Since 2019, the Rent Tribunal has ruled in around 4,900 cases brought by room tenants in shared apartments, reports (in Dutch) ANP press agency. Many cases involved students, with most grievances reported from Utrecht (more than a thousand complaints), Groningen (about 750 complaints) and Amsterdam (about 450 complaints). The Rent Tribunal ruled in favour of landlords in a mere 10 percent of cases.
In Delft, the Rent Commission had relatively little work. The overview of cases since 2019 lists 86 in Delft. There, too, tenants were proved right in 80 per cent of cases: 69 times. Thirteen times the landlord was vindicated and four times both parties were vindicated.
Substantial rent decreases
The Rent Tribunal occasionally grants substantial rent decreases. In August, for example, the rent for a room in Rotterdam decreased from more than 600 euros to just under 250 euros per month. Most rulings concerned disputed service charges, however. A tenant of a room in Nijmegen was handed a final settlement of more than 1,250 euros for 2021. The Rent Tribunal decided last June that this should have been 340 euros.
Reluctant
According to the Dutch Student Union (LSVb), many students are reluctant to contact the Rent Tribunal. They often have a fixed-term lease and are afraid it will not be renewed if they challenge their rent.
To lower the threshold for contacting the Rent Tribunal, LSVb advises students first to contact a rental team in their own municipality. They can assess the situation free of any obligation.
HOP, Hein Cuppen
Translation: Taalcentrum-VU
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