Housing budget & legal matters

Housing agencies that mediate on behalf of a third party (usually a home owner) are not allowed to charge a mediation fee to the tenant for their services. This is stipulated by law in 2016 and ratified by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets in 2019. If you are charged or have been charged a mediation fee, you can submit a claim to the agency for a waiver or refund based on this act.

In case of doubt about the legitimacy of a fee, you can contact a legal helpdesk for advice.

In order to secure an income from their mediation activities, agencies may charge a registration fee or subscription fee to prospective tenants before they can access or respond to the rent offerings online. 

In case of doubt about the legitimacy of a fee, you can contact a legal helpdesk for advice.

Some agencies might advertise rental offerings on their website that are not actually available anymore. Once the prospective tenant applies for it, the agency will instead offer to carry out a search assignment to find an accommodation for you. For this an agency may charge a search assignment fee, even if it is without a satisfactory result. This is not necessarily illegal.

In case of doubt about the legitimacy of a fee, you can contact a legal helpdesk for advice.

Before you come to a rental agreement, you may be asked to pay a contract, booking or administration fee. In case of doubt about the legitimacy or amount, you can have your rental conditions checked by a legal helpdesk. If you suspect scamming or an unreasonable amount, don’t take the risk.

A down payment, or ‘aanbetaling’ in Dutch, is a portion of the rent to be paid upfront to secure a reservation. This may be asked in addition to a deposit. Always read the Terms & Conditions carefully as, under certain conditions, you may lose your down payment. Always save proof of payment and if you suspect scamming or an unreasonable amount, don’t take the risk.

You usually pay one or two months rent as a deposit, or ‘borg’ in Dutch, when you come to an agreement. Always read the Terms & Conditions carefully as, under certain conditions, you may lose your deposit. Always save proof of payment and if you suspect scamming or an unreasonable amount, don’t take the risk. If you have a dispute with your landlord in regard of the repayment of your deposit, make sure to contact a legal help desk.

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.

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.  

Note that if you rent self-contained housing (such as a studio) water, gas and electrics are not always arranged by the landlord. This is usually stipulated in the rental contract, but in case of doubt whether you have to arrange this yourself always ask the housing provider. 

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.  

Vidius Utrecht is a student run organisation that provides free legal assistance to students. For up to date contact information please see the Vidius website

The Dutch Student Union offers a helpline that aims to answer any legal questions or problems. For up to date contact information please see the LSVb website

It is possible to have your rent (re)assessed even after you have come to an agreement with a landlord. Huurteam Utrecht can help you with your case or you can ask them for more information about the procedures. For up to date contact information please see the website of Huurteam Utrecht