Third of young home seekers have encountered dodgy practices on rental market
31 percent of young people searching for a place to live have encountered dubious practices on the rental market, according to research by RTL Nieuws and Linda.meiden. One in five was asked to pay several months’ deposit in advance, and one in ten encountered a fake advertisement. Young adults also report people charging key money, viewing fees, high agency fees, or encountering illegal terms in rental contracts.
“Paying for viewings is an improper practice,’ Gert Jan Bakker of the !WOON Foundation in Amsterdam, which protects tenants against undesirable rental behavior, told RTL. “If someone places an advertisement offering a property for rent and someone is interested, you can’t charge for it. A viewing simply has to be arranged.” Though he acknowledged that many home seekers are willing to pay this unwarranted amount in order not to lose out on a potential home.
Bakker also stressed that landlords aren’t allowed to ask for a deposit of more than two months’ basic rent. Having to pay before receiving your key is not allowed. And agency fees are only applicable if you hire an agent yourself to help you find a property. “If you simply respond to a property ad, no agency fees may be charged.”
As a tenant, you only have to pay a deposit and rent to get into your new home, Bakker said. “If you have to pay for anything else, that’s always questionable. So be wary if someone asks you for money while searching. That’s a red flag.”
RTL and Linda surveyed over 23,000 members of their panels. They found that a quarter of young people aged 18 to 35 are currently actively looking for a home. Over a third of them still live with their parents or friends because they can’t find an affordable place. Those who have found a small studio or room have difficulty moving on to a family home. 27 percent of young people want to take that step, but can’t find a place.
77 percent of young people said that they are on one or more waiting lists for housing. 54 percent can’t find anything within their budget, and 35 percent can’t find anything that meets their needs.
Finding a house in the Netherlands is hard at any age. Six in ten house seekers of all ages have been looking for more than a year. A significant part of that group has been looking for five years or longer. Only 7 percent of all respondents believe the housing shortage will decrease under the next government. Over a third think it will worsen.
