Background check required for buyer of villa next to youth detention center in Nijmegen

A villa in Nijmegen listed on the housing site Funda has a unique requirement: potential buyers must undergo a background check before purchase, Tubantia reported on Friday. The reason for this clause is the property's proximity to a juvenile detention center.

The house is located on the Berg en Dalseweg in Nijmegen-Oost, directly next to the De Hunnerberg Rijks Justitiële Jeugdinrichting (RJJI), a juvenile detention center. On Funday, the listing states, "The new owner will be screened by the judiciary."

Selling agent Rosa Baake of Plus Makelaardij in Nijmegen clarified the rationale behind this condition, explaining that it was added by the Ministry of Justice. “This measure is to prevent criminals from buying it. Because crooks next to crooks, that doesn't go well together,” she said.

The building was constructed in 1905. It used to belong to the gardener of the detention center. When first sold, the Ministry of Justice added a clause to the notarial deed, requiring the owner to undergo a criminal background check, similar to a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) used for some professions. This condition persists with each sale, and its inclusion on Funda was deemed a transparent move by Baake.

The villa has garnered significant interest from potential buyers, to the extent that the estate agent is not accepting any more viewings. "Of course, during viewings we do get questions about it, because the backyard borders the grounds of De Hunnerberg. It's a beautiful house with a certain kind of 'neighbors', and we communicate openly about that,” Baake said.