Renting a house
I'm looking for a rental property
If you are looking for a rental property, you can consult the rental offer on our website or on funda.nl or contact an office.
How does renting a house work?
Renting a house is done in four steps.
Search for a rental property
If you are looking for a rental property, you can consult the rental offer on funda.nl or contact our office.
We can help you make the right choice. We have years of experience and an extensive network of NVM colleagues. This way you will quickly know whether a home is offered that meets your needs at that time
The viewing
You have found a potentially suitable rental property. Now it's time to view the house!
Acceptance
Are you convinced of the property and would you like to rent it? Then there are a number of things that need to be arranged.
First of all, it is important that the landlord accepts you as a new tenant. The landlord wants to know if you are a good tenant. If the landlord has engaged an NVM estate agent, there is a good chance that you will have to deal with the NVM Woontoets.
With the NVM Woontoets, an NVM real estate agent can screen (potential) tenants for the landlord. This is also positive for you as a tenant. If you are a suitable tenant, the NVM estate agent can demonstrate this with the NVM Woontoets.
Have you been accepted as a tenant? Then it is advisable to carry out a preliminary and final inspection of the living space. Also consider the meter readings. The old tenant has the obligation to leave the rental property in the same condition as you acquired it as a new tenant.
The key handover
The next step: signing the lease. This includes all rights and obligations for you as a tenant.
Finally, you will receive the key to the house. Time to move into your new home!
What costs are there for a tenant
There are various costs that can be charged to the tenant by the real estate agent, such as registration fees, administration costs and rental costs.
This includes the reasonably incurred costs that are (also) incurred in the interest of the tenant. For example, help with applying for a permit or rent allowance.
Key money
Key money is the amount that is asked of the new tenant by the landlord or by departing tenants in exchange for the key.
Asking for key money is seen as an unreasonable clause within the meaning of Section 7:264(1) of the Dutch Civil Code (there is no or negligible consideration) and is therefore not permitted.
Did you pay key money? Then you can reclaim it through the courts. You will have to prove that it has been paid, for example with a receipt or through witnesses (no family).
Administration costs Administration
costs can be charged to the tenant if the costs are in reasonable proportion to the consideration provided by the intermediary. Assistance in obtaining permits is an example of this.
When do you not have to pay agency fees?
An intermediary who offers a property on funda.nl always mediates with regard to that property on behalf of the landlord.
If an intermediary works on behalf of both the landlord and the tenant (two-way mediation), the real estate agent may not charge wages to the private tenant (Articles 417 and 427 of Book 7 of the Civil Code). These costs are for the landlord.
This is also not allowed if a name is given to it other than wages, such as brokerage, contract, marketing, rental, administration, commission, advice or brokerage fees, brokerage fees, key fees, registration fees, one-off tenant costs, and so on. Unfortunately, the law does not provide complete clarity on what does and does not fall under the concept of 'wage'. However, it is generally assumed that all costs incurred in the mediation process of looking for a rental property and concluding a rental agreement are considered as wages. The rule that no wages may be charged to the tenant does not apply if the tenant acts for business purposes.
When can agency fees be charged?
If the intermediary works exclusively on behalf of the landlord, it is more difficult to indicate which costs may and may not be passed on to a tenant.
In accordance with the law, a landlord is free to negotiate a benefit for himself or for his intermediary. However, there may be no question of stipulating an unreasonable advantage (Article 264 of Book 7 of the Dutch Civil Code). This is the case if there is no or negligible consideration for the stipulated benefit for the tenant.
In short, it must be reasonable costs for which there is a consideration from the intermediary or lessor.
What can I do if I have wrongly paid agency fees?
Mediation fees that have been wrongly paid as a result of bilateral mediation can be recovered from the mediator by a private tenant. To this end, the contractual clause for payment of the mediation costs (the brokerage agreement) must be annulled on the basis of Article 3:40(2) of the Dutch Civil Code. If the brokerage agreement has been annulled, the unduly paid commission can be reclaimed.
The NVM has drawn up a draft demand letter and a draft summons for this purpose, which you can download below.
The annulment of the brokerage agreement with the mediator can be done for up to three years (Article 3:52 of the Dutch Civil Code), after which the claim expires.
Who can I report that a landlord or intermediary is in violation?
As (residential) consumers, tenants can turn toConsuWijzer. Companies cangiving tips to ACM. Such notifications serve as a signal to ACM that (some) landlords or intermediaries may wrongly charge tenants costs.
What is the advantage of renting out my house with an NVM estate agent?
When you choose an NVM estate agent, you choose expertise, reliability and quality. An NVM estate agent is not just a real estate agent. In addition, on request, an NVM estate agent can screen the potential tenant with the NVM Housing Test.
By using the NVM Woontoets, the NVM estate agent prevents as much as possible that you do business with people who do not pay afterwards, launder money or stagger on the verge of bankruptcy towards debt restructuring.
It also creates a barrier against people who start illegal occupation or hemp cultivation with false IDs.
Gerelateerde Nieuwsberichten
Which dissolving clauses in the deed of sale are important to me?
The dissolving clauses in the deed of sale give you, the buyer, extra security. They also allow you to cancel the purchase free of charge if the conditions are not met. It is therefore wise to think carefully about which dissolving clauses are important to you. How and when do you draw them up?
The deed of sale: what does it say and what are my rights as a seller?
During the negotiations, you and the buyer agree on the purchase price and the dissolving conditions. These agreements are recorded in the deed of sale drawn up by your estate agent. What else does a deed of sale contain and what can you expect in the period after the negotiations? Read it here.
Prevent discrimination in housing rentals
Everyone deserves a fair chance at housing, but unfortunately this is not yet a given. After all, discrimination also occurs in the field of housing. It should not be the case that house seekers with, for example, a non-Dutch sounding name have less chance to view a rental property. This is why the real estate industry is launching a campaign to make people aware of their rights and obligations in order to jointly make a fist against discrimination.