Question: I have some issues and contract disputes with my landlord on the room/house that I am renting. Can ACCESS provide me with some legal advice or is there a legal authority that I can go to or consult regarding these issues?

Answer:                                                                                                          

ACCESS cannot offer legal advice directly. However, the following organisations can be of help to you in as far as disputes with your landlord are concerned:

• Huurcommisie (Fair Rent Commission): this is a rental tribunal, independent organisation that mediates differences between you and the landlord about maintenance, rental price and costs of additional services. Please visit their website here. This is a Dutch website but you can contact them for free and in English at telephone number  0800 488 7243. The huurcommissie only deals with issues between tenant and landlord when it is social housing (generally up to about €652,- rent /month). If you have rented a liberalised house, you can ask the huurcommissie to perform a check if the rental price is acceptable. This should be done within 6 months after the start of the rental contract.
• Het Juridisch Loket: this is a legal desk that will help you with legal questions including those about property rentals. You may contact them via their website www.juridischloket.nl. This is a Dutch website but you can contact them for €0.10 per minute and in English at telephone number  0900 8020.

You may also want to avail of a lawyer's services and  in that case, we suggest that you contact GMW Advocaten. It is based in The Hague but serve all clients in the Netherlands. They have free consultation on any legal matter - upon appointment. They offer a 30-minute free intake session, which will help you evaluate the situation before taking any further steps. Please contact them at telephone number  (0)70-3615048 or at email address: info@gmw.nl for further details. Please check their website here.

Should you need additional list of law offices that can help you in this regard, please let us know and we will send you more information as soon as possible.

ACCESS has comprehensive guides covering frequently encountered issues by members of the international community in the Netherlands and we have one in particular about Housing & Accommodation . You may download the ACCESS Guide from here.