Good Landlordship Act
Rules
The Good Landlordship Act requires that landlords and letting agents adhere to new rules when letting rental and accommodation properties. This ensures better protection for tenants. Tenants can also register complaints with the municipality.
What are the new rental rules about?
- Preventing and combating discrimination and harassment.
- Stipulating that landlords may require no more than two months’ basic rent as a deposit.
- Recording the rental agreement in writing.
- Informing tenants in writing about their rights and obligations for the residence.
- Preventing unreasonable service fees.
- Stipulating that letting agents may not charge double letting agency fees.
- Providing a separate rental agreement in the correct language for migrant workers (foreign workers from a country within the European Union).
You can read more about this at the Central Government website. There is also an explanatory video with subtitles in a variety of languages: English, Spanish (Español), Polish (Polski), Romanian (Românâ) and Bulgarian (български).
Rental Harassment Reporting Hotline
If a landlord or letting agent does not comply with the rules, you can report them on the municipality reporting hotline. Making a report is free of charge and can be done anonymously. Please be aware, however, that making your report anonymously may hinder the investigation or make it impossible.
Information for tenants
Where can I go if I have questions?
If you have general questions about renting and letting a home, you can visit the Rent Support Center Groningen (Steunpunt Huren). You can also receive legal advice there.
Am I paying too much rent?
You can check your rent on the National Government website. If you are paying too much rent according to the scoring system, then you can notify the Rent Support Center Groningen (Steunpunt Huren).
The Rent Support Center can help you to:
- discuss the situation with your landlord;
- initiate proceedings with the Rent Tribunal.
Does the Good Landlordship Act also apply to housing cooperatives?
Yes. If you rent from a housing cooperative and want to report rental harassment, you can do so with the cooperative that leases the home.
Information for landlords and letting agents
Landlords and letting agents are required to adhere to the rules stipulated in the Good Landlordship Act. The municipality monitors this and takes action where necessary. If you do not comply with the rules, then the municipality may issue a warning or fine, or take some other measure.
Housing discrimination
To prevent and combat housing discrimination, you should:
- use and disclose a clear, transparent selection procedure;
- use non-discriminatory selection criteria;
- explain to unsuccessful prospective tenants why another tenant was chosen.
Brochure ‘Discrimination in the housing market’
With respect to the procedure, starting from 1 January 2024, you must:
- put it in writing
- make it public
- amend it where necessary
- ensure your employees (if applicable) are aware of it
Security deposit
Do you require your tenant to pay a security deposit? Starting on 1 July 2023, this security deposit may not exceed two months’ basic rent. For contracts concluded before 1 July 2023, this may not exceed three months’ basic rent. The court has made this ruling.
You must repay the security deposit to the tenant within 14 days after the end of the rental agreement. You may only settle the following four charges against the security deposit:
- Overdue rent
- Service fees
- Damage to the rental property that is the tenant’s responsibility
- Energy performance reimbursement
Other charges, such as administrative costs, may not be settled against the security deposit. When settling costs against the security deposit, you must pay the remaining amount to the tenant within 30 days after the end of the lease.
Information requirement
You are required to notify the tenant in writing about any settlement against the security deposit. You should include a full specification of the costs.
Establishing rights and obligations
Upon concluding the lease agreement, you must inform the tenant in writing about the following points:
- The tenant may only use the property in the manner agreed with you.
- You may only enter the property with the permission of the tenant. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as in the event of an emergency.
- The various types of rental agreement with the corresponding tenant and rent protection. You can also pass these links onto the tenant.
- What the tenant can do about defects in the property. You can refer to the overview on the central government website about the apportioning of costs in the event of defects. You can also consult the Rent Tribunal’s Defect Guide Book. It contains information on how the Rent Tribunal generally assesses possible defects in rental accommodation.
- An overview of the situations for which the tenant can approach the Rent Tribunal or the subdistrict court. You can refer to the overview on the central government website. This explains the circumstances under which you can go to the Rent Tribunal and the Subdistrict Court.
- If you charge a security deposit, you must inform the tenant about the following matters:
- the amount of the security deposit;
- the periods within which you must repay the security deposit;
- the way in which you must repay the security deposit.
- Who the tenant can contact if they have questions about the property.
- If you charge your tenant service fees, you must inform the tenant about the following matters:
- the amount of the service fees;
- a full, annual specification of the costs for the tenant.
- Starting from 1 January 2024, you must also inform the tenant about the contact details for the municipal reporting hotline.
Service fees
You may charge service fees. Service fees are costs in addition to the basic rent charged for a home, and may include things like electricity, gas and water. You may not charge your tenant unreasonable service fees. The Rent Tribunal Service Fee Policy Manual provides an overview of the permissible service fees. You must also provide the tenant with a substantiated statement of the service fees annually.
Migrant workers
If you lease accommodation to a migrant worker (from a country within the European Union), the following additional rules apply:
- You must establish the rental agreement separately from the employment contract.
- You must provide the information about the tenant’s general rights and obligations in a language that the migrant worker understands or for which they have indicated a preference.
A migrant worker is an employee from abroad who is living in the Netherlands temporarily for work purposes.