Knowing the different components of rent prices in the Netherlands is important. We break them down here.
Basic rent (kale huur or netto huur)
Basic rent is the cost of your accommodation only. In other words, this is the price that you as a tenant pay each month to be able to stay in the property. Nothing else is included in the basic rent. This means that if the listed price of an accommodation specifies that it is only basic rent, then you will need to consider additional costs like utilities and service costs. Sometimes you need to arrange these yourself, while at other times these are included in your total rent.
How much is the average basic rent?
In principle, the landlord himself determines the amount of the basic rent, but it should be reasonable. You can check whether the rent is reasonable by using the house evaluation system.
We estimate that the average basic rent for a room in Maastricht should fall around the €500 mark. A good range for housing in Maastricht, ranging from student rooms to independent studios, is around €350-750. Of course, you can go higher or lower. You should also take into account that cheaper accommodation may be further from the city centre, or may not be furnished, etc. Also bear in mind that the price of housing in the social sector cannot exceed a certain amount.
A very important factor when finding cheap and good accommodation is how early you start looking. Our recommendation is that students starting their studies in the September semester begin searching for accommodation as early as April.
All-in rent
As we mentioned, when you rent a house, it’s important to know whether the rent is the basic rent or the all-in rent. The listed rent could be all-in rent (also known as inclusive rent), which consists of the basic rent plus all other costs, such as utilities and furniture.
If what you’re paying is all-in rent, then it’s important for the landlord to show you a summary of the costs every year. The cost statement must show a breakdown, telling you exactly which part of the rent consists of service charges and the costs of gas, water and electricity, and which part is the basic rent.
Because the costs of gas, water and electricity depend on your consumption, but in your contract you pay a fixed amount every month, it’s possible that the amount you’re paying is too much or too little relative to your consumption. This means that at some point you might be due to receive a refund, or you’ll have to pay an additional amount. This usually takes place once a year: the landlord must send the tenant the final statement for the annual costs (eindafrekening) for the previous year no later than 1 July.
If you’re paying all-in rent, but you’re not getting the separate components, you can send a letter to your landlord requesting them to split it into the separate amounts. If they don’t cooperate, you should contact the Huurteam Zuid-Limburg. They might recommend that you start proceedings against the landlord, at the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie).
Maximum rent for social housing
If you’re renting social housing, the sum of certain specific components of your rent should not exceed a certain amount, called the maximale huurgrens van de woning. This amount is determined by the government every year. So, what parts of rent matter when determining the maximale huurgrens van de woning?
You should calculate the basic rent, as explained above, plus the following four specific service costs:
- costs for cleaning any common areas in the accommodation
- energy costs for the common areas (e.g. lighting, costs for powering the elevator)
- costs for the caretaker
- costs for service and recreation areas (this usually applies more to elderly homes)
Maximum rent for private housing
The landlord cannot simply charge what he likes for an apartment or room. Every apartment or room has a maximum rent, which is calculated using the Dutch national point system (woningwaarderingsstelsel). There is a system for rooms (shared kitchen and/or bathroom) and a system for apartments.
Rooms get a number of points, determined by the size and facilities of the accommodation. For apartments, the quality and location are also relevant. If you pay more than the maximum rent according to this points system, you are entitled to have your rent reduced by the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie). This is like a civil court that deals solely with housing rental cases. It is very easy to start a re-evaluation process, and the costs for this process are €25. If your procedure succeeds, you will be refunded your money.
If you think you are being overcharged for your rent, it is best to contact Huurteam Zuid-Limburg, who will help you calculate the points for your accommodation (the system is relatively complex and only provided in Dutch).
However, if your apartment/room has more than 141 points, or you have been paying the maximum rent or more, and have done so for 6 months or more, you cannot reduce your rent. It is best to start a process within 6 months after your rental contract started. When the case is submitted to the rental tribunal within this timeframe the decision will have retroactive effect.
Another consideration should be the rent subsidy provided by the Dutch government to students living in certain conditions, the so called “huurtoeslag”. You can find all necessary info on that in this part of our finances section.
