In addition to ‘building, building, building’, splitting a house is seen as the solution to the housing shortage. It sounds very simple: many elderly people live in pairs or alone in a large house and have many empty rooms. By dividing the house, starters can also move in next to themselves. But every municipality has different rules, so it is not as easy as it seems.
Omroep Brabant asked all Brabant municipalities about the rules for house division in their municipality. How easy is it to divide a house, can you temporarily live in an outbuilding of a house as a starter and is a pre-informal care home possible?
There are rules to prevent nuisance from occurring in a neighborhood. For example, to ensure that houses cannot simply be split into six and suddenly many more people come to live there. This increases the risk of noise pollution or, for example, there are no longer enough parking spaces in a street. Some municipalities have fixed rules and other municipalities decide on a case-by-case basis what is and is not allowed.
Customization or specific policy
23 municipalities say they have no specific policy for house division and speak of ‘customization’. An environmental permit can be applied for on a case-by-case basis and it will be checked whether it fits within the zoning plan.
There is specific policy in 13 municipalities. For example, the municipality of Eersel is happy to participate in house division, because there are many large houses in their municipality where only one or two people live. “With relatively simple adjustments, these large homes can be shared with several families,” a spokesperson explains.
Conditions
Rules have also been considered in Oirschot, since this year also for house division within built-up areas. For example, homes there may only be divided vertically, i.e. into an upstairs home and a downstairs home. And a condition is that parking is available on site, so that it does not become busier with parked cars in the street.
Sometimes there are also conditions attached to the size of the homes. For example, house division in Waalwijk within the center is only possible if both houses have an area of at least 50 square meters per house. Outside the center this must be at least 60 square meters per home.
In Helmond and Geertruidenberg, dividing a house is not possible. The options are also still limited in Waalre and Valkenswaard, but new policy is being developed.
Check this map to see what the rules are regarding house division in your municipality:
Waiting for privacy settings…
Living in an empty shed
Living in an empty shed or garage in the garden may sound the easiest. But that often doesn’t happen easily. In most municipalities this is only allowed if it concerns an informal care home. In some municipalities it is even only allowed when the main home on the site is being renovated.
Bergeijk is the only municipality that has stated in its policy that starters, seniors, small families and singles may also temporarily live in such an outbuilding. In 11 municipalities it is not possible to live temporarily in an outbuilding.
Check this card to see what the rules are regarding temporarily living in an outbuilding in your municipality:
Waiting for privacy settings…
Informal care in the future
Building such an informal care home in the garden is possible in some municipalities. It is called a pre-informal care home, and these are intended for people who expect to need informal care in the future. They can then live there permanently, so that their children or other informal caregivers can come and live in the parental home.
In 18 municipalities in Brabant you are allowed to use such a pre-informal care home, although the rules sometimes differ per municipality. In Bernheze, for example, all people over 55 can use an outbuilding at their home as an informal care home. Under the age of 55, a statement from a general practitioner is required.
And in the municipality of Boxtel, pre-informal care is only allowed above the age of 65, otherwise you need an indication from a doctor. In Dongen, pre-informal care is allowed when the resident has reached state pension age.
Check this map to see what the rules are regarding pre-informal care homes in your municipality:
Waiting for privacy settings…
YOU MAY ALSO FIND THIS INTERESTING:
Herbert (64) split his house so that Timoh (23) and Jinte (21) can live there