Supported by Maastricht University and the city council, the Housing Help Desk provides assistance for students with rental problems. “We hold a consultation hour in the Student Services Centre four times a week. We answer questions about tenancy law, give honest advice and make contact with landlords”, explains project leader Rick Blezer. “And if it turns out to be necessary, we guide students through the procedure with the Rental Committee until a verdict is reached.”  

The numbers reveal a clear need for this type of low-threshold support: this year the Housing Help Desk expects to handle more than 200 cases, saving some €30,000 in overpaid rent, wrongly withheld deposits and brokerage fees. Students can go to the help desk free of charge, and pay a €25 fee only if the case is referred to the Rental Committee.

Electrical defects

Stefan and Lisette initially hoped they’d be able to resolve things with the landlord directly. “We got a discount on the rent because of the shower and the window”, Stefan says. “It ended up taking till the end of April for the shower to be fixed, and the landlord felt that from then on we should pay the full rent. But in the meantime we’d discovered all sorts of other problems. Among other things, there were faulty electrical outlets, the leak from the shower had reached the wall cabinets in the living room, and the toilet was missing a ventilation duct. So in May we finally decided to go to the Housing Help Desk.”

Blezer: “Together we drew up a list of all the defects and compared it against the Rental Committee’s Default Book. Then we sent a letter to the landlord and spoke with him, but when that didn’t help, we went to the Rental Committee.” The committee inspected the apartment and concluded that the maximum rent, instead of €700 excluding utilities, should be no more than €552. But during the subsequent hearing the parties weren’t able to arrive at an agreement. So they had to wait for the verdict, which was announced in early November. Lisette: “Because of all the defects, the Rental Committee found that the rent of €552 should be reduced by another 80%. And that applied with retroactive effect.” Blezer: “We’ve written to the landlord asking how he thinks we should move forward. From experience, we know that landlords usually comply with the Rental Committee’s verdict. If not, we’ll look into possible follow-up steps.”

Lost sleep

Lisette and Stefan are glad to be in the right, but emphasise that it was not their intention to ‘bully’ the landlord. “The verdict makes me happy, because I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this. Still, it would have been preferable not to have to go to the Housing Help Desk in the first place”, Stefan says. “It’s fine for landlords to make money from their property”, Lisette adds. “But they need to behave properly and within reason. I hope we’ll be paying €552 in rent as soon as possible – because that will mean the problems are solved.”

The whole affair has made Lisette and Stefan extra vigilant. They advise students looking for a room not to dive in too quickly. “Check first whether the room really exists; fake rooms are being advertised on social media more and more often. Make sure the rent is in line with the Rental Committee’s points system. And do an initial inspection together with the landlord, so you can discuss any defects and what to do about them.”

*Pseudonyms are used at the students’ request

text: Meyke Houben