What does the new law on rent mean for Amsterdam students?
The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur), enforced since the 1st of July, should ensure more affordable housing. Also for students. But it remains to be seen whether the new rent law actually helps, or causes problems.
Niels Keij (22), an International Business and Trade student, got a call from the landlord in early August with bad news. He and four other housemates were given a choice: either their rent – which was due to expire in a month – would be extended for another year with a maximum rent increase, or they would have to leave their house in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. “The landlord has expressed an interest in selling the property,” Keij says. “We were told that due to new regulations, the landlord no longer wanted to rent.” Keij’s student house had been struggling with overdue maintenance for years: the rooms were cramped, the kitchen showed defects and there were frequent leaks. The rent increase was a bridge too far for them. They did not accept the offer.
The idea behind the new law is that, in many cases, it will put an end to excessive rents because more homes will fall under the housing valuation system. This is a point system that says something about the quality of the property. For instance, the house gets points for the number of square metres, the energy label, the WOZ value, what facilities are available in the kitchen and whether it has a garden or balcony. The number of points – i.e. the quality of a property – determines the maximum rent. This was already the case for houses up to 143 points, the social rental sector. Now that limit will be raised and will apply to all houses up to and including 186 points. This will create more affordable housing.
With the new point system, however, each point has increased in value compared to the old system. As a result, in some cases a house or room can be valued higher than before and the rent can go up.
Want to calculate the value of your room yourself? Do the rent check from the Rent Commission.
Keij is not the only one affected by the new law. Psychology student Anna van den Bos (23) is noticing a change in the rental market. She has just returned from a gap year travelling and is looking hard for a new place to live in Amsterdam, but most of the offers she sees online are temporary. “The other day I was applying for a room I could only stay in for three months,” van den Bos says. “Those people had to leave the house in December because their landlord was planning to sell.”
Hannah Smit, counsellor at Huurteam Amsterdam (Stichting !Woon) recognises the image. Since the enactment of the law, she sees an increase in the number of reports of students having to leave their homes. “What we notice is that students are worried, some, for example, get letters from their landlord saying they want to sell the house because it would no longer be profitable with the new law. But to talk about a trend, it is too early,” Smit said.
Gijs Grimbergen, secretary of the National Students’ Union (LSVb), also thinks it is a bit short-sighted to speak of a trend. “We do hear the sounds of students allegedly being evicted by the law, but it does not seem to be as widespread as various media suggest. Either it doesn’t happen to that extent, or they don’t know how to find us.”
Communication studies student Kim Diepenbach (21) is actually happy with the new regulations. “My rent is extremely high now. I pay 850 for a small room of nine square metres in Amsterdam East,” Diepenbach says. “We have already raised the point that the rent is not OK. But then we got back ‘for you a hundred others’, so I hope it will be lowered soon.”
Maximum rent
Grimbergen (LSVb) finds it unfortunate that lately the conversation has been about the short-term consequences of the law and the idea that landlords would sell en masse because renting would no longer be profitable. “In reality, this is much more complex. There are several reasons why landlords are currently selling their homes. For example, consider the fact that capital gains tax on properties for rent has gone up since 2023. At the same time, house prices are historically high, making selling attractive. Moreover, it is not at all said that landlords may charge less rent for their rooms. For some, the rent is even going up, although that is the exception rather than the rule,” Grimbergen explained. “Basically, the new law protects students and other tenants from the absurd rents, especially in Amsterdam.”
Regulated housing market
Teun Otte, president of the Amsterdam Student Union (Asva), is positive about how the new law regulates the housing market. “The reason some landlords are selling their properties is because they can no longer exploit students with excessive rents. This shows that the previous system was dysfunctional. The Affordable Rent Act ensures that tenants get more legal protection against these high rents. In the short term, it may be annoying for some students as the landlord puts the house up for sale, but in the long term, more affordable housing will become available.”
Huurteam Amsterdam also expresses itself positively about the new law. “The new housing valuation system ensures that an even larger part of the rental market is regulated,” says Smit. “So if you pay too much, as a tenant you no longer have to threaten yourself with rent reduction or fear an angry landlord. That was a big obstacle for many people, including students. Now, the landlord is required to be able to demonstrate what the property meets in order to legitimise the rent. From January 2025, the municipality will also start enforcing this.”
Smit expects the law to bear fruit mainly in the long term. “People who used to stay longer in their rental homes because of a shortage of affordable owner-occupied homes will eventually be able to make the switch to the owner-occupied market. This will free up more affordable rental properties, which will also lead to more affordable rooms and housing in the middle segment. But it remains to be seen exactly how the law will play out.”
Student Diepenbach (21) is not worried: “If I have to move out because my landlord wants to sell, I will find something else. Besides, I expect that in time there will be a solution to the increase in sold properties. You might temporarily live in a less favourable location, but eventually you’ll find a nice place in Amsterdam.”
