News

Amsterdam is going to take a tougher line on vacancy

Currently in Amsterdam it is a legal obligation to report properties that have been vacant for more than six months to the municipality of Amsterdam. This may concern properties that are waiting for a new tenant or properties that are to be renovated or sold.

Recent pseudo solutions by politicians to solve the housing crisis

In recent years, various measures have been taken by politicians in an attempt to solve the housing crisis and bring prices down. Measures that often only added oil to the fire instead of being (the beginning of) a solution. We mention just a few ‘solutions’ without being complete:

Cause of housing crisis according to Dutch municipalities? Not the investor, but the low transfer of senior citizens from large to small houses

Public broadcaster NOS conducted a study among a majority of Dutch municipalities into the cause of the current housing crisis. 
And what was the outcome? Where politicians almost only speak about ways to stop investors from buying houses to rent out, it appears that investors are not indicated by all those municipalities as a major cause of the current housing crisis in their town. 55% of the Dutch municipalities, large and small, indicated that the low flow of senior citizens from their often large home to a smaller one, is the main driver of the current housing crisis.

Are you renting out a property including gas, water and electricity? Inform your tenants about higher costs

It will not have escaped your notice. Gas prices have risen enormously worldwide. Electricity prices are also rising.
This can have consequences if you rent out a property for a rental price that includes the supply of gas and electricity.

Definitive energy label has to be mentioned in advertisements as of January 1, 2022

Since January 1, 2015, it is a legal requirement to provide an energy label to the tenant / buyer when renting or selling a home. You can get a fine of € 435.00 if you sell or rent your home without a final energy label. This definitive label must be present at the time of transfer. Are you a company? Then the fine is even € 870.00!

Maximum rent increase in free sector in 2022

From May 1, 2021, there is a maximum annual rent increase for a free sector house. This applies for three years, until May 1, 2024. By law, the central government calculates this maximum in the following way: 1% plus inflation.

Municipalities come up with a 'self-occupancy obligation' for owner-occupied houses to keep real estate investors out

As we wrote on July 19 various municipalities including Amsterdam and Haarlem want to keep property investors, who buy homes to rent out, off the housing market as much as possible. As a result of a change in the law, as of 1 January 2022 municipalities may designate neighbourhoods or districts that fall under buy-out protection. If ‘protected homes’ there change hands, the new owner may not rent out the home for the first four years. This will exclude investors and the homes will only be attractive to people who are going to live there themselves.

What to do if you can't currently get the rent you want?

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, rents have dropped. Especially the less well maintained properties were ignored by candidates or brought seriously less rent. Properties that were well maintained were still rented out. Whether or not at a slightly lower price.

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