Reasonable Notice and Mutual Agreement
When a landlord needs to enter a tenant's apartment for a legitimate, non-emergency reason, they must provide a recht van toegang (right of entry) notice. The law requires that this notice must be reasonable and that the visit must take place at a mutually agreed-upon time. While 'reasonable notice' is not defined as a precise number of hours, the generally accepted standard in the Netherlands is a minimum of 24 to 48 hours in advance. This notice should be in writing (email is fine) and should clearly state the reason for the visit (e.g., 'annual boiler maintenance', 'inspection of the reported leak') and the proposed date and time.
The Tenant's Right to Refuse and Reschedule
The time proposed by the landlord is a request, not a command. The tenant has the full right to refuse the proposed time if it is inconvenient for them, for example, due to work or other commitments. If the tenant refuses the initial proposal, they should suggest alternative dates and times to demonstrate their willingness to cooperate. The landlord cannot force entry based on their initial request. The visit must be scheduled for a time that is convenient for both parties during normal working hours. A landlord demanding access in the evening or on a Sunday, for example, would generally be considered unreasonable unless it's for an emergency.
Special Rules for Viewings (Bezichtigingen)
The rules for providing access for viewings by prospective new tenants or buyers are a common point of conflict. The tenant is obligated to cooperate with these viewings, but under reasonable conditions. The landlord cannot schedule an endless stream of individual viewings. The accepted practice is to schedule viewings in clustered time blocks (e.g., two afternoons per week for a few hours) to minimize the disruption to the current tenant. The tenant's right to quiet enjoyment of their home continues until the very last day of their tenancy, and this must be respected by the landlord.
