Problems With Your Landlord? Get Free Help From the Rent Support Center Groningen

The Rent Support Center Groningen is an independent organisation established in 2021 as an initiative of the Municipality of Groningen and the Groningen Student Union.

Its mission is simple: to help tenants and landlords understand their rights and obligations and improve the rental market in Groningen.

The organisation receives funding from the Municipality of Groningen and works with a team that includes student volunteers from the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences.

The best part? Their advice and assistance are completely free. The organisation also provides information in English, making it a useful resource for international students who may not be familiar with Dutch rental regulations.

Finding a student room in Groningen can be difficult. However, just because a landlord asks a certain amount does not necessarily mean that the rent is legally permitted.

In the Netherlands, the maximum rent for many rooms and apartments is determined by the Housing Valuation System, known in Dutch as the woningwaarderingsstelsel (WWS). This points system considers different characteristics of a property, including its size, facilities and energy efficiency.

The Rent Support Center can help you check whether your rent is reasonable. If you are paying more than the legal maximum, they can advise you about requesting a rent reduction.

In some cases, the organisation can also contact your landlord or help you start a procedure with the Dutch Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie).

Your monthly housing expenses often include more than basic rent. You may also pay service charges for utilities, furniture, internet or cleaning of shared facilities.

However, landlords cannot simply charge whatever they want. Service costs must relate to agreed services and should reflect the actual costs incurred. The service costs should be accounted for annually.

The Rent Support Center can help you understand your service charges and determine whether they are reasonable. If your landlord has charged too much, you may be able to reclaim part of the amount.

The organisation can also advise you about all-in rent, where basic rent and additional costs are combined into a single amount without a clear breakdown.

Have you been asked to pay agency or mediation fees? Those fees are not always permitted either. The Rent Support Center can explain whether the charge is lawful and what you can do if you have paid fees that should not have been charged.

Getting help is straightforward. You can submit your question through the contact form on the Rent Support Center Groningen website.

The form allows you to explain your situation and upload relevant documents, such as your rental agreement or service cost statements. Providing these documents can help the organisation to ansewer your question.

Prefer to speak to someone in person? The Rent Support Center holds a walk-in consultation every Wednesday from 13:00 to 15:00 at Damsterdiep 36, 9711 SM Groningen.

You can also reach the organisation by emailing info@steunpunthuren.nl or calling (+31) 050 785 1453.

The organisation aims to respond as quickly as possible, although during busy periods it may take up to 14 days before you are contacted.

Many students hesitate to question their landlord because they are unfamiliar with Dutch rental law or worry about creating tension. But asking for advice does not mean you have to start a legal dispute. Sometimes, understanding your rights or having someone explain your rental contract is enough to resolve a problem before it gets worse.

If you have questions about your rent, contract, deposit or landlord, the Rent Support Center Groningen is a valuable place to start.