As an international in the Netherlands, it’s very likely that you arrived here and settled for any accommodation that would take you. It’s also quite likely that you’re paying some very high rent.
But did you know that in the Netherlands, you can complete a check to see if you’re paying too much rent?
Even better, did you know there’s a committee that will help you reduce your rent if this is the case?
Here’s how to check if you are paying too much rent in the Netherlands — and what you can do about it.
Introducing the Huurcommissie
The keyword for you to remember here is Huurcommissie (rental committee).
I had never heard of the Huurcommissie until I had been living here for three years, but the sooner you know about this organisation, the better.
What is the Huurcommissie exactly? According to their website, they are “an impartial and independent organisation that makes an official ruling in disputes between tenants and landlords.”
READ MORE | Amsterdam landlord charges €1,950 in rent, rental committee reduces it to €95
As a renter, what they can do for you is very important: they can check whether your landlord is asking too much rent from you when compared with the value of your accommodation.
Hol’ up! Before you go any further, you need to determine whether your housing falls within the social or private housing sector. The rental committee can only help you if you’re renting in the social housing sector.
Note that even if you’re renting from a private landlord, you may still fall within the social housing sector. Individual rooms, for example, are always considered social housing. Not sure what applies to you? You can check here.
How can I check whether I’m paying too much rent?
How it works is simple: the Huurcommissie uses a points system to determine the value of your accommodation.
Points are awarded and added up based on a number of factors, such as:
- The size of the rooms
- The size of the kitchen, bathroom and shower
- The facilities available to you, such as a balcony or garden
- The WoZ value of the home
Complete a Rental Price Check
The first step in the process is to carry out a Rental Price Check.
Depending on the type of accommodation you’re living in, there are three different Rental Price Check forms that you can choose from:
- A check for an independent home (you have your own entrance door)
- A check for a non-independent home (your front door is shared i.e, in a student house)
- A check for when you rent a caravan or plot
Once you have completed the Rental Price Check, you will be given a number of points which represent the value of your rental space.
READ MORE | Renting in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide
Depending on the number of points, there will be a maximum rental price that your landlord can ask you to pay.
Compare the points with the maximum rent
Ok, you’ve got a certain number of points in front of you — now what?
Now, you need to compare the number of points with the maximum rent that can be charged based on these points. As of July 2023, these are:
My rent is too high, now what?
Have you determined that the math just ain’t mathing and you’re paying too much rent? You’re not alone — and it’s time to reach out to your landlord.
This part is probably the scariest (or most satisfying, depending on who you are), but the Huurcommissie has your back.
The first step is to write a letter to your landlord proposing that they lower your rent. Not a poet? No problem, the rental committee has a handy model letter that you can use.
READ MORE | How to avoid getting scammed as an international in the Netherlands
What you do next depends on the landlord’s response:
Did they say “Sure, I will lower the rent!”? Then great, the matter is resolved, and there’s no need for the rental committee to get involved.
Are you met with the sound of crickets? Or an angry email that says something along the lines of “You’re lucky to even have a roof over your head, stop eating avocados and buying coffee, and you should easily be able to set aside 60% of your income for rent!!”
Then it’s time for the Huurcomissie to get involved.
My landlord refuses to lower my rent; what will the rental committee do?
If your landlord refuses to lower your rent, the Huurcommissie will begin by carrying out their own Rental Price Check to make sure they reach the same conclusion as you. As part of this check, someone will come and assess your living space.
If they also reach the conclusion that you are paying too much rent, then they will contact the landlord on your behalf and remind them of human rights and basic mathematics.
There’s no saying no to the Huurcommissie, so while your landlord may curse you, they have to reduce your rent.
Fun fact: If the rental committee determines that you are paying too much rent, it’s actually possible to request a refund for all the previous rent you paid. However, this must be handled by Het Juridisch Loket, not the Huurcommissie.
Have you had your Dutch rent reduced? Tell us about the experience in the comments below!
