Rental problems? Your legal solution!

Questioner

Good day, I am sending you this message on behalf of my Austrian friends who have been living in the Netherlands since January 15th. Since they don't (yet) have a good command of the language, I'll do the honors for a while. It concerns the following: They are temporarily renting an apartment (rental period started on January 15 and will end on July 15). This is exactly half a year. When concluding the rental contract, they explicitly asked whether there were any additional costs that were not mentioned in the rental contract. The landlord replied that this was not the case. Now a municipal assessment and an assessment from the water board have rolled on the doormat and they have paid both assessments. I think this is not right. The rental contract does not mention this and I think this should have happened. In addition, it seems to me unfair that when you rent something for half a year, so temporarily, you have to pay the full annual assessment! Please help with this. Thank you in advance!

Lawyer

If it was indeed agreed that there would be no additional costs, then the assessments they paid were unjustified. This should have been agreed in the lease. In temporary rental it is customary to pay assessments pro rata. This should also have been agreed in the contract. I advise your friends to file a complaint with the landlord. If they cannot resolve it together and a legal dispute arises, please contact me directly for consultation.

Questioner

Thank you very much for your answer! Just to be clear; the attacks discussed above concern the 'user part'. But I don't think that makes any difference, does it?

Lawyer

That is indeed correct.

Questioner

Thank you very much for your answer! Just to be clear; the attacks discussed above concern the 'user part'. But I don't think that makes any difference, does it?

Questioner

Thank you very much for your answer! Just to be clear; the attacks discussed above concern the 'user part'. But I don't think that makes any difference, does it?

Questioner

Good day. In the meantime, the landlord has been informed of the inability to pass on the assessments. I informed him of this by email. But now the following is happening. Although my friends pay the rent in advance every month, the notice period according to the contract is 3 months. On April 4th they informed us by email that they would like to serve out their half-year contract (July 15th) but also wanted to rent for two more weeks because of the passing date of their new house. The landlord responded both verbally and by email that it was agreed to rent the apartment until August 1st. Now the gentleman is apparently offended by my (otherwise polite email) and is going back on this and therefore wants them to leave the apartment on July 15th after all. Is this possible? I can forward the emails to you if you wish.

Lawyer

That is not possible just like that. In principle, the gentleman will have to keep to the agreements and fulfill the promises. Only if the withdrawal took place immediately after the promise and this was in writing can he derive rights from it. But in the first instance, an agreement is an agreement. By the way, the 3 months notice period is not allowed. Sir acts unlawfully and your friends can keep 1 month notice period. Should the gentleman persist in his position, I can assist your friends in this matter.