In Groningen, over the past four years, more than 750 cases have been handled by the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie), with tenants winning 85 percent of the time.
This data, obtained by press agency ANP, shows that nationwide, around 4,900 cases have been brought forward, with tenants being ruled in favour of in eight out of ten instances.
Almost half of the complaints involve the settlement of service charges, while more than one in three cases pertain to rent being higher than legally allowed.
Doubling in cases
‘The tenants who end up at the Rent Tribunal are just the tip of the iceberg’, says Marinus Jongman, chairman of Rent Support Centre Groningen.
This tenant support organisation expects to assist around 750 tenants this year, double the number compared to 2023, and far more than the cases that annually go to the Rent Tribunal in Groningen. ‘People go to the Rent Tribunal when they’re fairly sure they’ll win’, says Jongman.
The Rent Support Centre helps tenants with issues like checking service charges or rental agreements, free of charge. It’s funded by the municipality.
Fear of consequences
The organisation always tries to prevent a tenant from taking their case to the Rent Tribunal. They primarily do this by facilitating a conversation between tenants and landlords. If necessary, they also assist tenants during proceedings with the Rent Tribunal.
Not all tenants with problems reach out to Rent Support Centre or the tribunal, Jongman notes. ‘Many people are afraid to address issues like high rents or delayed maintenance. They don’t want to disrupt the relationship with their landlord or are scared of the consequences.’
A 25 euro case
However, Jongman says they don’t need to be scared. ‘The vast majority of the people we help end up winning their case’, he says. ‘It doesn’t have to be confrontational.’ The Rent Tribunal is also quite affordable, he adds, noting that filing a case costs only 25 euro.
In fact, simply threatening to involve the Rent Tribunal is often enough to get landlords to take action, Jongman says. As a result, the percentage of students who actually go through with a case remains relatively low.