Do you rent houses or apartments? As a landlord in the Netherlands you have to observe several rules and obligations, for instance:
- the tenancy agreement
- rental protection (in Dutch), a landlord cannot simply terminate the rent
- the rental price, based on the rent points system
- price ceiling for social housing
- rent review, increasing or decreasing the rent (in Dutch)
- maintenance and charges for services
- landlords-tenants consultation
- prevention of housing discrimination, you cannot refuse to let a dwelling to someone based on, for example, their origin, disablity, or sexual orientation (in Dutch)
You must keep to the rules of the Good Landlordship Act (in Dutch, scroll down for explanatory videos in several languages).
Rental permit
Some municipalities have a rental regulation. It may state that you must have a rental permit to rent out living space. With a rental permit, municipalities can impose additional requirements on landlords, such as a fair rent and timely maintenance of the property.
Temporary tenancy agreements
Landlords may offer temporary tenancy agreements (in Dutch) for 2 years (private sector independent properties) and for 5 years (non-independent properties). Independent means having a private entrance and kitchen and bathroom facilities. In some cases landlords may end a tenancy agreement if the accommodation needs to be vacated urgently, for example for personal use. Temporarily renting out a property that is for sale is possible.
Fixed energy performance compensation
Landlords who invest in energy efficiency (zero energy houses) may pass on the investment costs to their tenants. This fixed 'energy performance compensation' replaces the regular (and in most cases higher) energy bill their tenants have to pay.
Disputes
If you have a dispute with tenants or their representatives that cannot be solved amicably, you can take it to the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie, in Dutch).