The housing market in the Netherlands is quite locked. A possible solution for creating more living space is the splitting of homes, but there are often many hooks and eyes. Each municipality uses different rules for housing splitting. Duo-living should become easier, says Amanda Schiltmans of Stichting Statiegeld on Youth. “Around five hundred thousand homes may be suitable for duo-living in the Netherlands,” she says.
In Best Wonen Leo van Zeeland (77) and Lois Van de Wal (22) together under one roof for almost a year. Lois lives on the first floor, Leo on the ground floor. Every morning Lois sends a thumb via the app to Leo. Leo then sends a thumb back.
If that thumb is not forthcoming, there is reason to take care and Lois will see if her downstairs neighbor is in order. “It is part of the lease contract as we have agreed,” Leo explains. “It feels good that we do this, because you sometimes hear that people are dead in their house for weeks. That seems horrible to me.”
“It was my turn within a year”
Lois is happy with her home. “It is about seventy square meters at a super location close to the station. And it is very nice that I could get in pretty quickly,” says Lois at her kitchen table. “At the housing association you have to be on the waiting list for thirteen years and here it was my turn within a year. I didn’t know this existed, but when I heard it I was immediately enthusiastic. I recorded a video for Leo to introduce myself, and three weeks later I already lived here.”
Yet the splitting of a home has quite a few feet in the earth, says Amanda Schiltmans of Stichting Statiegeld on Youth. “Every municipality can set its own conditions when it comes to housing split. Sometimes it can be arranged within eight weeks, but there are also municipalities where it takes two years. That must be done differently.”
“With duo-living you can make two birds with one stone”
Amanda makes contacts with municipalities, guides the elderly in obtaining the required environmental permit and talks to local residents. “With Duo-living you kill two birds with one stone,” she says. “Young people finally get their own place and the elderly can continue to live independently for longer because there is someone who keeps an eye on things.”
At Leo, the split process also lasted much longer than he thought. “I became a widower in 2016 and had a much too big house to live alone. Then this idea came up. But the municipality of Best was not yet a policy for housing split. When I applied for a permit, there were also objections from local residents. They thought I would house twenty Poles here, while my application clearly said it was one person,” says Leo. In the end it took two and a half years to get everything done.
“I get a fee, but I would also do the chores if I didn’t get anything for it.”
In addition to her rent, Lois receives a reimbursement of fifteen euros per hour if, for example, she helps Leo with garden maintenance. Amanda explains: “The rental contract stipulates that the tenant of the split home – for a fee – performs certain tasks for the elder resident. The owner deposits this compensation into a savings account, which the tenant can have when he or she wants to buy his own house, for example.” Lois says: “I get a fee, but I would also do the chores if I didn’t get anything for it. Yet of course it is nice,”
“If more people look at new forms of living in the same way as Leo, a considerable amount of extra living space would arise,” says Amanda. “According to research by BLG Wonen, about five hundred thousand homes are suitable for splitting in the Netherlands. They must have a separate entrance and a private bathroom and kitchen. For many houses that is easy to realize. It is important that there will be clear rules in all Dutch municipalities,” Amanda hopes.
