Netherlands · Deposit deductions

Can my landlord charge for cleaning the oven or kitchen? (Netherlands)

Only if you left it dirty. The kitchen is part of handing the home back clean, so a greasy oven or hob can be charged at the real cost of cleaning. A worn-out appliance from normal use can't.

Your duty

Leave the home, including the kitchen and appliances, clean.

Not your cost

Appliances that wore out from normal use, or faults from the landlord's poor maintenance.

Fair deduction

The real cost of cleaning that was needed, explained in writing within 30 days.

Best evidence

Close-up photos of the oven, hob and extractor at move-in and move-out.

What the rules say

The Juridisch Loket: you must leave the home clean and have done the everyday upkeep, and you don't have to repair normal wear. Keeping the home clean is one of the tenant's upkeep tasks in the Besluit kleine herstellingen.

So the question is simple: was the kitchen clean when you left? If it was, there's nothing to deduct. If it wasn't, the landlord may deduct the real cost of the cleaning and must explain it in writing, with the rest of the deposit paid within 30 days for tenancies from 1 July 2023 (article 7:261b).

Cleaning versus a broken appliance

A dirty oven is a cleaning question. An oven element that wore out, a cracked seal or a hob that stopped working after years of use is wear or a defect, not dirt, and normal wear isn't deductible. Damage you caused, such as a cracked glass hob from a dropped pan, is different.

The photos that count

• At move-in: open the oven and photograph the inside, racks and door glass; then the hob, the extractor filter and the fridge.
• If anything was dirty or not working, make sure it's in the opnamestaat.
• At move-out: clean, then take the same photos in the same light.

A letter you can send

Copy this, fill in the brackets and send it by email so you have a dated record.

Dear [name],

You have deducted [amount] for cleaning the [oven / kitchen] at [address].

I left the kitchen clean. My photos from [move-out date] show the oven, hob and extractor after cleaning[, and my photos from (move-in date) show their condition when I arrived].

Please send a written explanation of the cleaning that was needed, with the invoice, as article 7:261b of the Civil Code requires, or return the deducted amount by [date].

Kind regards,
[name]
[IBAN]

If your landlord won't move

For tenancies that started on or after 1 July 2023, a landlord who deducts costs must pay back the rest within 30 days of the end of the tenancy and explain each deduction in writing (article 7:261b); with no deductions, the deadline is 14 days. Ask the Juridisch Loket for free advice; the last step is the kantonrechter (sub-district court). See the Netherlands deposit guide.

Other common deductions in Netherlands

• End-of-tenancy cleaning
• Repainting
• Nail holes
• Carpet and flooring

Also useful: wear and tear or damage? · deposit deadline calculator · move-in photo checklist

Sources: Juridisch Loket: huurwoning opleveren · Besluit kleine herstellingen · Burgerlijk Wetboek 7:261b (14/30-day return). General information, not legal advice.