I'd already been living in my small studio in the centre of Amsterdam for over two years when I decided to go for a rent reduction with Huurfix. I knew I was overpaying, heavily, but I'd needed to find a place and was willing to put up with anything. Then, at the start of this year, I realised the new points system made it exactly the right moment to act.

I love my studio. It's cosy and conveniently located. But the rent was completely disproportionate to the square metres and what came with the place. Before the points system, I'd just had to accept that this was my rent, however unfair it felt.

That all changed when I asked Huurfix to take it on. I knew I was entitled to a reduction, but getting that certainty from an attorney who specialises in rent law was incredibly validating and reassuring. Jan was easy to work with and always kept me informed. He handled the whole process himself, which spared me all the tiring back and forth, and he came back to me whenever there was a decision to make.

The entire process was well organised, transparent and reassuring. My rent has now dropped by more than € 849 a month, over half of what I was paying, and I have Jan to thank for it. That is going to make a huge difference, and it's money that can eventually go towards a down payment on a place of my own.