Checking service charges: where do you start?

Checking service charges: where do you start? General information.

You often pay monthly advances for service charges. The annual statement should show what you prepaid and the costs actually incurred. Look beyond the extra payment or refund to the individual underlying items.

The landlord must send the statement within six months after the calendar year. Check that it covers the correct period and your tenancy duration. Keep payment records too. A new advance for the coming year differs from the previous year's reconciliation.

Match each item to the agreed service. Ask what costs were incurred, what is allocated to your home and how your share was calculated. Identify exactly what is missing. An unclear allocation formula differs from a service never supplied.

Explain for each disputed item why you request clarification or correction. The ordinary Huurcommissie procedure requires first responding to the landlord. If no statement was provided, you usually need to request it first. Check the final filing date; discussions do not automatically extend it.

If unresolved, investigate whether the Huurcommissie can give a decision or advice. This depends partly on the contract date and sector. Keep objections, amounts and evidence together. The full guide helps frame a verifiable question without treating unknown amounts as established facts.

Read the full explanation and sources on Tenancy Law in the Netherlands. Have someone assess which rules apply to your situation.