2023-05-11 15:29:11
Temporary leases are once once more an exception. After a lengthy debate in the House of Representatives, preceded by intensive consultation behind the scenes, PvdA and ChristenUnie have received enough support for an own-initiative bill in which they want to regulate this.
In order to gain the support of the CDA, which is necessary for a majority, the two initiators had to include an extra exception in their law: people who are going to live together, but do not yet want to sell the house they leave behind, can also move in with a temporary contract. rent out.
PvdA and ChristenUnie saw sabotage
This compromise was reached under great pressure. Initially, the CDA, together with the VVD, had submitted an amendment that left the door much wider open for temporary contracts. That would give private homeowners the right to give tenants temporary contracts if they plan to sell the property later.
Unacceptable, said PvdA and ChristenUnie. They threatened to withdraw their bill if that VVD-CDA amendment was adopted. Because that went too far for the CDA, CDA MP Inge van Dijk withdrew her support for that amendment. As a result, the bill will most likely receive enough support in the vote on Tuesday.
In the end, quite exceptionally, the House needed three rounds of debate to deal with the proposal by Henk Nijboer (PvdA) and Pieter Grinwis (ChristenUnie). After the initial conclusion of the debate, four weeks ago, but before the vote on it, VVD and CDA came up with amendments that, according to Nijboer and Grinwis, undermined the proposal. They even spoke of ‘sabotage’. That conflict necessitated the reopening of the debate.
Evaluation turned out negative
Temporary rental contracts (for a maximum of two years) have been possible since 2016. The intention at the time was that such contracts would remain an exception, but an evaluation showed that private landlords in particular use them on a large scale.
This is not the only reason why PvdA and ChristenUnie wanted to get rid of the temporary contracts. Because the evaluation also turned out negative in other respects. Thanks to these temporary contracts, the supply of rental houses has not demonstrably grown as intended. However, such contracts have driven up rents, because landlords can raise the rent once more with every new contract.
These types of contracts also appeared to increase ‘housing insecurity’ and further distort the balance of power between landlord and tenant. Landlords often use such a temporary contract as a kind of ‘probationary period’, so those who are difficult put an extension of their contract at risk.
Minister De Jonge is also satisfied with the outcome
But what, VVD and CDA wondered, if someone inherits a house and doesn’t immediately know whether or not they want to sell it? Or if an owner foresees that he will want a family member to live in his house in a few years’ time?
Nijboer and Grinwis agreed with them on the latter point, but they vigorously opposed the VVD-CDA wish to also make temporary contracts possible if an owner intends to sell his house following a few years. According to VVD member Peter de Groot, his proposal made room for regarding 10,000 temporary contracts per year; Grinwis and Nijboer feared that the landlord would include such a temporary clause in the contract for a few hundred thousand homes.
Ultimately, CDA member Van Dijk resigned himself to the position of PvdA and ChristenUnie, because otherwise the entire bill would die, while the CDA also believes that permanent contracts should become the norm once more, and temporary contracts therefore an exception. At the end of the debate, Minister Hugo de Jonge also agreed with this outcome.
Read also:
House for sale, tenant on the street. According to VVD and CDA, this should be possible
Rental contracts for an indefinite period should become the norm, says the House of Representatives. But CDA and VVD want exceptions, which continue to allow temporary contracts on a large scale.
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