Letting a property

The Good Landlord Act (Wet Goed Verhuurderschap)

The Good Landlord Act came into force on 1 July 2023. This law applies to all landlords and lettings agents in the Netherlands. The law contains rules on financial matters, the tenancy agreement, how a landlord or lettings agent must act, and more.
Important rules from the Good Landlord Act are that:

• Tenancy agreements concluded after 1 July 2023 must be put in writing. A verbal agreement will no longer suffice.
• The landlord must notify the tenant in writing of their other rights and obligations.
• Agency fees are paid by the landlord, not the tenant.
• The maximum deposit the landlord may ask for is two months’ basic rent.
• Landlords may only charge incurred service fees and must send an annual statement.
• The landlord may not discriminate against or intimidate the tenant.
• The landlord must specify how the tenant selection process works in any advertisements or offers. If the property is let to someone else, the landlord must clearly explain their choice of tenant.
• The landlord will raise the rent by the set maximum percentage increase.
• The landlord will apply the maximum rent in accordance with the Residential Property Valuation Points System.

Additional rules for migrant workers

Additional rules apply to properties let to migrant workers:

• The tenancy agreement must be separate from the employment contract.
• Tenants must receive information on the tenancy in a language they understand.

Download the flyer from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations for all the rules for landlords under the Good Landlord Act.
Download the flyer from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations for all the rules for tenants under the Good Landlord Act.

Enforcement and violation of the law

Under the Good Landlord Act, each individual municipality must have a point of contact for help and information (meldpunt). Tenants and those looking for a property can report any landlords who do not abide by the rules to this helpdesk. They can do this using the Meldpunt Wet Goed Verhuurderschap (Good Landlord Act Help and Information Desk) form. The municipality will then investigate the report. In the event of a violation of the rules, the municipality may issue a warning or impose a penalty or fine.

Have your rent assessed by the rent assessment committee before you report your landlord to the municipality. If you want to report a landlord in relation to the maximum rent or rent increase, carry out the rent check (huurprijscheck) first. The municipality can issue your landlord with a warning or fine, but cannot ensure that the rent is indeed adjusted.

Tenancy team (huurteam) and rent assessment committee (huurcommissie)

Tenants in Tilburg Municipality can turn to Huurteam (tenancy team) Tilburg for any questions relating to tenancies and renting. The tenancy team can advise tenants and mediate between landlords and tenants in the event of any problems. The tenancy team will always seek a solution that suits all parties. If this proves to be impossible, the team may call on the rent assessment committee. The rent assessment committee is an impartial government body that prevents problems between tenants and landlords, helps to seek solutions and can issue an official verdict on cases.

Landlords can also turn to the tenancy team for assistance. It provides advice on general topics, such as how to apply the residential property valuation points system correctly, calculate service fees and deduct amounts for damage from the deposit. The tenancy team can also refer landlords to other organisations for further advice.