When the Permanent Rental Contracts Act comes into effect in July, landlords will no longer be allowed to offer temporary rental contracts. The House of Representatives thus wants to protect tenants. Except students. They fall outside the boat.
The National Student Union (LSVb) does not understand the choice of outgoing Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Housing) to include students as an exception in the Fixed Rental Contracts Act. “We often receive calls from students who say that they do not dare to complain to their landlord if there is mold or draught, for example. Precisely because they are afraid that their lease will not be extended. The Fixed Rental Contracts Act actually protects them against slum landlords,” says chairman Elisa Weehuizen.
More security for tenants
The new law was created to provide more security for tenants. Also for students. De Jonge previously wanted to exclude international students, but that turned out not to be legally feasible. Now students in general are excluded. The website of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations states that a temporary contract for specific target groups, such as students and urgent housing seekers, can offer a solution.
Nonsense, says Weehuizen. “A campus contract already exists. This is a form of a temporary contract that runs until the end of registration at an educational institution.” The LSVb calls on the House of Representatives to delete the exception category for students. “Students are now being held hostage by flawed policies.”
Students are extra vulnerable
There has been a room shortage for students in Groningen for years. Especially at the start of the academic year. “According to the latest figures, we are 3,500 rooms short in the city,” says party leader Daan Swets of Student and City. “Students are extra vulnerable, especially if they have to look for a new room every year because they only get temporary rental contracts.”
The Groningen Student Union (GSb) finds it ‘quite bizarre’ that students are excluded. “The situation on the housing market is already precarious for students, for example due to the high rents and the lack of maintenance that many student houses suffer from. A permanent rental contract provides stability and peace of mind. Students miss that now,” says chairman Ken Hesselink. “We see no logical reason to exclude students.”
The GSb sees similarities with the fuss surrounding last year’s energy surcharges. Then students were also excluded. “There was a lawsuit about that. The judge then decided that there was no legal basis for excluding students. I find it quite sad that this seems to be happening again.”
The new law comes from former PvdA MP Henk Nijboer. “We are going to look at it carefully,” says PvdA MP Habtamu de Hoop. “We believe that as many tenants as possible should be protected as best as possible, including students.”