My landlord wants to increase the rent
Many landlords increase the rent every year. But can a landlord simply increase the rent, or are there rules that the landlord must adhere to? In this blog we tell you more about rent increases.
Annual rent increase
A landlord may increase the basic rent once a year (or twice every 24 months). The percentage by which the rent may be increased is determined by the government. As of July 1, 2018, the maximum increase for rooms is 2.9%. For independent living spaces, the maximum increase is 3.9% for tenants with an income up to € 41,056 per year or 5.4% for tenants with a higher income.
To increase the rent, the landlord must send a letter to the tenant at least two months before the effective date of the increase. If your landlord wants to increase the rent as of July 1, you must receive the increase before May 1 at the latest. Did you receive the proposal less than two months before the effective date? Then the proposal is too late and you do not have to pay the rent increase.
The rental price increase may not result in your rent being higher than the maximum rental price according to the points system. To see whether your rent is already too high or will become too high, you can do a rental price check here.
In addition, the letter from the landlord must state the following:
- The effective date of the rent increase.
- The old and the new basic rent.
- The percentage by which the landlord wants to increase the rent.
- How you can object to the increase.
- Whether the increase is (also) an income-related rent increase.
Object to the rent increase
What many tenants do not know is that a rent increase is actually a proposal from the landlord to the tenant. This means that you must agree to the increase. If you do not agree with the rent increase, you have two options.
The first option is that you object to the landlord before the effective date of the increase. You can use our free sample letter for this. You can download it here. If you have objected, the landlord must ask the Rent Assessment Committee to rule on the increase within six weeks of the effective date of the increase. If the landlord does not go to the Rent Assessment Committee or does so too late, the increase will not go ahead.
The second option is that you do not object and simply continue to pay the old rent. In that case, if the landlord has sent the increase by registered letter, the landlord can ask the Rent Assessment Committee to make a decision within six weeks after the effective date of the increase.
If you do not pay the increase and you have received the proposal by regular mail or by e-mail, the landlord must send you a reminder letter by registered post within three months after the effective date. If your landlord does this, you can ask the Rent Committee to rule on the rent increase within four months after the effective date. If you do not do this, your rent will have increased and you will have to pay the higher rent.
It’s worth objecting
It is advisable to always object to the rent increase. Often the rent is already too high and the landlord will not submit the rent increase to the Rent Assessment Committee. Paying too much is never fun, especially if you can easily prevent it!
It is also advisable to see whether your rental price can be reduced. You can find more information in our blog about the rental price reduction.
Legal framework
The rent increase is regulated by law in the following articles.
Can’t figure it out?
If you have any questions about your rent increase or other questions about your rental contract, you can always contact< /a> contact us. We are happy to assist you.