Frequently asked questions

After you have seen a property on our website, click on "respond to this property." When you do this, please provide the following information about yourself and any other individuals searching for housing: name, age, income, and any pets. In this way, we can immediately see if you fit the housing profile. Phone registrations will not be processed.

Yes. If the asking price is only an invitation to make an offer (as described under "Will I be the buyer if I offer the asking price?"), the seller can also decide to lower or increase the asking price. During the negotiation process, offers and counter-offers may pass to and fro between parties. If the selling party accepts an offer, then the purchase is completed. If the seller makes a counter-offer, the buyer can complete the purchase by accepting it. The reverse is also possible. If the potential buyer makes a counter-offer that differs from the selling party’s earlier offer, then the selling party’s earlier offer is no longer valid. Therefore, even when the parties "come closer to each other" in the bidding process, the seller can suddenly decide to raise their counter-offer, while the buyer can lower their original offer.

The answer in all cases is no. The selling estate agent decides on the selling procedure together with the seller. The selling estate agent is obliged to inform you of this procedure. If you are seriously interested, it is wise to ask the estate agent what your position is. That can avoid a lot of disappointment. If the estate agent makes you any promises or concessions, they must honor these.

Yes. Either party may discontinue the negotiations. Sometimes there are so many prospective buyers offering or approximating the asking price that it is difficult to decide who the best buyer is. In this case the selling estate agent can decide – in consultation with the seller – to break off the negotiations and to change the bidding procedure. But before doing so, he must naturally meet any commitments already made (see also questions 8 and 9). The estate agent may then opt for a tendering procedure; in which case all bidders have an equal opportunity to make the highest offer. Ask your NVM estate agent for a folder about this procedure.

Yes, he is. Negotiations need not lead to a sale. In addition, the seller may want to know whether more people are interested. The first bidder need not be the best. That’s why the viewings continue. Very often the selling estate agent will tell other prospective buyers that the property is "under offer". In this case, another prospective buyer is entitled to make an offer, but will not receive an answer until the negotiations with the first interested party have ended. The estate agent will not make any statements about the size of the offer. This could induce overbidding.

No. The buyer pays the costs that the state imposes on transfers of property, i.e. property transfer tax (6%), and the notary’s costs for drawing up the deed of delivery and entering the deed in the registers. If the seller engages an estate agent to sell his property, then they must pay the estate agent for their service (estate agent’s fee). The estate agent mainly represents the seller’s interests and not the buyer’s. So the buyer would be wise to engage an estate agent. 

The seller, together with his estate agent, decides on the price he wants for his home. The buyer can negotiate the price, but the seller decides. This principle applies to all matters that the seller considers important in deciding whether to sell his home to this buyer. If the seller and buyer manage to agree about these matters, the purchase is completed. Sometimes the seller and buyer decide not to negotiate certain less important details – such as movable property – until reaching agreement on the principal issues. 
 In such a case the court may decide that the parties, having agreed on the matters that they themselves have indicated as the principal issues, must continue with the negotiations until a reasonable result has been achieved.

An option in a legal sense gives one of the parties the choice to conclude a purchase agreement with another party by means of unilateral declaration. In this case the parties have already agreed on the conditions of sale, but the buyer is, for instance, given an extra week to make up his mind. Such options are quite common when purchasing new-build properties. With the purchase of an existing home, the term 'option' is often used incorrectly. In such cases, it refers to certain promises or concessions that a selling estate agent may make to the prospective buyer during the negotiation process. Such a concession may, for instance, be that a prospective buyer gets a few days to think the offer over. In that time the estate agent will not try to enter into negotiations with another party. The prospective buyer can use this time to find out more about their mortgage or the suitability of the property. You cannot demand an option; only the seller and selling estate agent can decide whether any promises or concessions are made in the negotiation process.

You cannot force the start of negotiations. You are only in negotiation when the seller responds to your offer; in other words, when the seller makes a counter-offer. The selling estate agent can also explicitly inform you that he is in negotiation with you. You are not in negotiation if the selling estate agent says he will discuss your offer with the seller.

If the seller and buyer reach an oral agreement about the most important matters relating to the sale (usually the price, the delivery date and contingency clauses), then the purchase is completed. The selling estate agent confirms the purchase in the deed of purchase. This outlines the oral arrangements made between the parties. Usually, further arrangements (such as the penalty clause) are also documented in the deed of purchase. Such additional arrangements only apply after both parties have signed, or verbally agreed to, the deed of purchase. 

 Contingency conditions are also an important subject. The parties must reach agreement about these before the “verbal” purchase. Please note: you as a buyer are not automatically granted a “subject to mortgage approval” clause. When making your offer, you must explicitly state that this is "subject to mortgage approval".

You are allowed to make changes to your rental home according to your preferences, but there are rules attached to this. Below you can read more about which permissions you need and which you don't.

Minor Alterations

Minor alterations may be made without prior permission. These are changes to the interior of your home that can be removed or undone at the end of the lease. Examples include wallpapering the bedroom, drilling holes for a curtain rod, replacing bathroom accessories, etc. The lease agreement stipulates that these alterations must be returned to their original state at the end of the lease.

Major Alterations

Major alterations are often permanent and can only be restored to their original state at considerable cost. For such alterations, you must request written permission in advance. This includes replacing or expanding a kitchen, laying tile floors or laminate, etc.

You can submit your request for alterations through the tenant portal. Clearly state what changes you want to make to your home (possibly supported by photos).

Regarding the boiler, we provide an annual maintenance service by an accredited plumbing company. In addition to this specialized maintenance, there are also some things you can do yourself for boiler maintenance, such as bleeding radiators and checking the water pressure in the heating system.

In case of pests, you are responsible for controlling small pests such as wasps, fleas, and ants. For larger pests such as cockroaches and rats, you can contact the municipal pest control or Rentokil. The use of pesticides requires careful consideration, and engaging a professional pest management company is recommended.

Visit www.meldpuntongedierte.nl for more information on preventing and controlling pests. Costs for pest control are borne by the tenant.

In case of emergencies, such as a gas leak, power outage, sewer blockage, leakage, fire, or break-in, contact the relevant emergency services immediately. For non-urgent maintenance complaints, you can make a report via the tenant portal. 

In case of a power outage, first check if any of your appliances have caused a short circuit. If not and you have checked your fuse box, call the national emergency number 0800-9009 (free).

In case of fire or break-in, immediately call the police and/or fire department via 112.

Is the key difficult to turn? Then use WD-40 in your lock to make it smoother. If your key has broken off in the lock, remove the remaining key with a magnet and make sure you receive a new key.

If your key is still on the inside of the door and you have locked yourself out, unfortunately, we cannot assist you with the spare key. You will need to contact a locksmith yourself. If you have forgotten your keys and locked yourself out, you can borrow a spare key during office hours if one is available from us. Outside office hours, the service costs €75 and is accessible via the emergency number, provided we have someone available at that time. If we do not have a spare key, you should contact a locksmith.

Maintenance of your home is inevitable, and sometimes things break. As a tenant, you are responsible for minor repairs in your home. For larger issues, you can contact us through the tenant portal. The Small Repairs Decree determines who is responsible for what maintenance or repair in rental properties. Check this first before making a report to R56.

Mold usually occurs due to poor ventilation. In the bathroom, for example, it is important to ventilate properly. You can do this by opening the window or door.

If there is mold in other rooms, it is important to determine where it comes from. Take clear photos and make a report with a clear description and possible cause in the tenant portal.

In the event of a sewer blockage, first check if there are no large residues in the drain. If this is not the case, you can report it in the portal, indicating what you have already tried. If it turns out that the blockage is caused by dirt, residues, or similar, the bill for the unclogging service will still be charged to the tenant.

Do you smell gas indoors or outdoors? First, check what the cause might be. If you can't find a cause, call the national emergency number 0800-9009 (free). Close the main valve, open doors and windows, avoid fire or sparks, and do not turn electrical appliances/lights on or off!

In the event of water leakage, shut off the water as quickly as possible at the main valve. Then, inform your downstairs/ upstairs neighbors as soon as possible, depending on where the leak originated. Ask them to also shut off the water. Then, make a report via the tenant portal.