Foundation !WOON publishes The State of the Tenant 2024

Today Stichting !WOON, the interest group for tenants, owner-occupiers and house seekers, published its annual findings on tenants in the housing market in the Amsterdam region. These show, among other things, that despite the recent enactment of the Good Landlord Act (Wgv), the Affordable Rent Act and the Fixed Tenancy Contracts Act, tenants still face a wide range of problems. For example, !WOON had nearly 84,000 contacts with tenants in the region in 2024 and its Unwanted Rental Conduct Hotline (MOV) received 594 reports about serious problems with the landlord.

Inappropriate rental behavior

By far the most reports were about maintenance complaints due to mold and moisture problems and about rents and service costs. At the end of 2024, !WOON also signaled an increase in short-stay rentals for a very limited duration, with which landlords try to circumvent the Fixed Lease Law already mentioned. We wrote about this recently.

As indicated above, the foundation received nearly 600 reports in the area of undesirable rental behavior. Reports that also involved a violation of the Good Landlord Act were forwarded, with the tenant’s approval, to the municipal hotlines. As in 2023, most reports involved violations of (rent) laws, security deposit issues ranked second. Issues surrounding rent termination and rent protection came in at spot number three this year.

That security deposit issues were in second place is striking, now that as a result of the Wvg the deposit may only be a maximum of two months’ rent. According to the spokesperson of the hotline, however, it is not only the amount of the deposit that appears to be a problem; often the deposit is apparently not paid back at all. This while the landlord, on the basis of article 7:261b of the Civil Code, is obliged to refund the deposit within fourteen days after the end of the rental agreement, obviously barring damage or rent arrears.

Stichting !WOON’s report can be read in full and shared in this pdf file: De staat van de huurder 2024.

Advice

Do you have questions about the above developments or have other legal questions about rental law? Discover !WOON Foundation’s annual findings on tenants and their impact on the real estate market for entrepreneurs.Contact one of our attorneys by email, phone or fill out the contact form for a no-obligation initial consultation. We are happy to think with you.