Student room deposit not returned? The Netherlands rules for 2026
How the deposit rules apply to rooms, campus contracts and shared houses, and when your money is due after a summer move-out. For students renting from a housing provider or a private landlord.
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Rules from the Civil Code, Rijksoverheid, Volkshuisvesting Nederland and the Juridisch Loket · Checked 25 September 2026
Short answer
Yes, the Dutch deposit rules cover a student room deposit. Article 7:233 of the Dutch Civil Code counts a room let as a non-self-contained home as living space, so article 7:261b applies: the landlord must repay within 14 days after the tenancy ends, or within 30 days with a written, complete cost specification if it deducts unpaid rent, service costs, the energy performance fee or damage you caused. That holds for private landlords, housing providers and campus contracts. Routine cleaning and admin fees may not be deducted. If the landlord still refuses, only the kantonrechter can order repayment.
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Key facts for 2026
- 14 days after the tenancy ends: the deadline to repay the full deposit, for a room too (article 7:261b).
- 30 days if the landlord deducts costs, with a written, complete cost specification.
- 4 costs only may be set off: unpaid rent, unpaid service costs, damage you caused and the energy performance fee.
- 31 July as the last day of your lease means the deposit is due by 14 August, or 30 August with deductions.
- 2 months’ base rent is the maximum deposit on contracts from 1 July 2023.
- 2 weeks after the tenancy ends, the Juridisch Loket says you can ask for the deposit back by letter.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
Rooms
Do the deposit rules apply to a student room?
Yes: article 7:233 of the Dutch Civil Code counts a room let as a non-self-contained home as living space, so the 14-day and 30-day rules of article 7:261b apply to it. Article 7:232 applies this part of the Code to all living space, and article 7:261b sits in it.
“Onder woonruimte wordt verstaan een gebouwde onroerende zaak voor zover deze als zelfstandige dan wel niet zelfstandige woning is verhuurd”
Our translation: “Living space means a built property in so far as it is let as a self-contained or a non-self-contained home” From article 7:233 of the Dutch Civil Code, checked 25 September 2026.
- Rooms in shared houses: the Juridisch Loket writes its example deposit letter for a “woning of kamer”, a home or a room.
- A room in your landlord’s own home: article 7:232 pauses some protection rules for the first 9 months, and article 7:261b is not one of them.
- The one exception: article 7:232 excludes a rental that by its nature is for short use only. If your landlord relies on that, have your contract checked.
- The maximum: 2 months’ base rent on contracts from 1 July 2023, and 3 months before that, according to Rijksoverheid.
Contracts
Is a campus contract or a student housing provider different?
Not for the deposit: the campus contract in article 7:274d of the Dutch Civil Code only adds a way to end the lease, and it sits in the same part of the Code as article 7:261b. Your deposit comes back on the same 14-day and 30-day clock.
- What a campus contract adds: the landlord can ask you each year, in writing, for proof that you are enrolled. If you do not send it within 3 months, it can ask the court to end the lease so the room goes to another student.
- Housing provider or private landlord: the Code makes no difference between them for the deposit. Both must repay on time and specify every deduction in writing.
- A housing association: the Juridisch Loket names its complaints committee as a place the municipality can send you. Use it next to your demand letter, not instead of it.
- An individual landlord: send the demand letter, then go to the kantonrechter if needed.
- The municipality: its rental complaints desk takes reports of a deposit above 2 months’ rent. Only a court can order repayment: Volkshuisvesting Nederland says the Huurcommissie plays no role in deposit disputes.
Deductions
What can a landlord deduct in a shared student house?
Rijksoverheid lists only 4 costs a landlord may set off against your deposit: unpaid rent, unpaid service costs, damage you caused and the energy performance fee. Other costs, such as administration fees, may not be deducted.
| Common deduction in a shared house | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Standard cleaning fee for the house | No | Only the actual cost, if you left it dirty or not as agreed |
| Admin, contract or key-handling fee | No | Other costs may not be set off (Rijksoverheid) |
| Damage in a shared kitchen or hallway | Only damage you caused | The landlord must prove it |
| Worn carpet, faded paint, old furniture | No | Normal wear stays with the landlord |
| Unpaid rent or service costs | Yes | Within 30 days, with a written cost specification |
Sources: Civil Code art. 7:261b, Rijksoverheid, Volkshuisvesting Nederland, Juridisch Loket.
- Common areas: for damage, the burden of proof lies with the landlord. It has to show the damage was not there when you moved in and that you are liable for it (Volkshuisvesting Nederland). Ask for the check-in report and photos behind any claim.
- Cleaning: cleaning is not a separate item on the 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 room dirty or not as agreed, and never for normal wear (Rijksoverheid).
- Contract fees: a landlord may not charge you for drawing up the rental contract (Juridisch Loket).
- Everything in writing: each deduction needs a written, complete cost specification.
Dates
When should my deposit come back if I move out in summer?
Under article 7:261b, a room lease that ends on 31 July must see the deposit back by 14 August, or by 30 August if the landlord deducts costs with a written specification. Most student leases end between June and August, so here are the usual dates.
| Last day of the tenancy | Full deposit due (day 14) | Rest due after deductions (day 30) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 June | 14 July | 30 July |
| 31 July | 14 August | 30 August |
| 31 August | 14 September | 30 September |
Days count from the end of the tenancy agreement (Civil Code art. 7:261b).
- Leaving early: if you fly home in June but your lease runs to 31 August, the clock starts on 31 August, when the tenancy agreement ends.
- A joint lease: the Juridisch Loket says samenhuur, one lease in all your names, only ends when all the tenants end it together. If housemates stay on, check whether your tenancy has ended.
- No opt-out: article 7:265 says these deposit rules cannot be set aside unless they say so themselves, so general terms cannot add weeks.
- Older contracts: did your tenancy start before 1 July 2023? Then have the deadline checked.
Next step
What should I do if my student room deposit is not returned?
Send a written demand from 2 weeks after your tenancy ends, as the Juridisch Loket advises, and use registered post if the landlord does not reply. Keep a copy and every proof of sending.
- The letter: our guide for when your landlord is not returning your deposit walks you through it.
- Back home after your studies? See getting your deposit back from abroad.
- Court: tenancy cases go to the kantonrechter whatever the amount, and a lawyer is not required (rechtspraak.nl). Read how a deposit claim at the kantonrechter works.
- Tools: run the FindLawyer deposit check at the top of this page, and test each deduction with the FindLawyer deposit calculator.
- Legal aid: students on a low income may qualify for subsidised legal aid.
Student deposit still not back?
The FindLawyer deposit check asks a few questions about your room and your landlord. Free, about 2 minutes.
What the FindLawyer deposit route costs
- Eligibility check: Free, takes about 2 minutes at findlawyer.nl/deposit. No BSN or document upload required.
- Coordination fee: €49, charged only if the case appears suitable after review. Fully refunded if FindLawyer cannot start coordination or route the case to the specialist lawyer.
- Lawyer/legal-aid contribution (2026): €188 in the lowest bracket. For eligible tenants, typically international students and low-income earners assessed on 2024 income, this €188 is not paid upfront. If the case succeeds, the €188 is paid from the recovered deposit. The specialist lawyer confirms eligibility individually.
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.
Keep reading
Related guides
More for students and other tenants.
Landlord not returning your deposit
The demand letter, step by step.
DepositRental deposits in the Netherlands
The maximum, deductions and deadlines for 2026.
Move-outThe move-out inspection
How to protect your deposit on the last day.
WearNormal wear and tear
What counts as wear, and what counts as damage.
CitiesDeposit help by city
Getting your deposit back in 20 Dutch cities.
TenancyTenancy law hub
All our English guides for renters, in one place.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a student room deposit protected by the same rules as a flat?
Yes. Article 7:233 of the Dutch Civil Code counts a room let as a non-self-contained home as living space, and the deposit rules of article 7:261b apply to all living space. The landlord must repay within 14 days after the tenancy ends, or within 30 days with a written cost specification, and may set off only 4 kinds of cost.
Can my landlord charge a cleaning fee for the shared kitchen?
Not as a standard fee. Rijksoverheid allows the landlord to deduct the actual cost of cleaning only if you left the home dirty or not as agreed, and never for normal wear. In a shared kitchen the landlord still has to show what was left dirty and what the cleaning cost, in a written, complete cost specification.
My housing provider says the deposit only comes back after its final settlement. Is that allowed?
Not if that takes longer than the law allows. Article 7:261b gives 14 days after the tenancy ends, or 30 days if costs are deducted with a written cost specification. Article 7:265 says these rules cannot be set aside unless they say so themselves, so a clause in the lease or the general terms does not extend them.
Can my landlord deduct an admin fee from my deposit?
No. Rijksoverheid says other costs, such as administration fees, may not be set off against the deposit. The Juridisch Loket adds that a landlord may not charge you for drawing up the rental contract at all. If an admin fee was taken from your deposit, ask for it back in your demand letter.
My housemates are staying on. When does my deposit have to come back?
It depends on your contract. The 14 and 30 days run from the end of the tenancy agreement. The Juridisch Loket says a joint lease in all your names (samenhuur) only ends when all the tenants end it together. If your name is on a lease that continues, have your position checked before you count the days.
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Official sources, checked 25 September 2026
- Wetten.nl: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, articles 7:232, 7:233, 7:261b, 7:265 and 7:274d (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: may my landlord ask for a deposit? (in Dutch)
- Juridisch Loket: what to check in your rental contract (in Dutch)
- Volkshuisvesting Nederland: the deposit (in Dutch)
- Juridisch Loket: example letter to ask for your deposit back (in Dutch)
- Rechtspraak.nl: starting a summons case at the kantonrechter (in Dutch)
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about your deposit or your tenancy, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.