Housing and utilities
Servicekosten
Service charges
What does Servicekosten mean?
Servicekosten are costs a landlord charges on top of the bare rent for extra services: cleaning shared areas, a caretaker, furniture, or energy and water through a shared connection. You pay an advance each month. The landlord must send an annual statement (jaarafrekening) of the actual costs within six months after the calendar year, so by 30 June. If you paid too much, the difference is refunded.
Key facts
| Annual statement due | Within 6 months after the calendar year (by 30 June) |
| Huurcommissie deadline | Up to 2 years after the statement was due |
| Who can use the Huurcommissie | Social tenants, and middle and free sector contracts from 1 July 2024 |
| Allowed | Actual costs only, for services named in the contract |
What to do
- Check your contract lists which services are included and what the monthly advance is.
- Each year, expect the statement by 30 June for the previous year. Ask for it in writing if it does not arrive.
- Compare the actual costs with your advances and ask for receipts if an item looks high.
- Note that the landlord may only charge actual costs, not a profit, and only for services in the contract.
- If you cannot agree, ask the Huurcommissie to assess the statement within two years of when you should have received it.
Worth knowing
If the landlord never sends a statement at all, eligible tenants can still ask the Huurcommissie for a decision. Without documentation from the landlord, the Huurcommissie sets the service costs itself.
Frequently asked questions
When must my landlord send the servicekosten statement?
Within six months after the end of the calendar year, so the statement for 2025 was due by 30 June 2026.
What if the landlord never sends a statement?
Ask for it in writing. If it still does not come, eligible tenants can go to the Huurcommissie up to two years after the statement was due. Without landlord documentation, the Huurcommissie decides the amount.
Can I use the Huurcommissie in the free sector?
For service costs, yes if your contract was signed on or after 1 July 2024. For older free sector contracts, only with a written agreement, and the outcome is advice rather than a binding decision.
Read next
Official sources
More Dutch terms: housing and utilities
Plain-English explanations of the words on your letters and contracts.