What are service charges for an apartment?
As an apartment owner, you use service charges to pay for the maintenance and management of the communal parts. That amount goes every month to the owners' association (Vereniging van Eigenaren), or VvE for short. This association is the partnership of all the owners in the complex.
When you buy an apartment, you buy an apartment right (appartementsrecht). You become the owner of your own home and a co-owner of the building. So you buy a share in the entire complex, not a separate plot of land. As a result, you bear the shared costs together with the other owners. You pay these costs to the VvE every month as service charges. Membership of the VvE is compulsory and is separate from your mortgage.
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What is included in the service charges for an apartment?
Service charges usually cover the maintenance of shared areas, the buildings insurance and cleaning. You also contribute to the lift, the VvE administration and the reserve fund. The exact items differ from complex to complex. Below you can see the cost items that come up in most apartments.
Cost item | What it covers |
|---|---|
Maintenance of communal areas | Stairwell, hallway, facade and roof of the building |
Buildings insurance | Damage to the building, for example from fire or storm |
Cleaning | Keeping the shared areas clean |
Lift | Maintenance and inspection of the lift |
VvE administration | Management, meetings and bookkeeping of the VvE |
Reserve fund | Saving for major maintenance in the future |
The reserve fund in particular is new to many first-time buyers. That is because the landlord pays for major maintenance for as long as you rent. As soon as you buy, you save through the VvE towards a new roof, for example. In addition, the service charges are usually higher if the building has more facilities.
How much are the service charges for an apartment?
The service charges for an apartment average around €270 per month in VvE costs. That amount does vary greatly from complex to complex, though. The figure comes from a 2026 survey of members of Vereniging Eigen Huis. With your first apartment, these costs count towards your housing costs every month.
Exactly what you pay depends on the facilities and the age of the building. How much the VvE sets aside for major maintenance also plays a part. A small complex without a lift is often below that average. A building with a lift or a caretaker, on the other hand, is above it.
So there is no amount that is right for every complex. An older building needs more maintenance, which makes the VvE contribution higher. Low service charges seem attractive, but they are not automatically a good thing. A contribution that is too low often means that the VvE is not saving enough. An unexpected bill will then still end up with you later on. That is why, as a buyer, you also look at what lies behind the amount.
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What should you look out for as a buyer with the service charges for an apartment?
As a buyer, you check four things before the purchase. You read the VvE minutes and check the reserve fund. You also request the long-term maintenance plan and check whether the VvE is active. Go through these four checkpoints before you make an offer:
- Read the VvE minutes
- Check the size of the reserve fund
- Request the long-term maintenance plan
- Check whether the VvE is active
1. Read the VvE minutes
The VvE minutes show how the building is maintained and which costs are coming up. The minutes are the record of the general meeting (Algemene Ledenvergadering), or ALV for short. At that meeting, the owners discuss the maintenance, the budget and any problems in the complex. The minutes also tell you whether a higher contribution has been decided on or announced.
Look out for planned maintenance expenditure and for disputes between owners. A conflict about costs can lead to repairs being postponed. So also look at the deed of division (splitsingsakte) of an apartment. It sets out which part of the building belongs to whom. That way you know where your responsibility ends and that of the VvE begins.
2. Check the size of the reserve fund
You check the reserve fund by asking the VvE for the balance. A well-funded reserve prevents unexpected extra contributions. A minimum reserve is required by law, so that every VvE builds up a buffer.
If the reserve fund is too low, the VvE can ask all owners for an extra contribution. That is a direct financial risk for you as a buyer. A new roof or a renovated facade costs a lot of money, after all. If there are too few savings to cover it, you help pay the difference.
3. Request the long-term maintenance plan
The long-term maintenance plan (meerjarenonderhoudsplan), or MJOP for short, shows what maintenance is coming up. The plan links that planned maintenance to the reserves required. This lets you see at a glance whether the VvE is planning far enough ahead.
With an older building, major maintenance is sometimes planned. As a result, the monthly contribution can rise considerably in the years before it. For you as a first-time buyer, this is especially important to know in advance. If you have put your savings into the purchase, you could otherwise quickly find yourself short of money.
Compare the MJOP with the reserve fund and the service charges. That way you can check whether the contribution and the savings pot are sufficient. If there is no MJOP, that is a warning sign. In that case, the VvE has no clear picture of the future costs.
4. Check whether the VvE is active
An active VvE meets regularly, saves in a reserve fund and keeps its administration up to date. A VvE that holds an ALV every year takes its management seriously. That is exactly what you want to see as a buyer.
A dormant or inactive VvE can affect your mortgage. This is because banks regard a VvE that is not in order as a risk. As a result, they may reject your financing. For certainty about the building, you can have a structural survey carried out. A surveyor then assesses the structural condition separately from the administration.
What is the difference between service charges when buying and when renting?
With an owner-occupied apartment, you pay service charges as an owner through the VvE. With a rented home, you pay them to the landlord, on top of the basic rent. So if you are coming from a rented home, the VvE is new to you.
Feature | Owner-occupied apartment | Rented home |
|---|---|---|
Who you pay | The VvE, as a co-owner | The landlord, on top of the basic rent |
What you pay for | Maintenance and reserve fund of the building | Services and facilities that come with the rent |
Influence on the amount | Voting rights at the VvE meeting | No direct say |
If the amount is too high | Adjust it together with the VvE | Take it to the Rent Tribunal |
Obligation | Compulsory through VvE membership | Part of the tenancy agreement |
That distinction is important, because the rules differ depending on the situation. If, as a tenant, you think the service charges are too high, you can go to the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie). As an owner, by contrast, you decide on the amount together with the VvE. As a co-owner, you have voting rights there.
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How does homeup help you buy your first apartment?
As a buying agent, homeup checks the VvE documents before you sign. That way you know whether the service charges are right and whether the building is well maintained. We review the following documents for you:
- The VvE minutes show how the building is maintained and which costs are coming up.
- The deed of division makes clear which part of the building belongs to whom.
- The reserve fund shows whether the VvE is saving enough for major maintenance.
- The long-term maintenance plan links the planned maintenance to the reserves required.
Buying an apartment is often new territory for first-time buyers. So we understand that VvE documents are difficult to read. That is why our purchase guidance checks the legal documents for you. In addition, homeup arranges a mortgage certificate, so that your financing is in place before you start searching. This means all buyers on the homeup platform are financially screened in advance. What is more, buyers at homeup buy a home three months faster on average. You only pay at the key handover, so you run no risk up front.
