Students and people in shared housing who challenge their rent and service charges have an 80% chance of success, new figures show.

In around 4,900 cases brought before the rent tribunal (Huurcommissie) since 2019, the panel ruled in the tenant’s favour 4,020 times.

Just 495 decisions were in favour of landlords, while in the remaining cases both sides were found to have a valid case.

Decisions by the Huurcommissie are binding and the panel can order landlords to cut the amount of rent they charge, sometimes by more than half, based on a points system.

The points determine the rental value of a home based on a checklist of factors including its size, estimated market value, the quality of the fixtures and fittings and its energy label.

In August the Huurcommissie ordered a landlord in Rotterdam to reduce the rent for a room for more than €600 a month to €250.

The bulk of claims come from people living in university cities, with Utrecht alone accounting for a quarter of all cases.

The national students’ union LSVb said it was concerned about the amount of rents students had to pay, partly because of the lack of suitable accommodation.

“Students are often scared that they will get problems with their landlord and their rental contract will not be renewed,” a spokesman said.

Nearly half of all cases involve claims against service costs. Three years ago a tenant in Nijmegen challenged a bill for €1,250 which was reduced by the panel to a maximum of €340.

In July the rules on affordable rent were tightened to extend the points system to homes with a maximum rental value of €1,158 per month.

Homes with three or more people living in them will be treated as shared occupancy, meaning each tenant will sign a separate contract and rent must be calculated per room.