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My rights and obligations

Information about your rights and obligations when renting your home
You have a tenancy agreement for living space with us. On this page we provide you with additional general information about your rights and obligations as a tenant of the home.

You behave like a good tenant

Good tenancy means, for example, that you:

  • Pay your rent in full and on time (before the 1st of the month)

  • Treat other tenants, neighbors, and DUWO staff with respect and refrain from behavior that could harm the social safety of others

  • Do not cause nuisance to fellow tenants and/or neighbors

  • Take good care of the dwelling and the shared spaces and facilities

  • Do not allow dangerous situations to arise

As a tenant, you are jointly responsible for the fire-safe use of your dwelling and the shared spaces and facilities.
You must live in the rented house

You may only use your home as a place to live. The home must also be your main residence.

  • You are not allowed to (sub)let the home, or any part of it, or allow others to use it, unless DUWO has given written permission.
  • You are not allowed to use the home for illegal activities, such as prostitution or activities prohibited under the Opium Act or the Weapons and Ammunition Act.
  • You may not use the home for running a business. Working from home is allowed, as long as it does not cause any disturbance to your neighbors or local residents.

We make these agreements with you and we expect you to comply with them. If you do not comply with these agreements, there may be consequences for you. For example, DUWO may recover damages, issue a behavioral instruction, terminate your tenancy agreement, or take other measures. In certain cases, you may have to pay a fine to DUWO. You can find which situations this applies to in your tenancy agreement.

 

Maintenance and changes to your home

Who is responsible for which maintenance?

DUWO is responsible for major maintenance. The tenant is responsible for smaller (tenant) maintenance. The maintenance overview shows which maintenance tasks you, as the tenant, are responsible for. DUWO is responsible for all other maintenance. This does not apply if maintenance is required due to a situation for which the tenant is responsible (such as damage, negligence, or wear and tear beyond normal use). In that case, DUWO may charge the costs to the tenant.

Is something broken? Then please submit a repair request.
What are you allowed to change?

Without written permission from DUWO, you may only make small changes to the interior of your home. These changes must be easy to remove at the end of the tenancy. For any other changes, you must first request permission from DUWO.

You are responsible for the maintenance of any changes or installations you have added yourself (so-called tenant improvements/ZAVs). If you have added something without permission, DUWO may request that you remove it, unless it can be easily and inexpensively undone at the end of the tenancy.

Access and entering the home

Is DUWO allowed to enter my home?

DUWO may only enter your home with your permission. There are a few exceptions to this rule:

  • When there is an urgent emergency that requires immediate action. For example, a gas leak, a fire, or a burst water pipe when you are not at home.

  • For urgent work (maintenance and inspections).

  • For renovation that you have agreed to, or for which a court has determined that DUWO has made a reasonable renovation proposal.

  • When your cooperation is needed for work in a neighboring home.

  • For a viewing in the case of sale or re-rental.

If you do not allow access in these situations, DUWO may request authorization from the court to enter your home.
When do you need to give DUWO access to your home?

At DUWO’s request, you must provide DUWO access to your home and the shared spaces and facilities. This is so that DUWO can check for (technical) defects, ensure (fire) safety, and carry out maintenance work. You must also give DUWO access to your home if there is another compelling reason.

Different types of tenancy agreements

There are different types of tenancy agreements: temporary tenancy contracts, permanent tenancy contracts and target group contracts. The type of contract is important for how long you can rent the property. You can read more about this here.

 

The possibilities for rent increases are determined by the minister. This determines annually by what percentage the rent may be increased. You can check the maximum rental price here.

Please note: this is the basic rental price, not including the advance service costs.

Rent and service costs

The total amount of rent you pay to DUWO each month consists of the (basic) net rent plus the service charges.

  • The basic rent is the price you pay for the use of your living space and the shared spaces and facilities. DUWO may increase your rent once per year.
  • The service charges are costs for things such as furnishing and carpeting of shared spaces, and services such as cleaning, internet, gas, water, and electricity. The costs may differ per home. You pay a monthly advance for these service charges.

Your rental contract states which service charges apply to your home. Once a year, you will receive a settlement based on the actual costs. This is called the service charges statement. If you have paid too much in total, the excess amount will be refunded to you. If you have paid too little, you will need to pay the difference.

Would you like more information about other rental matters? Log in with your DUWO account.

Reports and complaints

We do our utmost to provide you with a pleasant living environment and good service. However, it may happen that you are not satisfied with something. Do you have a complaint about your home, the shared spaces, nuisance, our service, or something else? We ask that you first report your complaint to DUWO so that we can try to find a solution together.

Are you not satisfied with how DUWO has handled or resolved your complaint? In certain cases, you can contact another organization. Below you will find, per topic, how and where you can report your complaint.

 

Reporting point for good tenancy practices

DUWO is a housing corporation. Therefore, the Housing Corporations Authority (Autoriteit Woningcorporaties) monitors whether DUWO complies with Article 2 of the Good Landlord Act. This means that DUWO must:

  • Not discriminate or intimidate.

  • Always provide the rental agreement and important information in writing.

  • Charge a security deposit of no more than two months’ basic rent.

The Housing Corporations Authority uses these rules to supervise housing corporations, but it does not handle individual complaints from tenants. More information can be found on their website.

Do you have a problem with the rent (above the maximum points-based rent) or a rent increase that is too high (Article 2a)? You can contact the municipal reporting point. Below you will find the contact details for the municipalities where DUWO is active.

Reportings point for good tenancy practices
  • Reporting point Amsterdam
  • Reporting point Delft
  • Reporting point Den Haag
  • Reporting point Deventer
  • Reporting point Haarlem
  • Reporting point Haarlemmermeer
  • Reporting point Leiden
  • Reporting point Leiderdorp
  • Reporting point Oegstgeest
  • Reporting point Voorschoten
  • Reporting point Wageningen