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Netherlands · Rental service charges · Last verified September 30, 2026
Service costs (servicekosten) are charges on top of the basic rent for services linked to the rented home or building. A landlord may pass on qualifying costs, but the amount must reflect real costs rather than becoming an extra profit margin.
Quick answer
- Landlords may charge only actual qualifying service costs; they may not make a profit on them.
- Common examples include cleaning of communal areas, communal electricity, caretaker services and certain furniture/equipment costs.
- You normally pay a monthly advance and receive an annual settlement showing the advance versus actual costs.
- The annual settlement for the previous calendar year must be sent within six months after year-end — for 2025 costs, by 30 June 2026.
- If the settlement is missing or looks wrong, first contact the landlord in writing and give them the required opportunity to respond before going to the Huurcommissie.
What can count as service costs?
Rijksoverheid lists examples such as cleaning, small shared repairs, communal electricity and the use of furniture. Huurcommissie guidance also covers costs connected with common areas such as stairwells, lifts and shared green areas where the charge is legally attributable to tenants.
Gas, water and electricity supplied through the landlord can also appear in the broader annual utility/service-cost settlement. If you pay an energy or water company directly, those direct bills are not landlord service costs.
What cannot simply be passed through?
A landlord cannot label every building expense as a tenant service cost. Rijksoverheid explicitly notes that some facilities and landlord expenses do not qualify, and taxes/levies or care-service charges are separate categories rather than ordinary rental service costs.
The basic rule is that the charge must relate to an agreed service for tenants and be based on the actual reasonable cost of providing it.
Your monthly payment is usually an advance
The amount you pay each month is usually an advance (voorschot). The final amount is determined later from the real annual costs. If actual costs are higher than the advances, you may have to pay extra. If they are lower, you should receive money back.
This is why a monthly service-cost line is not necessarily the final cost for the year.
Annual settlement deadline
Huurcommissie says the landlord must send an annual service-cost settlement within six months after the end of the calendar year. For example, the settlement for 2025 must be sent no later than 30 June 2026.
The settlement should show at least what you paid in advance and what the actual costs were. This lets you see whether you owe extra or should receive a refund.
Can you ask to see invoices and evidence?
Yes. A service-cost calculation should be supportable with underlying records such as invoices, allocation calculations, meter information or caretaker/cleaning records where relevant. If you challenge a settlement through the Huurcommissie, the landlord can be asked to provide documentation supporting the disputed charges.
What if you never receive the annual settlement?
If the deadline has passed and you have received nothing, Huurcommissie guidance says you should first request the settlement from your landlord in writing. Give the landlord three weeks to provide it.
If the landlord still does not provide it, you can ask the Huurcommissie to determine the amount you should pay, provided your tenancy/procedure falls within its jurisdiction and filing requirements.
What if you disagree with the amount?
Write to the landlord first, explain exactly which charge or allocation you dispute, and give them the opportunity to explain or correct the settlement. Huurcommissie procedure rules generally require that written step and a three-week response period before the tenant starts a service-cost case.
For the 2025 settlement, the Huurcommissie currently lists the ultimate filing deadline as 30 June 2028. Do not wait until the final deadline: resolve errors while invoices and correspondence are still easy to retrieve.
One important change coming in 2027
The Netherlands is changing the service-cost framework from 1 January 2027. New contracts concluded from that date will use a more tightly defined list of permitted service-cost categories. Contracts signed before 2027 continue under the existing framework unless landlord and tenant agree otherwise where the new rules allow it.
Newcomer checklist
- Separate the basic rent from service costs in your contract.
- Check exactly which services are listed.
- Keep annual statements and payment records.
- Compare advances with actual annual costs.
- Ask for evidence if a charge is unclear.
- If the settlement is missing after the deadline, request it in writing and give the landlord three weeks.
- If you disagree, object in writing before starting a Huurcommissie procedure.
For electricity, gas, water and moving-day meter responsibilities, see our utilities in the Netherlands guide.
Official sources checked
- Rijksoverheid — Servicekosten en nutsvoorzieningen
- Rijksoverheid — Stappenplan woning huren
- Huurcommissie — Servicekosten en nutsvoorzieningen
- Huurcommissie — Jaarafrekening servicekosten beoordelen
Verification date: September 30, 2026. Service-cost rights can depend on rental sector and contract date. The 2027 reform has not been applied here to contracts that remain under the pre-2027 rules.
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