International student charged rent seven times higher than it should be

Last week, the Amsterdam District Court ruled that a foreign student had paid too much rent in 2023. The student found the landlord through an online platform. The landlord charged 1,500 euros per month for a ten square-metre room, including electricity, gas and water. The student would also be picked up from Schiphol Airport for that amount.

The student only ended up living in that room for a month and a half but decided to take the case to the Rent Assessment Committee anyway. The committee deemed the rent unreasonable and lowered the monthly amount to 212 euros. The landlord appealed, but the subdistrict court judge ruled against him and adopted the rent assessment committee's decision in its entirety.

Internationals most vulnerable
Students are often the victims of excessive rent. The Housing Hotline run by the Dutch National Student Union and the European Students Network receives reports of excessive rents almost daily.

Foreign students are the most vulnerable group. ‘They don't know much about the Dutch housing market, so they often accept rents that are too high,’ says Gijs Grimbergen, secretary for LSVb. Another factor that explains why they pay so much more rent is that they must find a room more quickly. Lastly, they are not as quick to go to the rent assessment committee.

Point system
Many Dutch students are also unaware that they can check the rent of their room or house with the rent assessment committee using the points system. The service is also available in English for international students.

Complaining to the committee pays off. Last year, eighty percent of tenants who brought a case to the committee were proven right.