Amsterdam has doubled the size of a team to crack down on landlords who overcharge, intimidate or discriminate against tenants and is encouraging worried tenants to report issues.

Thanks to a new rental law, since January 1, 2025, local municipalities can pursue landlords for various abuses, from unlawfully making money on service charges to evading strict, Dutch rent controls.

At an event in Amsterdam the city’s head of housing Zita Pels encouraged locals and internationals to check their rental rights. Previously, disputes and alleged abuses had to be taken by individuals to a housing tribunal but now the municipality has the direct power to fine misbehaving landlords anything from €21,750 to €87,000 for repeated offenses.

“We see that during a housing crisis, rental rights in particular are under enormous pressure,” she said. “People are afraid to stand up for their rights, because they are worried about being evicted from all that they have – their home. So this is why we are campaigning to inform people that the municipality and the Woon foundation are there to help them assert their rights.”

She said that the city believes housing is not a speculative asset but a fundamental right, and it will ensure landlords follow the law.

“Quite simply, you have the right to have an affordable home, where the rent matches the number of points that the house is worth, to have correct service charged and not to have to pay an enormous deposit,” she added. “And we also want to send a very clear signal to landlords… that we won’t be messed with.”

Highest prices

Dutch property prices reached their highest ever average in November last year and the Netherlands is an estimated 370,000 homes short of the demand. In a recent survey of young people between 18 and 29, the Kids Rights charity found more than half are looking for a house and, of these, nine in 10 are having problems finding one.

Their research suggests many prices breach the new Dutch rent controls, which came into force last July and should cover 90% of rentals. These rules mean that everything from the floor space to the amount of wall tiles and kitchen counter length is totted up into a point score: everything up to 143 points can only be rented for up to €880, excluding factual service costs.

For new contracts with properties from 144 to 186 points, the maximum rent is €1,157 a month, but historic contracts are still valid. Only “luxury” homes above this point level are free to market rates – which are generally rising.

Pels said it is important for internationals to know their rights. “If I moved to another country, I’d experience this, and expats come from abroad and probably don’t know the rules so well,” she said. “So it is extra important that they are helped, because sometimes constructions are created to earn the maximum possible from people who don’t really know the laws. As a municipality, we will not permit this to happen and so we are increasing enforcement.”

Cases emerged last week of properties apparently incorrectly offered as exorbitantly-priced “short-term rentals”, where tenants were asked to record a video saying they would not assert their legal rights. A verdict is expected on these “short-term rentals” shortly.

Sanja Commandeur, a member of the 16-strong city rental enforcements team, told Dutch News that they have already had reports of intimidation, overcharging on service charges and exploitative rents since the new law came in. “We have seen that in one case the electricity cupboard was locked and the gas and electricity were cut off when a tenant had a dispute with a landlord about charges,” she said. “It is very difficult for renters, but we would advise to do everything in writing in order to have as much proof as possible.”

She said that they believe they are only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of exploitative behaviour, and encouraged anyone with questions to get in contact or seek advice from Woon foundation, which offers advice and legal support.

Internationals

Landlords have been critical of the new law and some interest groups have said it will decrease the supply of rental housing. Although amateur landlords appear to have been selling small apartments, thanks to new build and professional landlord aquisitions, there was no reduction in rental supply in November.

Ewert Bartlema, director of Woon, pointed out that the number of private landlords increased from 2013 to 2021 and said this trend is now “correcting slightly”. He said half of the 20,000 people helped each year by Woon, are English-speaking. “Many internationals are the victims,” he said. “They are the ones subletting illegally with someone else because they don’t have any other choice.

“Some expatriates may be able to pay so much that the free sector will always rise to strange levels that have nothing more to do with the quality of housing. And universities don’t feel any obligation to provide their international students with long-term accommodation. But a large group of internationals are victims.”