Good Landlord Act
The Good Landlord Act will come into effect on July 1, 2023. This law is intended to prevent undesirable behavior by landlords, such as asking for excessive deposits, charging unfair service fees, discriminating, and making threats.
The Good Landlord Act contains rules that landlords must comply with. If landlords do not comply with these rules, the municipality can issue a warning or fine. Tenants can also report undesirable behavior by landlords.
Who is this law for?
This law protects house hunters and tenants against undesirable rental practices by:
- private landlords
- rental agents (agencies that connect tenants with private landlords)
- employers who provide housing for foreign workers
The 7 rules of good landlordship
- The landlord may not discriminate against the person seeking housing.
- The landlord may not threaten or intimidate the tenant.
- The landlord may request a maximum of two months' basic rent as a security deposit.
- The landlord must draw up a written rental agreement.
- The landlord must properly inform tenants about:
- rights and obligations of the tenant regarding the property (not specified in the lease agreement)
- the amount of the security deposit and when tenants get it back when the lease ends
- contact information where the tenant can reach the landlord
- information from the reporting center for undesirable rental practices
- service charges: landlords must provide a complete overview of the costs
- The landlord only charges service costs that are specified in the Civil Code, Articles 259 and 261 of Book 7.
- The rental agent may not charge the tenant any agency fees.
Reporting center
According to this law, every municipality must have a reporting center. Tenants and house hunters can report there if the landlord does not comply with the seven rules of good landlord behavior. Reporting is free and can be done anonymously.
Report undesirable rental behavior
Tenants of a housing association can submit a complaint to the association that rents out the property. The association will handle the complaint itself. For our municipality, that is De Kernen.