De Eerste Kamer regularly receives questions on various subjects, which may be important for several tenants and for matters for which you cannot contact DUWO. Check below to see if your question has already been answered. Is your question not listed? Then please contact us!
Can I sublet my room to someone else?
Are you often not at home at the weekends or going on holiday for a longer period of time? If so, you might consider letting your room through Airbnb or another similar site. Unfortunately, DUWO doesn’t allow this! This is considered illegal subletting, which is strictly controlled and enforced. If you’re caught, there’s a good chance the lease will be terminated and you’ll be fined. Would you still like to sublet your room for a longer period of time? Click below for the possibilities.
SublettingAm I entitled to a rent subsidy?
Non-independent
Sometimes. DUWO rents out a number of properties with non-autonomous units, for which you can still receive rent allowance. If you are looking for a room via ROOM, it will be listed in the rental details of the offer. If you are already renting a room, you can check it in My DUWO at finances.
Independent
Most of the times. Rent allowance depends on the amount of the rent and part of the service costs and on your income. You can find more about this on the page Supplements on the website of the Belastingdienst (Tax and Customs Administration). There you can also make a sample calculation and apply for rent allowance.
Am I still entitled to a rent supplement after a rent increase?
Yes, once you have received a rent allowance and you are not moving, you retain the right to a rent allowance, regardless of the amount of rent. Rent allowance is in fact an established right. When you move house, certain ‘capping’ limits apply. If the initial rent is higher than the capping limit, you will not receive a rent allowance. Tenants younger than 21 years of age are subject to a lower capping limit than other tenants. It is therefore important to check which capping limit applies at the moment you want to move into a new room/apartment. Incidentally, DUWO takes these capping limits into account in its tenancy policy. In the event of an increase in income, the rent allowance may be cancelled in whole or in part. In that case, make another trial calculation via the Allowances page on the Belastingdienst website. This can prevent you from having to repay a large amount of unduly received rent allowance with retrospective effect.
As a DUWO tenant from The Hague, am I entitled to remission of municipal taxes?
Non-independent
No, as a tenant of a non-independent residence (room with shared facilities) you are not entitled to remission, as DUWO collects the taxes from these rooms. As a result, it is no longer possible for these tenants to apply for remission of the taxes. Since the fiscal year of 2012, municipalities are obliged to impose the assessments on the landlord. The landlord then incorporates the amount of the assessment in the rent or service charges.
However, tenants with high costs in the municipality of The Hague may be eligible for an allowance for housing costs. With this scheme, the municipality meets the needs of tenants with a low income. Check the municipality’s website to see if you are eligible.
Independent
Tenants of independent residences can apply for a remission. The municipal taxes that apply are the waste disposal charges (for the collection and processing of household waste), the sewerage charges (for the disposal of sewage) and the waste water treatment charges (for the purification of waste water). As this is a hefty bill for a student, you can apply for remission from the municipality. The remission takes into account your income, including student grants, but also any savings or even whether you have a car or motorbike. For more information we refer you to the website of the municipality of The Hague.
Why haven’t I received the settlement for the service costs yet?
In the rent you pay an advance for gas, water and electricity. DUWO will make an estimate of the usage. You will receive an annual settling of service costs. Depending on your consumption, you will receive a refund or you will have to make an additional payment. In June, DUWO will settle the bill for all the buildings, but since this is an extensive job and DUWO cannot always find the manpower, the settlement may have to wait. This is of course unpleasant news. The DUWO Group pushes the branches to settle more quickly and, if possible, within the legal deadline. The problem is that although a period of six months does apply, the legislation does not impose any sanctions for exceeding that period. This issue has attracted the attention of both us and other tenants’ organisations due to its repeated occurrence on an annual basis.
Can I receive funds for a residents’ initiative?
Yes, there are means to help tenants with this, both through DUWO and De Eerste Kamer. DUWO makes an annual budget available for technical and social improvements to the living environment. Examples of possibilities are a motorbike shed, security cameras, picnic tables or a barbecue. You need to come up with a good plan in advance and present it to the social manager of your complex. It is important that DUWO first approves your proposal before you start investing money. If DUWO does not wish to sponsor your initiative, there is a possibility that De Eerste Kamer will fund it.
De Eerste Kamer has a small budget to contribute to residents’ initiatives to promote social cohesion in your complex. This can be a one-off activity (such as a BBQ or a mini golf competition) or an ongoing activity (such as organising a series of workshops). Improving the living environment can also be part of this, such as refurbishing the communal space or garden. If you want to make a claim to this, come up with concrete plans, then we will see what we can contribute. There may be more possible than you might think! The important thing is: it must be an improvement that will benefit a large part of the residents of the complex.
