Denial Letter

The Formal 'No'

A denial letter, or more commonly a denial email, is a communication from a real estate agent or landlord informing a prospective tenant that their application for a property has been unsuccessful. In a professional and courteous business environment, this would be a standard step to formally close the loop with all applicants who took the time to view the property and submit their personal information. A typical denial email is brief, generic, and impersonal. To avoid any potential legal claims of discrimination, it will never state the specific reason for the rejection. Instead, it will cite the high volume of interest and thank the applicant for their time.

A Rare Courtesy

The stark reality of the Dutch rental market is that the denial letter is an exception, not the rule. The most common form of rejection is not a letter, but complete and utter silence. In a market where agents receive hundreds of applications for a single apartment, they operate under no business or social pressure to communicate with the unsuccessful candidates. The prevailing attitude is that 'no news is bad news'. If you haven't received an approval within a few days of the application deadline, it is safe to assume you have been rejected. While frustrating and unprofessional, this practice of 'ghosting' is the accepted norm. Therefore, receiving an actual, albeit generic, denial email can be seen as a rare act of professional courtesy. A tenant should not waste time waiting for a formal rejection that will likely never arrive and should continue their search immediately after the deadline passes.