Dutch parliament considering outlawing temporary rent contracts

On Tuesday, the Tweede Kamer will debate whether or not to put an end to temporary rent contracts. Coalition party ChristenUnie and opposition party PvdA called for this type of rental contract to be scrapped last week.

Temporary rental contracts were introduced in 2015 in an attempt to create more housing by allowing landlords to rent out homes for shorter periods to target groups like students or migrant workers. But instead, they resulted in higher rents and less security for tenants, experts say.

Stefan Boenstroo shared a home in Arnhem with a roommate on a temporary rental contract, he told NOS. The landlord said that the temporary lease would eventually become permanent. “But in mid-July, we received an email from our landlord that we had a month to leave. It was a very stressful month trying to find something new. And then the day of the move comes, and you have nowhere to go,” he said to the broadcaster.

According to Boenstroo, his landlord probably kicked them out because he wanted to increase the rent. While house hunting, they saw their home listed, but for 150 euros more per month.

Rental market researcher Carla Huisman confirmed that temporary leases drive up rents because landlords can increase the rent when they get a new tenant. According to Huisman, the positive effect of the law also failed to materialize. “There are no clear indications that it has actually led to more homes or the construction of more homes,” she said to the broadcaster.

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, will discuss the ChristenUnie and PvdA proposal to outlaw temporary leases on Tuesday. It is not clear whether the proposal will get majority support.