Monthly rent
In your contract you can find payment information and also when your rent is due. Although rented housing is regulated on both local and national level, there are ways to overcharge rent in relation to the size or amenities of the room. Because the housing market in the Netherlands is for a large part liberalised, overcharging rent is not necessarily against the law. Many students agree on paying a higher rent because they like the room, or because it is their best option.
Rent price check
It is possible to have your rent (re)assessed even after you have come to an agreement with a landlord. Rent Team Utrecht can help you with your case. You can make an appointment, or you can ask them for more information about the procedures. On the Huurteam website you can also enter an address and check the reasonable rental price, based on their records.
Service and utility costs
You pay monthly service and utility costs, or ‘servicekosten’ in Dutch, in addition to the net rent of your accommodation. These costs may for example include water, gas and electrics, caretaker costs, administration costs, cleaning or repair costs, costs for common areas, and furnishings. The service costs are often specified in your rental agreement. If you rent on the private market, your landlord must provide an overview of the total costs. If you disagree with the charged service fees, if they are not specified, or if you have not received a yearly overview make sure to contact a legal help desk.
Rent allowance
In some cases and under specific conditions and requirements The Dutch Tax Office subsidises individuals who rent specific types of accommodation in the Netherlands to make the rent more affordable. This is called rent allowance, (‘huurtoeslag’ in Dutch), and it is regulated by the Government of the Netherlands. Whether you qualify for this allowance depends on several factors such as the applicant’s age, income, household, duration of the rental period as stated in the rental contract, the type of rental contract and the monthly rent. The requirements are determined in the the Rent Benefits Act (Wet op huurtoeslag).
Because there are also very specific requirements to the type of accommodation to be eligible for rent allowance, the amount of available housing that falls within this scheme is very limited and thus in high demand. It is very rare to find a house on the private housing market that qualifies for rent allowance. However, some of the self-contained housing in the Reserved Accommodation Programme might be eligible if you also meet the individual requirements. In order to apply for rent allowance you need a Social Security Number (‘BSN’ in Dutch). To obtain this number, you will need to register with the municipality of Utrecht. You can find more information on the website of the Dutch Tax Office, reach them by phone via +31 555 385 385, or contact them for an appointment at one of their service desks.
Municipal taxes
Each municipality calculates water, environment and waste charges on a yearly basis for its residents. Your rental agreement will include information on whether your rent is calculated to include or exclude these municipal taxes. If you rent accommodation with shared facilities (bathroom, kitchen and/or toilet) the municipality charges these taxes to the landlord, which the landlord may calculate in your rent. If you rent self-contained accommodation with private facilities, the rent is usually calculated excluding these taxes. In this case, the tenant pays the municipality taxes to the landlord or municipality directly upon request. The amount can be substantial and varies per municipality and the number of household members.
If you have doubt about the legitimacy of an invoice you received from the municipality you live in or the regional tax organisation BghU it is best to contact them directly to verify the information. In the case of doubt about the legitimacy of an invoice presented to you by your landlord contact a legal help desk for advice.