Frequently asked questions

By Dutch law, we issue a 12-month tenancy agreement. You can terminate this agreement at any time with one calendar month's notice.
Please let us know you're leaving date at any time by email, and we will inform the owner accordingly.

Yes, you can use the tenancy agreement to register at the address.

Please note that you will receive two personal residential taxes (city water cleaning and drainage (waterschapsbelasting) and a garbage tax bill that you are responsible for.
They usually charge you for 12 months, and you will need to claim it back if you do not stay for the entire year.
In some cases, you may qualify to be exempt from some or all of these taxes depending on your personal circumstances. To find out more, please get in touch with them directly on:
-WaterNet: +31 889 39 4000
-Gemeente Amsterdam: +31 20 624 1111
Please also make sure that your de-register when you leave the property.

All our units come inclusive of all bills.
They are entirely ready to live in with Wi-Fi, a fully equipped kitchen with appliances and utensils, washing facilities, iron, vacuum, fresh new linen and towels and will be deep cleaned before your arrival.

You can search, explore and request to book our available temporary accommodation in Amsterdam on our page search.citycentretreat.com.
If you find something available for your dates that you like, then please send us an enquiry or email us on bookings@cityretreat.com with the apartment and dates required.

All bookings can be cancelled free of charge within 48 hours of confirming the booking and on any date greater than one month before the arrival date.
Cancellations made more than 48 hours after the booking and when the arrival date is within one month are charged a one-month cancellation fee equal to one month's rent.

A booking can be terminated anytime, but one calendar month's notice is required. For example, a notice of termination given on the 12th of April will terminate on the 31st of May.

All tenants can extend their stay subject to availability.
-We tend to book up early, so we suggest tenants let us know when they wish to extend as soon as possible. -Some tenants prefer to book for a more extended period to be safe and then terminate with a month's notice when plans become more specific.

Upon booking, no payment is required.
-An invoice for the first month’s rent will be sent 3-4 weeks prior to the arrival date.
-If the booking is made within 3-4 weeks of the arrival date then an invoice will be sent 2-3 days after booking.
-In order to hold the booking, payment of the first month's rent should be made no later than 48 hours after receiving the invoice.
-The deposit can be paid any time before arrival or during check-in.
-Invoices for subsequent monthly rent payments will be sent one week before the payment due date.

We encourage customers to pay via bank transfer using the IBAN number written on the invoice as this will avoid any transfer fees.
Payments can also be made via credit card, wire transfer or any other payment merchant; however, tenants are responsible for any transfer fees.

If you wish to pay via credit card, please call +31 8 50 02 42 01 option four and provide us with the long number and expiry date.

When you pay via credit card, our experience tells us to expect the following fees: Mastercard: 2.2% | Visa: 2.5% | AMEX: 3.5%.

1 .Entire, private, fully-furnished apartment ready to be lived in.
2. Legal tenancy agreements for registration.
3. All utilities paid (incl. applicable taxes related to the property).
4. Clean delivery of property on the day of check-in including linen and towels.
5. High speed Wi-Fi without data limitations or additional costs.
6. A place in the apartment to work with a desk, chair and power points available.
7. A washing machine (or easy access to one).
8. Two sets of keys, all kitchen utensils, cutlery and tea towels.
9. All other essentials including hairdryer, iron and cleaning equipment.
10. A welcome note complete with relevant instructions.

Upon booking an apartment, tenants will receive a booking confirmation containing:

1. Access to our back office portal with booking and apartment information.
2. Further apartment detail such as the address, WIFI, facilities.
3. Ability to set their arrival time so we can meet them at the property.

In summary there are only two things tenants need to do before checkin

1. Ensure the first months rent and deposit has been paid.
2. Communicate your arrival time for us to meet you at the accommodation.

We can arrange check-in at any time on any day during reasonable hours (8 am - 10 pm local time).

If you already know your check-in time, you can schedule this with us at: info@cityretreat.com. If we don't hear from you then we will contact you around 1 week before your check-in date to schedule this.

Yes, City Retreat make the following insurances for our tenants:

1. Check ALL properties and make improvements.
2. Carry out a full Property Inspection Report during both Check-In and Check-Out. Reports will be sent to all parties.
3. Clean and prepare the apartment with new linen and towels before check-in and during the stay.
4. Act as the point of contact for all and any issues and arrange maintenance and repairs.

To avoid paying for the tourist tax, you need to be registered with the municipality of Amsterdam within one month of your arrival.
We advise you to book the appointment with the municipality soon because their schedule is always full.
If you don’t register within one month of your arrival, then the host and yourself will charge be charged tourist tax.

All tenants must pay a deposit equal to one month's rent.
We produce a full property inspection report with signed photos during check-in and check-out.
-If a basic clean is required after checkout (up to 150 euros), then City Retreat will return 100% of the deposit within 48 hours.
-Deductions from the deposit can only be used if there is damage or it is left un-reasonably dirty.
-Normal wear and tear can not be used to deduct from the deposit.
-It's very uncommon to deduct anything from the deposit, but we use it to encourage tenants to look after the property and leave it reasonably clean.
-If things get damaged, or we need to arrange a deep clean, tenants should let us know before checkout so we can make preparations to resolve matters and promptly return the deposit minus the costs.
-When you checkout, let us know which bank account you would like to receive the deposit sent back to.

After you check out, we typically process security deposits within 2 to 14 days. Here's a bit more detail on how it works:
-Timing: The exact time it takes to return your deposit can vary, and it mostly depends on the condition of the apartment after you check out.
-Cleaning Costs: At City Retreat, we've got you covered! We always shoulder the first 150 euros of cleaning. And if you've stayed in an apartment with more than one bedroom, we cover an additional 50 euros for each extra bedroom.
-Delays: Please be aware that if there's a need for extra cleaning or if any maintenance or repairs are required after your checkout, this might delay the return of your deposit a bit.
-Your Bank Details: To make sure we send your deposit back to the right place, please email us the bank details of the account you'd like us to return the deposit to.

Yes, during check-in and checkout, we produce an inspection report of the property.
This includes inventory of the main items, photos of the rooms and inside all units, draws, cupboards, keys, thermostat, boiler, meters, and storage rooms, and is signed by both the tenant and our agent and sent to all parties.
If there are specific items of value that the owner wishes for us to note then they should specify this to us prior to the check-in.

Yes, all utilities are included in the rent up to a reasonable cost stated on the rental agreement.
Our Energy Usage Cap Process
Whilst we can enforce the energy usage cap if the cost exceeds the limit in the contract, our process and government advice for Landlord energy usage cap is a little different as per the below:
-This cap primarily incentivises tenants to be cautious and use energy responsibly. This includes turning things off when they are not needed and not using the property for commercial purposes.
-This cap allows for reasonable use.
-Tenants will be warned when they exceed the cap and given time to reduce their usage.

Yes, extra cleaning can be arranged at anytime with 4 days notice. There will be an extra charge for this depending on the condition of the apartment.

Leading up to your check-out date, you will receive several emails to help you prepare and one email from a member of staff asking at what time you would like to check-out.
We will meet you at the apartment at this time to check the apartment and hand over the keys.

VVE (Term for Dutch Housing Associations) rules, if any, will be communicated during check-in.
Generally, after-hours loud parties and smoking and recreational drugs are strictly forbidden on the property and we kindley request all our tenants to be respectful to the friendly to our beloved neighbours.

Below you will find our contact details for all your requirments:
For changes to bookings or new bookings: bookings@cityretreat.com
For arrangeing check-in, check-out or reporting maintenance: info@cityretreat.com
For arranging cleaning or new linen/towels: jorge@cityretreat.com
For questions about finance: james@cityretreat.com
Alternatively you can call us Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm on +31 8 50 02 42 01