Withholding Deposit in Delft: When May the Landlord Do This?

In Delft, a landlord may not withhold the deposit arbitrarily. According to Article 7:220 of the Dutch Civil Code (BW), there must be demonstrable damage to the property, such as damaged floors in a monumental building on Oude Delft, or outstanding payments. Damage must be reported within a reasonable period after check-out and substantiated with invoices and receipts from local companies such as Gamma Delft or handyman businesses in the region. In case of dispute over your rental property in the city centre or neighbourhood such as Buitenhof, involve the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie), which provides specific advice for Delft tenants. Always prepare a detailed handover statement with timestamped photos upon check-in, especially important for older Delft houses with vulnerable window frames. If the landlord withholds unjustly, you are entitled to statutory interest from the end date of the tenancy agreement. For Delft tenants, the district court (kantonrechter) in the Palace of Justice on Schuttersgracht is the designated place to litigate. Avoid verbal agreements with estate agents from Delft-Zuid; record everything in writing, preferably via a notary in the city. Local tenants' associations, such as that of TU Delft students, offer additional support in deposit disputes.