Difference between Rent Control Board and Housing Court?

The Rent Control Board

The Rent Control Board is supposed to be a cheaper and faster way to solve disputes regarding tenancy and the lease of apartments. The functions are like the court in the sense that it will make a judgment in regard to the dispute that acts a final say, unless it gets appealed to the Housing court. As we said most Rent Board rulings will never be appealed, and even if it gets appealed it is still possible to strike a deal with the landlord to avoid this.

In the Rent Board you cannot be made to pay for the counterpart’s costs – therefore you will not, as a tenant, be made to pay more than the landlords current claim.

While the Rent-control-board should come to the same conclusions no matter what part of the country your tenancy regards, it is important to note that while there is at least one lawyer a part of the ruling party, it also consists of a tenants-representative and a landlord-representative, whom won’t always be educated in law. Many Rent Control Boards will come to a different ruling, even if the case is similar, due to this reason. A rent board might have a specific interpretation of a law that differentiates from the norm. It is crucial to know these minor details in advance, so the case is tailored to best suit the specific rent-control-board.

The Rent Board is the first place to go in most cases regarding tenancy, however for some claims a tenant will need to go to court.

Housing Court functions is specifically for rental law, and therefore it also contains representatives from both parties. In court cases you might be appointed extra costs, that consist of the winning party’s representation costs and the costs of the court. While it depends on how big the case is, it can vary from 10.000 to much higher, therefore it is not always that the risk outweighs the benefits. Danske Lejere doesn’t cover the expenses towards the housing court.

The cases that we see most often that can’t be contested in the Rent Board is cases regarding compensation. These kinds of cases need to go directly to court, and therefore it is not always that it is worth the risk. However, we would still be able to try and make a deal with the landlord so both parties are satisfied with the result.

If you have any questions feel free to ask us, and we will give you the first advice for free.

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