Build more and actual social housing
Let municipalities build more than 30% social rent and make sure this is real social rent, which is long-term affordable rental housing. The Woonbond says so in a response to the Strengthening the Direction of Public Housing Act.
The Woonbond thinks it is good that the government wants to use the Act to get a grip on the housing market and steer towards more social rental housing. At the same time, the commitment of at least 30 per cent social rent in new construction is too low. This will never ensure that every municipality will have at least 30% social homes in its entire housing stock. In this way, Minister de Jonge’s target is unachievable and, despite a small growth in absolute terms, the social housing stock is in danger of becoming an increasingly small part of the housing market. According to an analysis by Professor Johan Conijn, we end up with a paltry 26%. Read full article in Dutch here…
Check your rent increase with Huurwijzer 1
This year’s first Huurwijzer is dedicated to the (new) rules from the central government on the annual rent increase and, this year, also rent reduction. Check whether you are entitled to a rent reduction or whether it pays to object to the rent increase.
Do you live in social housing? Then in most cases your rent is allowed to go up by 3.1%. Some tenants of housing association houses have been entitled to a one-off rent reduction since 1 March. Do you rent in the free sector? Then the maximum increase this year is 4.1%, unless there is a lower percentage in your contract. Use the special in Huurwijzer 1 to check whether your landlord’s proposal is correct. Or whether it is worth objecting. Read full article in Dutch here…
Big rent jumps threaten after legal protection expires
With an initiative bill, PvdA MP Henk Nijboer curbed rent increases in the free sector. That law is valid until May 2024 and is now being evaluated. If the legal restriction on rent increases is not implemented, some 125,000 renting households will soon be threatened with high rent increases. Read full article in Dutch here…
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