Rotterdam council member resigns amid slumlord accusations: Owns 23 buildings

Narsingh Balwantsingh stepped down as a Rotterdam city councilor for the PvdA amid controversy about the 23 properties he owns in the city and surrounds. At least one of the buildings is in terrible condition, with the tenants living amid mold and leaks, Rijnmond reports.

Local broadcaster Open Rotterdam discovered Balwantsingh owned 23 properties during an investigation into the city councilors’ real estate last year. He did not officially report that he was renting out over 20 buildings. Balwantsingh told the broadcaster that he wasn’t trying to hide it. “I reported it properly to the land registry, but we were not required to include it in the overview of additional positions,” he said.

Open Rotterdam visited one of Balwantsingh’s properties in Bloemhof in September last year. They found a Lithuanian family living there in terrible conditions, with mold growing on the walls, a weird smell, and multiple leaks. According to the residents, the building had not been maintained for years.

Balwantsingh told the broadcaster that he bought the 23 addresses a year and a half ago as an investment for his retirement. He said he purchased the buildings unseen and hoped that they would be empty so he could refurbish them. But tenants were living in some of them, and he couldn’t get the permits to renovate as quickly as he hoped, he said.

The PvdA councilor stepped down on Thursday, saying he wanted more time to refurbish the homes he owns. He stressed that his property did not interfere with his work as a council member. He always voted along his party’s line when it came to tightening the rules for buying property, he said.

Richard Moti, the PvdA leader in Rotterdam, told Rijnmond that he has no doubts about Balwantsingh’s integrity. “We know him as a representative with a good moral compass and a great social heart. We can only respect his resignation as a council member so that he has more time to fulfill his responsibility as a good landlord. We thank Narsingh for his efforts as a representative of the people.”