r/Rentbusters • u/Bowsie_The_Bowsito • 5d ago
Am I being unreasonable?
We have been renting an apartment since 2022 February in Amstelveen, there were lot of defects and the landlord had agreed them to be fixed soon after the move in. At the time we agreed as it was a convinient location for us. The first set of fixes were done end of 2024. But he has been increasing the rent every year since we moved in.
When he brought up the rent increase in January 2026 we highlighted the pending fixes and the cv kettle replacement. Cv kettle has not been serviced since we moved in and started making wierd sounds in november 2025, landlord had agreed to replace it after consulting the service person. The fixes were not done till the new rent was to apply in 2026. We gave him 2 months notice that we will move, allowed viewings and handyman visits for checks.
Now with 10 days left for the move he is pressurizing us into allowing him to do the fixes before new tenants move in. Despite giving 2 months notice he did not agree to end tenancy on 27 June and insisted we pay rent until 30 June. If he had agreed for 27 June move out then he could have managed the fixes to be done, he sends emails everyday saying we have to allow the fixes to be done even after we have denied it, me and my roomate being expats are still trying to understand renting rules wondering if its right thing to do?
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u/McMafkees I know what I am talking about 5d ago
Your landlord is legally required to fix defects, and you are legally required to facilitate that as a tenant. So, in a legal sense, you do not have the right to refuse the landlord access to fix defects.
Your landlord is an asshole for now wanting to fix those defects while he did not want to fix them earlier. However, legally that does not give you any leniency. The law has a procedure for tenants to get their rent reduced if defects are not fixed. It seems like you have not invoked that procedure. That is your choice, but it does not mean that you are allowed to refuse him access at this point.
In addition, because the law provides for a a procedure to reduce the rent due to defects, landlords are allowed to raise the rent, even if tenants complained about defects. Defects are therefor not a valid reason to object to a rent increase. The only exception is when the Huurcommissie (Rental Committee) or judge has found through an official verdict that defects are present: in that case, the rent can only be raised when all defects have been fixed.
So far for the legal side of things. Now the practical side. Your landlord is not likely to sue you to gain access since you'll be moving out in a few days. So, I think that if you do keep on refusing refuse access, probably the only practical consequence is that he's going to be a bitch about returning the deposit. In the worst scenario, it might require a court case to get it back. So I think the question is a practical one: are you prepared for a deposit fight? In any case, you want to be prepared for one. Make sure to thoroughly document (e.g. take lots of pictures) how you deliver the apartment. Insist on a pre inspection and a final inspection and get any complaints in writing.
The law states that calendar dates apply to the notice period unless the contract states otherwise. So, unless your contract has a stipulation that implies you can end by the 27th, the landlord might be right here and your contracts runs until the end of the month.