Tenants in the Netherlands can often nominate the next person to take over their room when they move out.
However, large Dutch property owners, such as Vesteda, Bouwinvest, and Heimstaden, now want this to come to an end, reports the NOS.
Why? Because tenants have been using this as a sneaky way to make some extra cash.
Floors and curtains for thousands of euros
Old tenants would often ask new tenants to take over the floor, curtains, or other furniture in the room in exchange for a nomination.
The new tenants would then, of course, have to pay for these things — sometimes as much as thousands of euros! 🤯
“This is a disguised and dubious way of asking for key money,” tells Vesteda spokesperson the NOS.
More and more complaints
Until recently, the nomination was something both parties benefited from. The property owner didn’t have to invest time in finding new tenants and old tenants could make arrangements with the new ones about taking over furniture and other items.
However, with the increasing housing shortage, property owners like Vesteda receive more and more complaints from people.
Not only about homes that were never even advertised online, but also about tenants asking for disproportionate amounts of money for the items they’re leaving behind.
“For example, a departing tenant asked via social media for a takeover sum of €11,000 for a laminate floor and some second-hand furniture. We then started to keep a close eye on social media and saw that our houses were being offered for high prices,” tells Vesteda spokesperson the NOS.
No more nominations
Starting this month, Vesteda will no longer accept nominations for rental properties with rent under €1,400.
The company wants to ensure that the distribution of homes is fair again and that everyone has an equal chance.
Bouwinvest stopped accepting nominations for rental properties under €1,200 in 2020 for the same reasons.
What do you think of the decision of big property owners to stop accepting nominations? Tell us in the comments!
