What can you do if the landlord does not do the necessary maintenance?

If the landlord fails to meet his maintenance obligations, you can call in the rent assessment commission, which can then set a reduced rent that applies until the defects have been remedied. Depending on the seriousness of the defects, the (bare) rent reduction can be 45% to 75%. To do this, you must first request the landlord (preferably by registered letter) to carry out the necessary maintenance or repair work. If the landlord does not respond to this within a reasonable period of time, you can submit a request to the rent assessment commission to reduce the rent temporarily until the landlord remedies the defects. This procedure costs EUR 25, but if the rent assessment is in your favour you will get this amount back. You can also go to court to enforce the maintenance. To do this, ask for legal advice from the legal aid office. Moreover, housing corporations always have a complaints or disputes committee, which you can turn to if you have maintenance problems.