Get your deposit back
Your landlord has not returned the deposit. Here is the letter.
Under article 7:261b(3) of the Dutch Civil Code a landlord must return your deposit within 14 days of the tenancy ending. That becomes 30 days only if they set off proven costs — and only if they told you in writing, with a full breakdown. If the deadline has passed and the money has not arrived, the next step is a written formal notice (ingebrekestelling) with a payment deadline. Fill in the fields below and it writes itself.
Law checked: 25 July 2026
- A Dutch landlord has 14 days after the tenancy ends to return the deposit (art. 7:261b(3) BW).
- The deadline stretches to 30 days only where costs are set off, and only with a written, itemised specification (art. 7:261b(4) BW).
- "I will look at it next month" is not a deadline the law recognises; the deadline started the day the tenancy ended.
- Send the letter by email and by registered post, keep a copy, and give it the 14 days it asks for.
- If that passes with nothing, the Juridisch Loket is free and claims up to 25,000 euro go to the subdistrict court without a lawyer.
Your deadline is 14 days. Article 7:261b(3) of the Dutch Civil Code gives a landlord 14 days after the tenancy ends to return the deposit. A deduction is only allowed if they notify you in writing with a full cost breakdown — without that, the 14-day deadline stands.
Your letter
25 July 2026 Subject: return of the rental deposit for […] Dear […], The tenancy for […] ended on […]. At the start of the tenancy I paid a deposit of […]. That amount has not been returned to me in full. Article 7:261b(3) of the Dutch Civil Code requires a landlord to return the deposit within 14 days of the tenancy ending. I have received no written cost specification from you. Under article 7:261b(3) and (4), you may only set off costs if you notify me in writing with a full breakdown; without that breakdown the 14-day deadline applies in full. I hereby give you formal notice (ingebrekestelling) and request that you transfer […] to […] no later than 8 August 2026, quoting the address as the payment reference. If payment is not received by that date, I will pass the claim to a collection agency and, if necessary, bring it before the subdistrict court (kantonrechter), together with statutory interest accruing from the date above. I would appreciate written confirmation of your response. Yours sincerely, […]
This is not legal advice. It is a letter you send yourself, citing the article of the Civil Code so your landlord can check it. Send it by email and by registered post, keep a copy, and give it the 14 days it asks for. If that passes with no payment, the Juridisch Loket is free, and claims up to €25,000 go to the subdistrict court without a lawyer.
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How long does a Dutch landlord have to return a deposit?
Fourteen days from the end of the tenancy. The rule is in article 7:261b(3) of the Civil Code, added by the Good Landlord Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) in July 2023, and it is not something the contract can shorten or waive.
There is one extension. If the landlord deducts something — repair of damage beyond normal wear, unpaid rent, unpaid service costs or an energy-performance fee — they get 30 days instead. Article 7:261b(4) attaches a condition to that: they must notify you in writing and hand over a full cost specification. A landlord who has sent you nothing does not have 30 days. They had 14.
| Situation | Deadline | What has to happen |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing deducted | 14 days | Full deposit back, no conditions |
| Costs deducted, written specification sent | 30 days | Remainder back, with an itemised breakdown of what was kept |
| Costs deducted, nothing in writing | 14 days | The set-off does not meet the statutory condition |
What should the letter actually say?
Four things, and no more. Which tenancy and which address, how much the deposit was and when the tenancy ended, the article of the law that sets the deadline, and a date by which you expect the money — with what happens if it does not arrive.
The last part is what makes it a formal notice rather than a chaser. In Dutch practice an ingebrekestelling puts the other party in default: it starts statutory interest running and it is the step a court will look for before it takes your claim seriously. Keep it short and unemotional. A letter that argues is easier to argue with.
- Give a real deadline — 14 days is standard, and a deadline you do not enforce teaches the reader to ignore the next one.
- Send it by email AND by registered post (aangetekend), so delivery is provable.
- Attach the check-out report and your move-in photos if a deduction is disputed.
- Keep every reply. If this ends up in front of the kantonrechter, the file is the case.
What if the landlord says the deposit covers damage?
Then they owe you a specification. Not a total, not a sentence — an itemised breakdown of what was damaged and what it cost to repair, which is what article 7:261b(4) requires in writing. Normal wear and tear is not damage: a Dutch tenancy ends with the home in the state a reasonable tenant leaves it, not in showroom condition.
This is the moment the move-in photographs earn their keep. If the check-in report says the wall was already marked and the deduction is for that wall, the deduction fails on the evidence rather than on the argument.
What comes after the letter?
If the deadline passes with no payment, the free routes come first. The Juridisch Loket gives free legal advice. Your municipality may have a huurteam. For a regulated tenancy the Huurcommissie handles disputes about rent and service costs, though not the deposit itself.
After that it is the subdistrict court (kantonrechter). Money claims up to 25,000 euro do not need a lawyer, the filing fee for a small claim is modest, and you can add statutory interest from the date your letter set. Weigh the amount against your time honestly — but a deposit is usually two months' rent, which is normally worth the afternoon.
A letter is not a guarantee, and this page is not legal advice. It does not prove your claim, it does not compel anyone, and it cannot tell you whether a deduction was fair — it states the deadline the law sets and puts your position on the record, which is the step everything after it depends on.
One thing this page cannot help with: if the "landlord" never owned the property, this is not a deposit dispute, it is fraud, and the playbook is different — start with your bank, not with a letter.
Frequently asked questions
How long does my landlord have to return my deposit in the Netherlands?
Fourteen days after the tenancy ends, under article 7:261b(3) of the Dutch Civil Code. It becomes 30 days only if the landlord sets off proven costs and notifies you in writing with a full cost specification.
Is this letter legally binding?
It is not a court order — it is a formal notice you send yourself. What it does is put the landlord in default, start statutory interest running, and create the written record a court will look for if the claim goes further.
What if my landlord ignores the letter?
Free help first: the Juridisch Loket, or your municipality's huurteam. After that, a money claim up to 25,000 euro goes to the subdistrict court (kantonrechter) without a lawyer, with statutory interest from the deadline in your letter.
Can my landlord keep the deposit for normal wear and tear?
No. A tenancy ends with the home in the state a reasonable tenant leaves it in. Deductions have to be for actual damage or unpaid amounts, itemised in writing — which is exactly what article 7:261b(4) requires.
Does anything I type here get sent to you?
No. The letter is composed in your browser. There is no upload, no analytics event and no storage — close the tab and it is gone.