Suggestions if you want to become Aham tenant... 1. Ask an English contract to sign as well as the Dutch, same for clauses of service 2. Ask a written, official explanation on how to treat the wooden floor (it will be you trouble, they want you to clean it and oil it professionally) and you obligations. This will be a big discussion and waste of time. 3. Ask for the diplomatic clause on the contract otherwise it will be impossible to leave before even if you need 4. Ask for a written report of the flaws of the flat before taking over and ask them to make all the repairs before you take over 5. Ask to sign the contract and get the keys at the apartment not in their office and ask an official document on the state of the flat to be signed when you take the keys on site. Highlight that whatever is not clearly stated by them it will be their responsibility 6. Complain for every single things that does not work, insist and persist. Don't be "kind", it will get against you 7. When you decide to leave the flat usually you have 2 calendar months. Ask them to clarify exactly what this means. They will ask you proof if you have the diplomatic clause with you new work contract...in English...no privacy for you 8. Ask to put in the contract by when they will give you back the advance you paid. 9. When you sign the contract they give you a bottle of bubbly wine. It's NOT a gift nor a sign of kindness. 10. They have no customer service. The tenant is not a customer. They are above you. 11. When you leave the flat there is a first inspection one month before. Ask them to come with a document to make the situation and to be signed by both sides. Ask a written report on the things you must do. 12. Before the appointment for leaving the keys and the flat for good send them a video with all details of the state of the apartment asking them if you need to do anything else to get back your full advance 13. At the last inspection come prepared to discuss anyway. They know that you cannot wait to leave. Make a video of your discussion, if possible. 14. Get prepared to discuss anyway. My recommendation in general? Don't move to the Netherlands: it's a very expensive country that is not welcoming expats and the housing system is, globally speaking, appalling. Good luck!

(part 3) last week I had the chance to have a call with another person working there from "department of housing". No customer service exists. Apparently the tenant is not considered as a client. She insisted that I had to pay 500 euro without any other justification and she did not take into consideration: - the 4 minutes video showing the pristine conditions in which I left the flat - the fact that they took over the flat in absolutely better conditions than when they gave it to me - the fact that I am a customer and I wanted to have my points been taken into serious consideration - that in the overview of July 11th nothing was asked to me to be done I told that I disagreed but I felt powerless and sick of all this situation, and anyway to proceed with what she wanted to do. So far one week has passed, one month since I left the flat and the Netherlands and the keys to them. No advance has been given back to me. Suggestion: don't move to the Netherlands. The housing system will have an impact on your mental health because it seems to work with rules that are not written in the contracts and you truly feel powerless. When I left my London apartment I did everything successfully in just one day and the day after they gave me back my advance, same in Milan, Rome and Florence and Paris. As you can see hereafter nobody is even trying to answer to this feedback from this side... (part 2) Not recommended When I left the flat after 10 months in Amsterdam they asked me to pay for cleaning and oiling the parquet when at the overview appointment 3 weeks before I was congratulated for the pristine conditions and no remarks were done. I sent them a 4 minutes video showing the perfect conditions of the flat and the proof that nobody oiled the parquet when I received the flat in September 2022. You can read below in my previous post my very detailed description of the facts. They asked me 750 euro and I asked to speak to the customer service or a director/supervisor. Nobody else than the usual employee answered me nor showed me any proof for cost estimates of what was supposed to be done. They offered to decrease the amount to 500 euro without any justification, just saying that I was "lucky" that they decreased the initial amount of 2.100 euro. This morning I received the final situation and they are not giving me back the full advance of 3.150 euro but they are taking out 500 euro by their decision for "cleaning house/garden" (so not oiling the parquet as it seems the big issue) while in the final document I signed it was told and signed that it was ok. There is no chance to be treated as a client, there is no customer service listening to you and being clear on the conditions and be ready not to have your full advance given back despite your proving otherwise as many other posts highlight hereafter. Should I be happy and grateful for the "discount"? The housing market is very one-sided in the Netherlands and I strongly recommend not to move in this country. I left it and I am very happy for this decision. Same discussion happened to me with the mandatory health insurance that was opposing my request for cancellation despite sending them official documents of the Amsterdam City and my country of residence. It's appalling....

I moved to Amsterdam at the end of August 2022 and signed a contract with this real estate manager for a flat in Amsterdam West. When I took the keys of the flat I discovered that there was a whole in the ceiling, the front door handle was broken and also the refrigerator door was broken. I had to spend 2 working days to stay at home taking care of the carpenter and the gut for the handle as they did not make any work before I took over. The refrigerator door was never repaired not changed despite the initial commitment. I entered the flat end of September 2022 and I sent them an email to leave the house because I was moving abroad at the beginning of June 2023. I stayed in the apartment for around 10 months as I gave back the keys on July 28. To leave the house they wanted proof that I was moving abroad...typical of some of the Dutch businesses, putting the client in difficulty when they have no other chance (it happened the same to me for the health insurance). Once agreed the final date I gave full availability for visits. They also asked to come and do an inspection on July 11th which was agreed. The person who came congratulated with me for the pristine and untouched conditions of the flat and made NO REMARKS. I asked to leave the flat before than the due date (August 7th) because I was feeling very bad and with serious health problems that now I am taking care of in Italy. We agreed for July 28th but I was asked to pay until August 7th. I felt I had no choice nor my voice as a loyal and respectful client was not heard. In the final inspection they lamented that I did not oil the parquet and the the house was not clean enough. I highlighted that I was leaving the house in much better conditions that I found it and that I did all the ordinary maintenance. Once back to Italy I received an email saying that they were keeping 750 euro from the advance I paid, for cleaning in general and oiling the parquet. I felt very disrespected as a loyal and respectful client and taken advantage of as I am not in The Netherlands anymore, being sick and not treated fairly. I said that I disagreed and asked to talk to a supervisor or a director or a customer service to have my voice heard. They answered that they should have asked 2.100 euro and that asking "just" 750 euro was a sort of a nice gesture. I sent them 4 minutes video taken and showing: - pristine conditions of flat as I left it - highlighting that very clearly nobody oiled the parquet right before I took over because I dismantled the furnitures I took over and there is not sign of difference in the parquet, which was anyway in perfect conditions. They told they would have reviewed my request and today they write and say that they internally decided (based on what?) that they need to keep 500 euro from my advance. The video sent shows clearly that what I am saying is responding to the reality. As a single woman, having to leave the country for work and health reasons I feel powerless, with my rights not taken into consideration and subject to a sort of a "tax" that is not written anywhere in the contract of rental. How can a client be heard for these unfair treatment? Do people have rights in the Netherlands? I was told that this real estate was sending their profits to charities in Africa, do the owners know or care about how powerless a single woman can feel despite having respected every detail of the written contract? And don't tell me that I signed a document when I left because I signed saying all that I thought, highlighting that the parquet was not oiled (but the rest was fine) and that I was not under written obligation of oiling the parquet. I signed the visit despite asking why this point was not highlighted in the visit of July 11th when no remarks were done and because I had a flight to see a doctor in Italy the same day. I feel as a client unfairly treated. As a single woman who had to leave and with no customer rights highlighted. Is it possible to speak to a Director/Supervisor instead of an employee? I proved what I was saying with a 4 minutes video.