Four new presiding judges

About the organization

The Rent Commission is an impartial and independent organization that helps resolve disputes between tenants and landlords or issues a (binding) ruling on such disputes. The Rent Commission is primarily active in the social housing sector, but due to new legislation, it will also play a greater role for tenants and landlords in the mid-range rental and private sectors. The Rent Commission offers assistance to tenants and landlords. It does so by providing information or by issuing a binding ruling in the event of a dispute. It carries out its work with passion and dedication, independently and impartially, clearly and openly.

To hear cases, the Rent Commission forms hearing committees. These consist of a hearing chairperson and two hearing members. Of the two hearing members, one comes from the tenants’ community and one from the landlords’ community. Hearings are now primarily held online, but can also take place in person at various locations throughout the country. The Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning appoints the hearing chairs and hearing members for a four-year term. After that, they may be reappointed twice for additional four-year terms. The Rent Commission employs over 200 people in a committed, collegial organizational culture. Work is largely conducted in a hybrid format.

Your role

Each hearing chairperson presides over an average of two hearings per week. Each hearing involves approximately 10 cases, each of which takes about 15–20 minutes. Thanks to thorough preparation, in collaboration with the support staff, the hearing primarily addresses issues that are not yet known and are important for reaching the correct decision. The committee secretary drafts the ruling, and the presiding judge reviews and signs it.

In the work of the Rent Commission, people are at the heart of everything for all parties involved. Housing is a basic necessity of life, and it often happens that reason and emotion compete for priority during a hearing. It is up to the hearing chair to lend a listening ear, so that the parties can tell their stories and, where possible, find common ground. The hearing chair assesses cases against the law and Rent Commission policy. As hearing chair, you make well-founded, legally sound decisions. This requires a combination of legal objectivity, a people-centered approach, and effective communication.

The role of hearing chair is an independent position, though you will regularly discuss substantive matters with your colleagues during biweekly peer consultations. In addition to your work as hearing chair, you will be involved in further professionalizing the work, improving processes, and formulating policy guidelines. Together with your colleagues, you ensure the consistency and uniformity of decisions. You must therefore be able to collaborate effectively. Everyone contributes to the same goal from their own role: preventing, helping to resolve, or settling disputes between tenants and landlords.

Your responsibilities

• You will prepare and oversee the handling and resolution of a case during the hearing. You will do this in collaboration with department staff and the members of the hearing panel;
• You will oversee the hearing committee’s handling of disputes, focusing on examining the parties’ legal positions and determining the substance of the case;
• Together with the committee secretary, you will ensure that rulings are supported by thorough legal and substantive reasoning and that decisions are clearly justified and well-reasoned for the parties involved;
• You are responsible for implementing the rent control board's policies;
• You will oversee and monitor the legal quality of the proceedings and the reasoned written opinions and rulings;
• Together with the board, you will ensure consistency in statements, recommendations, and declarations;
• You will continue to develop professionally and contribute to the team’s professional growth. You are self-reflective and provide feedback to your colleagues when necessary.

Job Requirements

We are looking for a warm, professional, knowledgeable, and energetic colleague who enjoys working with others and meets the following job requirements:

• You have a university degree in law, preferably with an interest in tenancy (and rent) law;
• You are able to quickly get up to speed;
• You have some experience presiding over hearings and/or deliberations, and in dealing with conflicting interests and parties and the disputes that may arise from them;
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• You are able to work as part of a team, contribute to the team’s goals, and give and receive constructive feedback;

Advantage:

• You are familiar with the scope of the Rent Commission’s work;
• You have experience applying policy positions in the areas of focus of the Rent Commission.

Skills

• An independent team player: you seek out collaboration, coordinate with others, show interest in and help others when needed, and prioritize the common goal over personal interests.
• Self-reflection: You regularly take a hard look at yourself—in terms of your work, your professionalism, and your role as a colleague. You are open to feedback and able to provide it in a professional manner. Throughout this process, you remain connected to others.
• Decisive: You are able to make well-reasoned decisions and communicate them clearly and promptly.
• Empathy: You show interest in others, respect their values and norms, take their position, wishes, and interests into account, and, when necessary, create space for them to discuss their feelings and needs.
• Analyzing: You identify the core issues and connections in situations, problems, and data. You are able to distinguish between main and secondary issues.
• Communication skills: You listen, and you express yourself verbally and in writing in a concise, clear, and coherent manner that is understandable to your target audience; you also tailor your language and presentation to suit the audience.
• Customer-focused: You take the time to understand the context of your target audiences and are transparent and reliable in your dealings with them.
• Leadership: You are capable of both giving and receiving leadership. You are willing and able to operate within the organization’s evolving frameworks, and you are committed to and contribute to quality and efficiency.

Why is the role of presiding judge so appealing?

As a presiding judge, you’ll do meaningful work in a fascinating and important area of law. Every day, you’ll deal with a rewarding mix of diverse substantive and procedural issues on the one hand, and interpersonal and communication challenges on the other. You’ll have the opportunity to resolve disputes to the best of your ability and bring the parties closer together.

You will be working in a professional organization that is rapidly evolving, not only to meet legal deadlines but also to continuously improve the quality of decisions and the clarity of work processes. There is a smooth workflow and short lines of communication: everyone works together to achieve good results. Your fellow hearing chairs are ready to discuss substantive legal matters and the processes during the hearings with you. In doing so, you can make a difference by contributing to the further development and professionalization of teamwork and team results. The collaboration with the support department is strong and close-knit. It involves a diverse, loyal, and hardworking group of employees and managers.

There is a great deal of flexibility regarding working hours and locations. The hearing dates and (if there are in-person or hybrid hearings) the distribution of locations will be determined in consultation. You can carry out the preparatory and follow-up work at your convenience (within the specified deadlines, of course).

Terms of Employment

• A four-year term, with two options to extend the term by four years each.
• You can choose between a 32-hour or 36-hour workweek.
• The salary is based on pay scale 13 of the Civil Service Pay Scale, with a maximum of €7,747.70 gross per month. In addition, there is a fixed monthly allowance for representation expenses of €342.52.
• The position is based at our office in The Hague, but we primarily work in a hybrid (remote) setup. There is a fixed monthly remote work allowance of €90.34.
• The rest of the terms and conditions of employment are in line with those of the government, and there are excellent opportunities for training. See also:https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/overheidspersoneel/werknemer-bij-de-overheid/arbeidsvoorwaarden-rijksoverheid
• Travel expenses (if applicable) to hearing locations throughout the Netherlands will be reimbursed based on first-class train fare.

The procedure

The Rent Commission is working with the executive search firm Colourful People for recruitment and selection. Sandra Lutchman, Esq., a senior partner at Colourful People, would be happy to provide you with more information about the organization, the position, and/or the application process. You can contact her via WhatsApp at 06 407 44 074.

Important dates:

• The deadline for responses will be announced shortly.
• The interview with the selection committee is scheduled for a date to be announced shortly.
• The meeting with the support committee is scheduled for a date to be announced shortly.
• The interview with the chair of the rent review board is scheduled for a date to be announced shortly.

An assessment may be part of the process.

Are you interested?

You can upload your resume and cover letter via the Colourful People website.

The Rent Commission serves a highly diverse range of client groups and believes it is important for that diversity to be reflected at all levels of the organization, including among the hearing chairs. This ensures that they can effectively communicate with all clients, understand their needs, and provide services that meet those needs. Candidates who believe they can contribute to this effort are strongly encouraged to apply.