Report a problem with your landlord

This law protects people searching for a home and current tenants. The law aims to ensure they are treated fairly by:

• private landlords
• letting agents (agencies that put tenants into contact with private landlords)
• employers who provide housing for foreign workers
• housing associations (only under the Affordable Rent Act).

These are the 9 rules of good landlordship.

• The landlord must not discriminate against anyone applying for tenancy.
• The landlord may not threaten, frighten or intimidate the tenant.
• The landlord may ask for a maximum of 2 months’ basic rent as a deposit.
• The landlord must provide a written tenancy agreement.
• The landlord must give the tenant clear information about:
  • the tenant’s rights and obligations concerning the property (if they are not stated in the agreement)
  • the amount of the deposit and when it will be returned after the tenancy ends
  • the landlord's contact details
  • contact details of the municipal reporting centre: meldpunt [at] goedverhuurderschapmaastricht.nl (meldpunt[at]goedverhuurderschapmaastricht[dot]nl)
  • service charges: the landlord must give a complete overview of all charges.
• The landlord may only charge those service costs that are permitted by law.
• The letting agent may not charge the tenant any mediation fees.
• The landlord may not set an excessively high rent.
• The landlord may not impose a rent increase that is too high.

You can submit a report on any of the following issues.

• Your landlord intimidates you.
• Your landlord has not provided a written tenancy agreement.
• Your landlord has not given you written information about:
  • your rights and obligations
  • clear arrangements about a possible deposit
  • the rules regarding service charges
  • contact details of the landlord or manager
  • contact details of the municipal reporting centre: https://www.goedverhuurderschapmaastricht.nl/en 
  • the property’s points-based rating (only required for new rental agreements from 1 January 2025)
• Your landlord is asking for more than 2 months’ basic rent as a deposit.
• Your letting agent charges additional fees (e.g. mediation fees). You can reclaim any fees you have paid.
• Your landlord does not provide an itemised statement of service charges. This must be provided before you sign the tenancy agreement. Your landlord must also provide an annual statement of the service charges.
• The service charges must be reasonable and proportionate to the actual costs incurred. If you believe the service charges are too high, you can report this, and the municipality can check whether the charges are reasonable.
• You believe your landlord is charging too much rent. This is determined by the points-based system (woningwaarderingsstelsel). You can report this to the municipality.
• You believe your landlord has imposed a rent increase that is too high. The maximum permitted rent increase is set by the national government.

The municipality can enforce the rules and may impose a fine on the landlord. The municipal reporting centre (Goed Verhuurderschap Maastricht) processes the report on behalf of the municipality and can advise you on your options. You can submit a report anonymously. However, if you report anonymously, the municipality cannot send you a confirmation or keep you updated on any action taken. It is also likely the municipality will not be able to take action based solely on an anonymous report. You can always discuss your options with the reporting centre by calling +31 (0)43 38 85 000.

Case file  

The municipality cannot review, use, or immediately resolve every report. In some cases, a case file is needed with additional information, which takes time to compile. It is important that your report is as clear and complete as possible, with supporting evidence. If the situation is not urgent, the municipality may review the report at a later date.

Enforcing the rules and imposing fines

If your report shows that the landlord or letting agent is not complying with the Good Landlordship Act or the Affordable Rent Act, the municipality can require them to rent out the property in accordance with the regulations. The municipality may also decide to impose a fine. The fine can be as high as €9,000 for a first offence. If your landlord breaches the rules repeatedly, the fine can rise to as much as €90,000.

• Offender: S.W.L. Bams
  Place of residence: Meerssen
  Offence: Article 2(1) and 2(2)(b) of the Wet goed verhuurderschap (Good Landlordship Act)—intimidation
  Remedies: Legal remedies are available against this decision. The offender has filed an objection. The objection has been declared unfounded.
  Written representations: A zienswijze (statement of views) was submitted in response to the intention to make this decision.
  Date of decision: 20 December 2024

Can I submit a report about a housing association?

You can only use this page to submit a report about housing associations if you believe you are being charged too much rent.

What if the housing association does not handle my complaint properly?

If housing association Maasvallei, Servatius, or Woonpunt does not adequately deal with your complaint, you can seek help from Qwestie, the independent complaints committee for these housing associations. Housing association Wonen Limburg is not affiliated with Qwestie. For assistance, please contact the Regional Disputes Committee for North and Central Limburg.

You can also contact the Juridisch Loket (Legal Aid Service) for advice.

Which details are needed for a report to the reporting centre (Goed Verhuurderschap Maastricht)?

You may make an anonymous report. However, we recommend you provide the following:

• your name, address, telephone number, and email address
• details of the landlord and/or letting agent you are reporting, and the address if it concerns a property you rent or wish to rent
• a description of the situation, including photos and attachments if possible.

Am I paying too much rent?

You can check for yourself whether you are paying too much rent. Use the rent check and read more on the Dutch government’s website.

Does the Good Landlordship Act apply to all tenancy agreements?

The Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) came into force on 1 July 2023, but it applies to all rental contracts, including those agreed before this date.

Does my landlord have to change my tenancy agreement to comply with the Good Landlordship Act?

Your landlord is not required to submit updated tenancy agreements to the municipality. Landlords may be given more time to comply with certain rules, such as providing written information to tenants and keeping the tenancy agreement separate from the employment contract. For more information, see Article 23 of the Good Landlordship Act.

Does my landlord have to make my rental property more sustainable?

The Good Landlordship Act does not include any rules on sustainability. However, you can propose ways to make the property more sustainable. This is called the right of initiative. If you have a sound proposal, the landlord generally has to agree. This may involve a rent increase. If the landlord refuses your proposal, you can take the matter to court. For more information, see the Milieu Centraal website (in Dutch) or consult the sample letter (in Dutch) from the Woonbond.

• Municipal reporting centre | Goed Verhuurschap Maastricht
• Video: Explainer on the Good Landlordship Act