Free maintenance issues check
How far can my rent come down?
Mould, a leak, heating that does not work. With serious defects the Rent Tribunal can cut your rent to twenty per cent of what you pay now, every month until it is fixed. Work out what that is for you and send the notice that starts the clock.
Takes about three minutes
No account, no charge
Calculates in your own browser
Step 1 of 2
What is wrong with your home?
Tick everything that applies. The most serious defect decides how far the rent can come down.
A geyser, heater or boiler that does not vent properly, or a leaking flue.
For example a substandard fuse box, burnt-out wiring or a missing escape route. Named in 381 rulings, the tenant won 57% of them.
Penetrating damp, rising damp or mould on the walls, ceiling or floor of a room you live or sleep in. Named in 6,263 rulings, the tenant won 64% of them.
A roof, pipe or window frame letting water through that has not been repaired within a reasonable time. Named in 5,670 rulings, the tenant won 69% of them.
The living room or a bedroom cannot be brought up to temperature, or the boiler keeps cutting out. Named in 1,702 rulings, the tenant won 42% of them.
The shower or the kitchen has no hot water, or it does not get warm enough. Named in 301 rulings, the tenant won 56% of them.
Air cannot escape from the kitchen, bathroom or toilet, for instance because the extractor is broken. Named in 3,308 rulings, the tenant won 50% of them.
Rats, mice or cockroaches getting in through holes, gaps or a broken sewer. Vermin you caused yourself does not count. Named in 367 rulings, the tenant won 51% of them.
Windows or doors that close so badly the home cannot be kept warm. Named in 1,416 rulings, the tenant won 53% of them.
The front door or a window does not close properly, so the home cannot be locked up safely. Named in 2,838 rulings, the tenant won 53% of them.
The category C list is not exhaustive, so the Rent Tribunal can add defects to it. Describe your situation as concretely as you can in your notice.
Why that one letter matters so much
The clock only starts on the day after your written notice. A phone call does not count, and neither does a message to the caretaker. From that notice your landlord has six weeks. If nothing is done you can go to the Rent Tribunal, and the reduction reaches back to the first day of the month after your notice.
Which means every month you wait before reporting is a month you never get back. With a category B defect and seven hundred euros basic rent that is close to five hundred euros a month.
What not to do
Pay less rent on your own. You are not allowed to: a temporary reduction always has to be ordered by the Rent Tribunal or a court. Start transferring less and you build up rent arrears, which weakens your position.
Two things the Rent Tribunal cannot do
Force your landlord to repair. The reduction is leverage, not a repair order. If you want to compel the work, you need the subdistrict court. And with a private sector home the Rent Tribunal can do nothing at all about defects: that route runs through the court either way.
A note for internationals
The notice this tool produces is in Dutch on purpose. It goes to a Dutch landlord and the legal wording has to be exact, so you can send it as it is. Everything you need to understand it is explained here in English.
If you also received a rent increase, note that defects only become a ground against it once a case is already running. See the rent increase check, or all our tools at all checks.