Maintenance and Minor Repairs for Tenants in the Netherlands
As a tenant in the Netherlands, you may have questions about who pays for maintenance and minor repairs in your home. This article explains in plain language which maintenance duties usually fall to the landlord or to the tenant, what costs you can expect and what steps you can take if a dispute arises. You will read when you have a right to repairs, how to collect evidence and which bodies you can involve, such as the Rent Tribunal or the municipal desk. The aim is that you better understand what is reasonable, which formalities matter and how to defend your rights without legal jargon.
Maintenance and minor repairs: who pays what?
In the Netherlands, Book 7 of the Civil Code sets out the main principles of tenancy law.[1]
What does the tenant pay?
- Small repairs and routine upkeep (repairs): replacing bulbs and fixing sealant joints.
- Cleaning and maintenance of personal appliances (maintenance), such as filters and small parts.
- Damage caused by the tenant that does not create a structural problem (repair).
What does the landlord pay?
- Structural defects and installations (maintenance): heating, plumbing and roofing.
- A safe and habitable dwelling with essential facilities.
- Major renovations or improvements that usually require consultation (form).
If there is disagreement about who must pay, you can involve the Rent Tribunal for advice or a decision.[2]
Frequently Asked Questions
- Should I contact the landlord immediately for a leaking tap?
- Inform the landlord in writing first and take photos; if there is no response you can consider further steps.
- What counts as "minor repairs"?
- Minor repairs are simple fix-or-replace tasks that do not require structural work.
- Can the Rent Tribunal help me recover costs?
- Yes, the Rent Tribunal often deals with issues about service charges and reasonable division of maintenance costs.
How-To
- Gather evidence (evidence): photos, timestamps and receipts.
- Report the problem to the landlord in writing and request a repair deadline (contact).
- File a complaint or application with the Rent Tribunal if mediation is needed (file).
- Consider proceedings at the subdistrict court if other solutions do not work (court).
Help and Support
- Rent Tribunal - information and applications
- Wetten.nl - Civil Code Book 7
- Government.nl - official tenancy guidance
