No tenants will be evicted during the coronavirus crisis, Minister promises

Tenants who lost their income due to the coronavirus and measures taken to curb its spread and therefore can't pay their rent, can temporarily not be evicted, Minister Stientje van Veldhoven of Housing said in a letter to parliament on Thursday. The Minister made agreements with landlord organizations Aedes, IVBN, Kences, and Vastgoed Belang to this extent. The measure applies as long as the coronavirus crisis, NU.nl reports.

The ban on evictions does not apply in the event of criminal activities or serious nuisance. In these cases, tenants can still be evicted. During the coronacrisis, there will also be no collection costs if tenants fall behind in their rent due to the virus.

The Minister is also working on an emergency law that makes it possible to extend temporary lease contracts, something that is not possible now. "In these times, it is not appropriate to expect tenants to be able to focus their full attention on looking for other housing, while the landlord's termination period for their temporary lease is close," Van Veldhoven said. The emergency law will take effect as soon as possible.