Huurteams Nijmegen can arrange a division. It's definitely worth challenging the all-in price.
Go to the Rent Assessment Board (Huurcommissie)
Go to the Rent Assessment Board (Huurcommissie)
The Huurcommissie is an independent body, established by the Dutch government, that settles disputes between tenants and landlords. The Huurcommissie can make a decision about the amount of your rent, the settlement of service costs and any defects present. If problems cannot be resolved in consultation with the landlord, a procedure with the Huurcommissie offers solutions. Starting a procedure costs 25 Euro. Huurteams Nijmegen will advance this amount. You must repay this amount if you lose the case. That is why we always give you advice in advance of any dispute. A case before the Huurcommissie can sometimes take longer than six months. Take this into account in advance.
Legislative information
Legislative information
Points system: In the Netherlands, the basic rent that a landlord may charge is regulated by law. This rental price is determined on the basis of the points system. A home earns points for surface area, facilities and amenities. At the bottom of the line, a total of points can be allocated to each home. This total of points indicates the maximum basic rent that may be asked for that property. The total points can be calculated here (website of the Rent Assessment Committee). You can do this yourself, but we can also help you with this. Then we come by for a scoring. You can read how this works under how we work (link). If you want more information, see FAQ.
Social and free rent: In the Netherlands you can rent in the social housing sector or the free or liberalized housing sector. In the social sector, the points system applies, the Rent Assessment Committee/ Huurcommissie can be involved and landlords are bound to a legally determined maximum annual rent increase. These rules do not apply in the private sector. The distinction between the two sectors is made by the liberalization limit. If your basic rent is below, you fall into the social sector. If your basic rent is above, you fall into the private sector. In 2024, the liberalization limit has been set at €879,66. Sometimes the landlord asks for a rent that is above the liberalization limit, while based on the rent assessment committee's points system it should actually be below the liberalization limit. In this case, you can try to reduce your rent through a procedure with the Huurcommissie. Please note that in such cases a rental contract for indefinite period the procedure must be started during the first 6 months of your rental contract. For a rental contract with a fixed term, this can be done up to 6 months after the end of the contract. More information can be found under "Testing initial rent" above.