Rental problems? Ask for free legal advice!

Questioner

I have some problems with my landlord. The rent is 350 euros per month and suddenly I have to pay 360 euros as of September 1st. Furthermore, I have a notice period of 3 months, which I think is not entirely correct. I pay my rent every month on the 25th. I have been renting since April 1st, 2010. I actually want to cancel the contract now. Could you give me more clarity?

Lawyer

I hereby assume that you have a tenancy agreement for an indefinite period. If you pay rent per month, then legally a notice period of one month applies to you. This notice period cannot be rejected to your detriment. So in your case a notice period of three months is not allowed. Regarding the rent. The landlord is allowed to increase the rent once a year by a certain percentage. This usually happens on July 1, but sometimes later in the year. For 2012, the percentage is 2.3%. I quickly calculated it with your rent and then the rent increase of your landlord is just a little too high. You can first object to this increased rent with your landlord. If this does not succeed, you can contact the rent committee. For more information regarding the rent increase, you can best consult their site, www.huurcommissie.nl.

Lawyer

Let them know that they do not agree with the rent increase and ask for their cooperation to terminate the lease immediately. Many landlords are willing to do this because it is not easy to get rid of a tenant and they would like to avoid the costs and hassle of a procedure at the rent commission.