To my knowledge, one way to deal with this is e-mailing the landlord, then wait 6 weeks, after which I can open a Rental Tribunal case to get my rent reduced.

But what happens if I freeze to death, during these 6 weeks? That would not be ideal.
I'd like to know if there are faster avenues to tackle this (for example, kort geding).

Furthermore, if my contract is classified as "short-stay" (12-months, international students only (loophole for the 2024 legislation changes, probably), does that limit my rights/ weaken my position in any way? Does this mean that the landlord can get away with shenanigans like this with no consequences?

I've contacted the HuurCommissie today - they told me that I will need to provide them with a technical report... for which a professional would have to inspect the central heating system.
But this central heating system area is, of course, locked down by the landlord - meaning that this required inspection cannot take place.

I tried contacting the Juridisch Loket today as well - but they are unavailable by phone.

I'm open to suggestions. No, I unfortunately do not (yet) have legal insurance. If you've had good past experiences with any, please let me know which insurance company is helpful when it comes to tenancy disputes. It won't help me this time, but it might - in case of a future conflict.

Other than that, I'm all ears. Whatever you think will help me and my neighbours (all 200 of them) - I wanna hear it 🙂