Left the Netherlands? How to get your deposit back from abroad

Yes: article 7:261b of the Dutch Civil Code gives your landlord 14 days after the tenancy ends to repay the deposit, or 30 days with a written cost specification, wherever you live now. The article has no exception for tenants who have moved abroad.

• The clock: the statute counts from the end of the tenancy agreement (huurovereenkomst), so write that date down.
• Only 4 deductions: Rijksoverheid lists unpaid rent, unpaid service costs, damage you caused beyond normal wear, and the energy performance fee. Administration fees and other costs may not be deducted.
• Cleaning: cleaning is not a separate item on that list, so a landlord may not charge routine end-of-tenancy cleaning or a standard cleaning fee. The landlord may deduct the actual cost of cleaning only if you left the home dirty or not as agreed, and never for normal wear (Rijksoverheid).
• No opt-out: a clause in your lease cannot shorten these rules. Article 7:265 says the deposit rules in this part of the Code cannot be set aside unless they say so themselves.
• In writing: for any deduction the landlord must tell you in writing and send a complete cost specification.
• Older contracts: did your tenancy start before 1 July 2023? Then have the deadline checked.

Article 7:261b of the Dutch Civil Code obliges the landlord to repay within 14 or 30 days and sets no condition about where you bank. So give the landlord an account to pay into, in writing, and remove any excuse to wait.

• Bank details in the letter: the IBAN, the account holder’s name and, for an account outside the euro area, the BIC.
• Your Dutch account: if you still have it, you can keep it open until the deposit arrives.
• Someone else paid the deposit? If a parent or employer paid it, say in your letter which account should receive it.
• Proof of payment: Rijksoverheid advises a receipt or a bank transfer for the deposit, so you can later prove that you paid it and how much.

Note the date your tenancy ended and count 14 and 30 days from it, as article 7:261b does, then gather your lease, your proof of payment and your move-out photos. Then take these steps.

• Check your case: run the FindLawyer deposit check at the top of this page, or on the deposit check page. It takes 2 minutes and works from anywhere.
• Test each deduction: the FindLawyer deposit calculator gives your repayment deadline and a verdict on each amount your landlord kept.
• Legal aid: see whether you qualify for subsidised legal aid.
• The full picture: our guide to rental deposits in the Netherlands covers the maximum, deductions and the move-out inspection.

FindLawyer.nl offers tenants in the Netherlands a free 2-minute deposit check. If the deposit looks recoverable, it matches the tenant with an independent tenancy lawyer. FindLawyer is not a law firm.