MP’s shocked: no fixed rental contract for students after all

Last year, the Fixed Lease Contracts Act was passed in the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament. As of July 1, tenants will be entitled to a permanent contract. Due to an amendment by D66 and the SP, student rooms would also fall under that law.

But Housing Minister Hugo de Jonge has prevented the latter from happening after all. A month ago, he informed parliament that students will all fall under the exception.

European rules

Initially, only international students were to be exempted, but on reflection, the minister finds that distinction untenable. It would violate European rules.

MP’s noticed De Jonge’s change of course too late. After thirty days the “general measure of administration” is automatically a fact and only last Wednesday, right on the deadline, SP, D66 and SGP tried to stop it through an emergency procedure. For that, they did not get the required thirty votes in the Lower House.

The brunt

Students are the victims, says MP Jan Paternotte (D66). “This keeps them hopping from temporary lease to temporary lease, resulting in a lot of stress, while they just want to focus on their studies. What are all the fine words of the forming parties to students still worth?”

PVV, NSC, VVD and BBB explicitly opposed an emergency procedure. Other parties did not respond.

MP Sandra Beckerman (SP) called the course of events frustrating and was disappointed that she had seen De Jonge’s new measure so late. “I didn't think the minister would do this.”

Rigorous

The Woonbond is also surprised. “We knew the minister wanted to exempt international students, but that he would do something so rigorous we did not expect,” says a spokesperson.

The measure will have far-reaching consequences, the union fears. Landlords will seize the exception for students with both hands. “They can now give anyone a two-year contract who is enrolled at an educational institution. Of course, landlords can also offer a permanent contract, but unfortunately practice shows that they prefer not to do that.”

The Woonbond still has all sorts of questions. Will the exception also apply to part-time students who combine work and study? And how will landlords check whether someone is registered as a student? Will the government provide that data? “We see major implementation problems that the ministry has not yet answered.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing cannot yet answer these questions from the Woonbond.