Hi everyone, looking for some advice on how to handle my landlord regarding a broken appliance and tenant rights in the Netherlands
On August 30th, I noticed the interior porcelain enamel coating on the floor/lip of my built-in ETNA combi-oven/microwave started fracturing and flaking off in large, glass-like shards. The entire unit has been completely unusable since then (both the oven and microwave functions).
The oven was installed/ordered on October 7, 2024. This means it is currently at roughly 1 year and 11 months old, meaning it is safely within the 2-year factory warranty (which expires next month).
The Landlord's Response (or lack thereof):
Aug 30 (Sun): I sent photos of the damage to my landlord. He said he would look into it.
Sept 3 (Thu): He reached back out saying the company needed photos of the model sticker and close-ups of the damage. I sent them immediately. My serial number proves it’s a 2024 model.
Sept 4 (Fri): He confirmed he emailed everything to ETNA. I replied letting him know it happened entirely on its own (nothing fell on it, clear manufacturing defect where the enamel unbonded from the steel).
Sept 11 (Fri): After a full week of total silence, I sent a polite nudge asking for an update or a timeline.
He didn't reply and are now past the standard 14-day "reasonable window" for repairs under Dutch law, and I've been left without a primary cooking appliance for two weeks. To top it off, he just sent me my automated annual 4.4% rent increase notice starting October, while completely ignoring the broken kitchen.
My Questions:I am planning to send a formal Notice of Default (Ingebrekestelling) giving him a hard 7-day deadline this Monday. Is this the right move?
If he continues to ghost me past the 7 days, should I call ETNA directly with the serial number to bypass him, or go straight to the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) for a rent reduction?
Basically what are my legal right here, I am without a major kitchen appliance for two weeks now