Rent Tribunal procedure: how to lower your rent (2026)

You did a rent price check yourself and the conclusion is clear: you pay structurally above the legal maximum rent. Your landlord ignores you or refuses to lower it. The Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) is the body that settles the matter. Many tenants shy away from such a procedure because they picture a courtroom battle with lawyers and high costs. It is not that. The procedure is deliberately low-threshold and largely written. This article walks you through each phase, so you know exactly what happens after you click submit.

When can you go to the Rent Tribunal?

The Huurcommissie handles disputes about regulated housing: non-self-contained rooms and self-contained dwellings below the liberalisation threshold. For a rent reduction request based on the points count, an important deadline also applies.

• New contract, first six months: you can always have the rent assessed, no matter how high it is. This is the initial rent assessment. If you win, the reduction applies from the contract start date.
• Ongoing contract, after six months: you can request a reduction, but it takes effect from the first of the month after your request, not retroactively.

For the question of whether your home falls under the points system (WWS) at all, your first check is decisive. If you are in the free sector above the threshold, the Rent Tribunal cannot handle your request.

How do you file the request?

The request runs through the Huurcommissie's digital desk. You will need:

1. Your rental contract (the bare rent and start date are in there).
2. The outcome of your points count, ideally printed from the official rent price check.
3. Your energy label and, for self-contained homes, the WOZ valuation decision.
4. Optionally, photos of defects or missing facilities.

You fill in the form, choose "rent reduction request" and pay 25 euros in filing fees via iDEAL. From that moment the case is live. You receive a file number and a confirmation of receipt.

What happens after filing?

The committee forwards your request to your landlord and gives them the chance to respond. This is the right to be heard. The landlord can contest your points count, for example by claiming the surface area is larger or that a luxury facility exists that you did not count.

Often the Huurcommissie then sends its own inspector. They measure the home according to NEN 2580, check the facilities and write a report. This report is decisive in practice. A tenant who measured carefully usually sees their count confirmed. A landlord who inflated the surface area is exposed here.

In some cases a hearing follows. Both parties may explain their side before an independent committee. There is no need to fear this: it is not a cross-examination but a conversation. You may bring someone along, for example from a tenants' team or the Legal Counter. Many cases, by the way, are settled on the documents without a hearing.

How long does it take and what does it cost?

Count on twelve to sixteen weeks from filing to ruling. Complex cases with an extensive inspection can run up to twenty weeks. Throughout the procedure you keep paying your current rent. Only after the ruling does the amount change.

The costs:

Item	Amount
Filing fee	25 euros
Refunded on winning	25 euros (full)
Cost on losing	25 euros (not refunded)
Lawyer	not needed

If you lose, you are only out those 25 euros. There is no order to pay costs as there is at court. That makes the financial risk minimal, certainly against a rent reduction that can save tens to hundreds of euros per month.

What is a ruling worth?

The Huurcommissie's ruling is binding. Both parties must comply. There is one exception: if a party disagrees, it can bring the case to the subdistrict court within eight weeks of the ruling. If that does not happen, the ruling stands.

Does your landlord not lower the rent, even though the committee ruled in your favour? Then you may deduct the difference directly from your future rent. If you are also entitled to repayment of overpaid rent, read how to reclaim overpaid rent. Do not forget to have your service charges assessed either: what a landlord may charge in service charges is legally limited and runs via a separate procedure.

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord evict me for going to the Rent Tribunal?

No. A landlord may not terminate a contract because you use your legal rights. If they threaten to, document it in writing. Such behaviour works against them in a procedure.

Do I need a lawyer?

No. The Huurcommissie is set up for consumers without legal help. Communication is largely written. If you still want someone to review your case, a tenants' team or the Legal Counter can help with your wording for free.

What if the landlord does not let the inspector in?

If the landlord does not cooperate with an inspection, the committee can rely on the data that is available, often to the landlord's disadvantage. Obstruction rarely pays off for them.

Can I stop the procedure midway?

Yes. If you reach an agreement with your landlord after all, you withdraw the request. Whether the committee still rules then depends on the stage. Always report a settlement directly to your file.

Does this also apply to a lodger's room?

For a room with a live-in landlord, different rules on termination apply during the first nine months, but the rent assessment via the Huurcommissie is simply possible. Calculate the fair rent for a lodger's room in advance.

What if I already gave notice, can I still have it assessed?

You can request an initial rent assessment up to six months after the contract start, even if you have since moved out. For a reduction during an ongoing contract you must still be a tenant at the time of filing.