The scramble to rent in the Netherlands has just reached a whole new level of frustration. Why? More and more people are now overbidding on rent in order to improve their chances of receiving an acceptance email. 🤦♀️
The housing crisis in the Netherlands has reached a whole new circle of hell. It’s now become more common for people looking to rent an apartment to participate in bidding wars, especially in the compact Randstad area, reports the NOS.
Yes, that’s right. People are overbidding, not to buy a home — but just to rent one.
So, if you fall in love with a place (or let’s be real, think that it’ll do…) in Amsterdam or The Hague, not only must you be super fast in expressing interest, but also be prepared to face other desperate competitors that are willing to flash their wallets.
Overbidding, bribery, stalking…
Why does the Dutch housing crisis just keep getting worse? At the moment, fewer and fewer landlords want to rent out their property in the Netherlands, and so the supply of rentals just keeps going down.
Due to the recently increased wealth tax on rental properties and the incoming maximum on rents next year, many landlords would rather sell than lose out on the extra cash.
And when you thought it couldn’t get worse, rental agencies are now reporting that prospective tenants are offering bribes of up to €5,000.
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If you think that’s crazy, it gets worse. Some desperate tenants have resorted to stalking employees on social media and asking for special treatment.
A bit of hope
Thank goodness, there’s some hope. In a stand against this behaviour, one rental agency, Vesteda, has cut off anyone trying to get special treatment by using these methods, reports the NOS.
Let’s hope that other rental agencies take a similar stance and follow suit.
What have been your experiences trying to rent a home these last few years? Tell us in the comments below!