Landlord refuses to pay deposit within 14 days.

Questioner

Is there a difference between room rent and house rent? The landlords only want to return the deposit in June when the final energy bill is there, while the rent ends on December 1st, because the rule within 14 days does not apply to room rent, they say. Is this correct?

Lawyer

It seems there is a misunderstanding. According to Dutch tenancy law there is no formal difference between the return of the deposit for a room or for an entire house. After the end of the lease, the landlord has in principle one month to return the deposit. This gives them the opportunity to determine any damage to the property and deduct the costs from the deposit. However, it is not permitted to hold the deposit for longer than one month without good reason. Waiting for a final energy bill would only be acceptable if there are clear agreements between the tenant and the landlord that these costs may be deducted from the deposit. If you feel that your landlord is acting unreasonably, or is unnecessarily delaying the return of your deposit, it may be worth consulting a lawyer or attorney who can help you determine your rights in this situation. It may also be useful to contact your local council or a tenancy law organisation, who may be able to assist you.' ---------------- Stichting Rechtswinkel.nl is a national organization with students and volunteers. The above advice is based on limited information and may be incomplete or even incorrect for your situation. Always consult a lawyer or attorney for your further steps. Read disclaimer: https://rechtswinkel.nl/disclaimer I would like to invite you to rate the above answer so that we can learn from your response.