When you rent a property, the landlord is responsible for almost all repairs. Only some small things like painting the walls inside and replacing the toilet seat are at your expense. Generally, these small things don’t cost much money. If you experience anything that needs to be repaired by the landlord, you need to inform him about that.
What should I do when I want to move out of a rented property?
When you want to move out of rented property, make an appointment for an inspection by the landlord. If the property is in a good condition, you can hand over the key and you will get your deposit back. If the landlord blames you for certain problems and you don’t agree, make sure you can prove with documents that the problem is not your fault and already existed when you took possession of the property. The checklist you filled in when you took possession can be very useful in this.
I have some issues and contract disputes with my landlord on the room/house that I am renting. Can ACCESS provide me with some legal advice or is there a legal authority that I can go to or consult regarding these issues?
ACCESS cannot offer legal advice directly. However, the following organisations can assist you concerning disputes with your landlord:
- Fair rent commission (Huurcommisie): this is an independent organisation that mediates differences between you and the landlord about maintenance, rental price and costs of additional services. You can visit their website on www.huurcommissie.nl (in Dutch only) or contact them for free and in English. Their telephone number is:0800-4887243 (free of charge). The huurcommissie deals with issues between tenant and landlord only for for social housing.
- Dutch Legal Desk (Het Juridisch Loket): this is a legal desk that helps you with legal questions including those about property rentals. You may contact them via their website Juridischloket.nl (in Dutch only, not always available) or call them at 0800 8020 (free of charge)
- !WOON: this is an independent not-for-profit organisation. It offers free advice and support on tenancy rights if you live in Amsterdam, Aalsmeer, Amstelveen, Diemen, Haarlem or Zaanstad. You can visit their website on www.wooninfo.nl/english.
- Your municipality. All municipalities have a point of contact for tenants who have issues with their landlord. If it turns out that your landlord asks more rent than allowed, the municipality is obliged to take action, e.g. a fine or a warning.
If you need a list of lawyers in your area who could offer you legal advice, please contact the ACCESS Helpdesk here
An overview of the rules regarding renting a house/apartment in the Netherlands is available on https://www.government.nl/topics/housing/rented-housing
Which process should I follow when buying a house?
Buying a property in the Netherlands is relatively straightforward but there are some steps you need to take.
Finding a makelaar (real estate agent)
Buying a property without a makelaar is legal but not advisable. In the Netherlands you can work with only one makelaar, unlike other countries. When house hunting, submit a list of the characteristics you are looking for in a house to your makelaar. This enables your makelaar to make a selection of interesting properties for you to visit. To make sure that you get proper help, contact a makelaar who is experienced at buying houses for expats.
The makelaar can help you from the beginning to the end of the house hunting process, including the technical inspection, the negotiations, the understanding of the bidding system along with the administrative work that comes with buying a house.
What other costs should I consider before buying a house in Netherlands?
When you buy a house, you have to pay the overdrachtsbelasting (property transfer tax) which is calculated based on a fixed percentage of the sale price agreed with the seller. No overdrachtsbelasting has to be paid if you get (part of) a house through divorce, marriage or inheritance. Currently (2021) the overdrachtsbelasting (transfer tax) is 2%.
The contract is in my partner’s name and she/he is leaving the Netherlands. May I continue living in the house?
If a rental contract is in your partner’s name and she/he is planning to move out, you will not be allowed to continue living there unless you can get the name in the contract changed. Best practice is to put both the names in the contract initially.
What factors should I take into account before buying a house or apartment?
A very important factor when buying a property is that you are clearly aware of the property’s legal standing. This means that you need to check whether it is eigen grond (freehold) or erfpacht (leasehold) property. If your potential house is freehold, then you fully own the plot and the house. Leasehold would mean that you only own the house but not the plot (this is the case for apartments as well). This means you will be paying an annual fee for renting the plot. Your real estate agent can provide this information.
Existing houses are usually sold as ‘kosten koper (kk)’. This means that all additional costs such as overdrachtsbelasting (property transfer tax) and notariskosten (notary costs) must be paid by the buyer.
New houses are usually sold as ‘vrij op naam (V.O.N.)’. This means that the purchase price includes BTW (VAT), property transfer tax and notary costs.
Bouwtechnisch onderzoek (construction inspection)
It is strongly advised to ask an expert for a bouwkundig onderzoek (construction inspection). This person will check things such as:
- crawl space (if accessible) and floors, drainage, ventilation, piping in crawl space
- state of the facades, roof, chimneys, window frames, gutters, roof, and chimneys
- determination of the presence of lead pipes and risk carbon monoxide
- fire safety and asbestos suspected.
The real estate agent who sells the house often recommends someone to do this. However, this person may not be independent. Therefore it is best to ask your own real estate agent for an expert. If you don’t have a real estate agent it may be useful to ask advice from the Vereniging Eigen Huis https://www.eigenhuis.nl/#/ (Dutch only). This is an interest group for home owners
Things to consider when buying a house or apartment
When buying a house or apartment, take the following things into consideration:
- Research appropriate neighbourhoods considering: housing prices, access to public transportation, green spaces, distance/time to your work, location of schools
- View properties during the day then again in the evening to notice any potential problems and have a sense of the area
- Limit your viewings each day
- Be sure to take photos and jot down notes
- Ask questions and strike up conversations with the estate agent, the seller and people in the area
- Take into account your estate agent’s advice
- Inquire about: who owns the property, how long it has been on the market, how many viewings there have been, how many bids have been made, why it is for sale, and how quickly it needs to be sold
- If possible, do not get into a bidding war and avoid sealed bid offers
Are there any special rules for collecting household waste?
In many cities households have two separate waste containers: green for waste from vegetables, fruit and garden (groente-, fruit- en tuinafval, GFT) and grey/brown for all remaining waste (restafval). Both containers are emptied once a week or alternating weeks. If your municipality has decided that household waste should be compulsorily separated, you will receive a fine for non-organic waste placed in the green container.
You need to put your waste/bins outside your house at the time set by your municipality. If you don’t, you may be fined.
Glass, paper, plastic and clothing/textiles, medicines and batteries, small electrical appliances and bulbs can be deposited in special containers in your neighbourhood. Bottles and cans should be returned for cash. Other types of waste (oversized household waste, domestic chemical waste etc.) can be brought to one of the city’s garbage and recycling stations.
If you live in an apartment building with rubbish bins or underground containers, you can throw away your rubbish in these containers anytime. Be aware of any specific rules that may apply to the tenants of the building.
How can I get connected to telephone, Internet and TV?
In the Netherlands, telephone, Internet and TV are available digitally and/or via cable. Many providers offer bundles of all three services. It is important to bear in mind the length of your stay and your location, as not all providers have a complete country network. Satellite television is also an option, but you need to fix a satellite dish in the right direction and there are regulations covering this
For both landline and mobile telephone, there are several providers offering subscriptions. For mobile phones, you can also choose for a prepaid option instead of a subscription but they are usually more expensive. Top-up cards can be bought at most telephone stores and supermarkets. It is also possible to top up your prepaid credit via the Internet and by phone. Nowadays, if you have a subscription with a mobile company in an EU country you can use internet and phone calls at the usual rates. Calls within the EU have no roaming costs anymore.
It is advisable to compare price, quality and always read the small print. You can compare tariffs and conditions at the following websites:
- For All-in-1 bundles & Internet+phone subscriptions visit: Breedbandwinkel.nl/expats (in Dutch only)
- For a comparison of prices of different providers visit: Bellen.com (in Dutch only) or Prijsvergelijken.nl/compare-broadband
For your information 0800 numbers are toll free; 0900 numbers are charged (per call or minute).
How can I get water, electricity and gas connections?
In many cases, the utilities (gas, water and electricity) will already be available in your home and you only need to transfer them into your name. Your makelaar (real estate agent) will usually help you with transferring contracts of your new home to your name. We suggest you to bear in mind the following:
- Note and check the meter readings when moving into another house as bills are based on the previous year’s consumption for the property. Discrepancies are corrected at the end of the year and refunds or additional bills are issued accordingly
- Gas and electricity are both supplied by the same provider; water is arranged separately
- If the rent is inclusive, check your contract carefully for what is covered
Should you need to set up a account see below the pre-requisites:
- A passport or ID card (proof of identity)
- Proof of occupancy (rental contract, house deeds)
- A bank statement or proof of residence available from the municipality’s personal records database (Basisregistratie Persoonsgegevens (BRP))
Please note that he Dutch energy market is privatised, thus enabling you to choose or change your supplier. Regulatory authorities ensure fair practices and tariffs.
Products, tariffs and services may vary from company to company. Should you decide to change company, remember to check and be aware of the conditions for cancelling a contract or switching providers. Here some tips for choosing a service provider:
- Check the term of your contract to know when you can switch for free. If you want to switch immediately check the cost of doing it before the term in the contract ends
- Check what you’re paying for electricity and gas as opposed to what you consume
- Compare the prices and contracts of various energy companies
- Determine whether you want the contract for a definite period or indefinite
- Check whether you want grey or green energy
- Check whether you have a fixed price or variable price to pay
- Keep an eye on special promotions or discounts
- Check the terms and conditions of the contract carefully
- Check whether there are any hidden costs, for example, energy tax, standing charges and transportation costs
- Check the payment options, for example what is the cost of paying by giro
Useful links
- Find out which water company is covering your area at www.vewin.nl (enter your postcode on the top-right box ‘Zoek uw waterbedrijf’)
- Compare energy suppliers in the Netherlands on comparison sites such as www.pricewise.nl/energie-vergelijken/ (Dutch only) , www.gaslicht.com (Dutch only) and www.independer.nl/energie/intro.aspx (Dutch only)
- To know more about how to connect to all utilities and billing-related queries check Expatica on www.expatica.com/nl/living/household/utilities-netherlands-100581/
I have signed my rental contract but I realise only now that some things in the contract are not fair. What can I do about it?
When you have signed a rental contract, it is final. However, if there are any issues in the contract that are against the law, the law is always binding. If you think this might be the case, it is best to seek legal advice. You should, of course, discuss the issues with your landlord and see if he is willing to change the contract.
What costs are involved in buying a house or apartment?
It pays to visit a bank or mortgage broker for free advice before you start considering buying property to get an idea of the total costs involved. In general, about 10% of the purchase price will be needed on top to pay for various taxes and fees:
- Hypotheekkosten (mortgage fee): around 1%
- Taxatierapporten (valuation/appraisal costs): if a mortgage is needed. Costs between 300-1,000 euros
- Makelaarkosten (real estate agent fees): not always involved but if it applies, costs vary between 1-2 percent of the price of the property
- Notariskosten: the notaris (notary) is needed to register the sale and the mortgage. It is usually between 1,000-3,000 euros
Note that the deposit on the property is 10% of the purchase price, paid six weeks after the purchase agreement has been signed. This may be replaced by a bank guarantee issued by a Dutch bank.
