Complaints procedure

In general, DUWO should always come up with the best solutions. However, it is possible that something does not go as planned. The most effective and quickest way to deal with this is to solve it directly with the employee in question. You can do this by calling, by appointment, by e-mail or by writing a letter.
Official complaint  Suppose this does not lead to the desired result, then an – official – complaint to a team leader is the next step you can take. A complaint can be reported to DUWO by letter. Always state explicitly that it is a complaint.

If you are not satisfied with the solution proposed, you can submit a complaint to De Eerste Kamer. We will then examine your complaint and the solution offered by DUWO. Another possible solution is to go to the Geschillencommissie (Disputes Committee) with the complaint in question. This independent committee mediates in disputes between individual tenants and DUWO.

What can De Eerste Kamer do for you?

If you are dissatisfied with the solutions proposed by DUWO, De Eerste Kamer can mediate between you and DUWO. Send us an e-mail or message via Whatsapp with a description of your problem and the steps you have taken so far. We will then contact you as soon as possible and address your question and/or complaint. Also if you choose one of the possibilities described below, we can support you with advice.

Other possibilities

1. Disputes Committee (Geschillencommissie)
If you are unhappy with the solutions offered by DUWO, there is also the option of submitting the case to the independent, local Geschillencommissie Wonen Zuid-Holland (South Holland Disputes Committee for disputes in Housing). The members of the Disputes Committee are independent and do not work for the affiliated housing corporations or the tenants’ councils and are not directors of the corporations.


Please note: these are not meant for regular repair requests. There is an important difference between a complaint and a dispute. Not every problem that arises is eligible for treatment by the Disputes Committee. You can solve nuisance complaints from your neighbours or surroundings in a different way, namely among yourself or in consultation with DUWO. In the first instance, problems with the rent or rent payment are not a dispute either. You can contact the DUWO staff in this regard. Read more below about what is meant by a dispute and how this committee works.

Regulations
The GCWZH Complaints Regulations set out how disputes are dealt with. Rights can exclusively be derived from these regulations. Download the regulations below.

Submit a dispute
You can submit a dispute to the commission for consideration by means of the dispute form. Click below for the form. This is completely free of charge. Submitting a dispute is reserved for tenants, sub-tenants or co-tenants of DUWO Den Haag. 

Click below for more information about the handling of complaints about DUWO by the Disputes Committee.

Appeal

It is not possible to file an appeal against the decision of the Disputes Committee. If your complaint is not addressed in one way or another by the disputes committee or by DUWO, you can also submit a complaint to the Housing Corporation Governance Code Committee (Commissie Governancecode Woningcorporaties). They will not rule on the substance of the complaint but may, provided your request is granted, oblige the disputes committee or DUWO to deal with your complaint after all. For more information click below.

Note: The language used by the Disputes Committee is Dutch. You’ll be redirected to Dutch documents and websites.

Dispute or not?Complaints procedure Dispute formMore information Housing Corporation Governance Code Committee

2. Rental commission
For disputes between tenant and landlord about maintenance, rent and service costs of rental properties, you can contact the Huurcommissie (‘Rent Tribunal’). The difference with the Disputes Committee is that they focus on how you are treated, while the Huurcommissie focuses on the law and deals with the substance of the complaint. More information can be found below.

Filing an application 
You can start a procedure by submitting a request to the Huurcommissie. As a tenant, you pay a fee of €25, which you pay at the start of the procedure. If you are found to be in the right, you will receive the amount paid back after the Rent Commission’s ruling. You will not receive a refund if you are found to be in the wrong, but please note that it is often worth it.

Note: The language used by the Rent Tribunale is Dutch. You’ll be redirected to Dutch documents and websites.

Procedure Rent TribunalRequest Rent Tribunal


3. Court

When all previous possibilities have been explored, the last possibility is to start legal proceedings before the court.