Service charges are the subject of increasing debate, the Rent Commission (Huurcommissie) sees. The number of cases on this subject increased significantly in recent years, from 1,500 in 2022 to 3,800 cases a year later. For Housing Minister Mona Keijzer, it is reason to tighten the law: there will be a list of service charges from which landlords may no longer deviate.

Student complex

The list should put an end to service charges as a way to make extra money. Six months ago, NOSop3 discovered that many landlords of student complexes seem to be doing just that. For example, XIOR Student Housing was whistled back no less than four hundred times by the rent committee because of excessive service charges. XIOR could by no means properly substantiate all the amounts collected.

Camelot (now Plaza Resident Services, part of Mosaic World) also overcharged students for service fees. Two years back, therefore, the court decided that Camelot had to pay back 35,000 euros to students in Enschede, and two weeks ago there was a similar ruling for 441 students in Eindhoven.

Keijzer sees landlords creating “new housing concepts” that include costs “of, for example, a gym, music studio or cinema room present in the complex in the service costs.”

Threat

Students can already complain about service charges to their municipality. In fact, since this year, the latter can impose fines on landlords who misbehave. But municipalities are finding it unclear what does and does not qualify as service charges. That is one of the reasons for Keijzer to intervene.

Last week she sent her bill to the House of Representatives. It does not say what service charges landlords may charge. The new law simply gives the Minister of Housing a new power: to draw up a mandatory list. This will replace the current list from which landlords may deviate. The new list will probably come to the House of Representatives as early as 2025.

The bill also contains a threat: if the situation does not improve, the minister can also intervene herself. The new law already empowers her to set maximum amounts for service charges that landlords may charge.