There’s a chance you might find yourself needing legal advice during your time in Maastricht, but don’t worry! There are free resources that can help you with this.
The Studentenrechtsbureau (Student Law Office) offers free legal advice from law students who volunteer to help other students alongside their studies. They give advice by telephone, but you are also welcome to their walk-in consultation hours. Whenever possible, they will try to advise you straight away or refer you to a specialized body or lawyer if necessary.
Het Juridisch Loket (The Legal Desk) offers free first aid for any legal questions. You will find information and tips on their website. If you want to make use of their services, they will first check your income; if you have a low income, which most students do, they can help you personally. Call them or visit one of their branches. Their desk is located at Avenue Ceramique and the open hours can be found on their website.
Huurteam Zuid-Limburg (Rental Team South Limburg) provides free legal advice on anything that is related to rental law, and if necessary, they can also start legal procedures for you. The Huurteam (rental team) specialises in rental law and is an excellent resource for any problems you might have with your rental contract, deposit, service costs, etc. If you have any issues related to your home or questions regarding your rights as a tenant, book an online appointment via Huurteam Zuid-Limburg (huurteam-zuidlimburg.nl).
Watch the video below to find out the different services that the Huurteam has to offer.
For more information, students can read about tenancy law in English here.
There is now a Good Landlordship Act that has been introduced to encourage better standards of landlordship. If your landlord is in breach of this Act you are entitled to submit a complaint to the municipality you live in. The landlord will then receive a fine if they are found to be in breach of the this Act and you will have warned any new tenants who are going to rent from them in the future.
What problems can I report?
You can report a problem in the following situations:
If the landlord:
- discriminates against you
- threatens you or makes you feel scared
- charges a deposit of more than 2 months’ basic rent
- does not give you a written tenancy agreement
- does not inform you properly about:
- your rights and duties as a tenant (if they have not been included in the tenancy agreement)
- the amount of the deposit and the date you will get the deposit back at the end of your tenancy
- the landlord’s contact details
- contact details of the municipal reporting centre for problems with landlords
- service costs: you must get a full breakdown of the costs
If the letting agency:
- charges you mediation fees
Where can I report?
- Municipality of Maastricht: goedverhuurderschapmaastricht.nl (website in Dutch)
- Municipality of Heerlen: heerlen.nl/meldpunt-goed-verhuurderschap
