Outgoing housing minister Hugo de Jonge appears to be allowed to continue with his plans to further regulate the rental market. None of his housing laws were declared controversial in a procedural meeting. Landlords doubt whether the plans will work.
Rents in the private sector have risen explosively in recent years. To make rental properties affordable for middle incomes as well, Hugo de Jonge comes up with the ‘Affordable Rent Act’. This must ensure that, up to a certain limit, a tenant never pays more than what the home is worth.
‘Prices will actually rise with new law’
Private landlords do not see how the law solves anything. Partly due to previous government policy, many landlords are already selling their properties. According to them, this new rental law would further ensure that rental income becomes so low that it can no longer be tolerated.
Martijn Winnen is a real estate advisor and also rents out several houses: “It’s really a really bad idea. We see that the number of rental properties is drastically decreasing, in Amsterdam for example. Due to the scarcity, prices are going up again. What Hugo de Jonge wants is achieved. he does not agree with this policy.”
Extortionate prices
Director of the Woondbond Zeno Winkels is happy with the law: “We think that too many extortionate prices are being charged. These are rents that people cannot afford and are actually higher than the value of the home.”
“There is such a scarcity in the big cities at the moment, which is being fought out through prices. People with a normal income can hardly live in the city anymore,” says Winkels. “To have a normal city, we need nurses, police officers and garbage collectors living there. Not just people with top incomes.”
Support for the mid-rental law
In any case, there is support for the law in society. The annual housing market survey conducted by the EenVandaag Opinion Panel shows that seven out of ten respondents (71 percent) think the law is desperately needed: “It is crazy that you can no longer afford a decent rental house with a decent income,” explains a panel member. .
The majority is fine with the fact that landlords earn less with lower rent. Opponents (14 percent) are afraid that the problems will only become worse with the law. If investors withdraw, there will be fewer rental properties, they argue.
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Rising prices
There are just over 8 million homes in our country, almost half of which are rental properties. About two-thirds are owned by housing associations and the majority of these homes fall under social rent. The number of private rental properties is more than 14 percent of the housing stock, according to figures from CBS.
The number of private rental homes increased relatively more strongly in 2021 than the number of owner-occupied homes and the number of housing association homes. According to housing platform Parrius Fewer rental properties will be offered this year: “In the second quarter of 2023, 27 percent fewer rental properties were offered in the five major cities than a year ago. The average square meter price increased in these cities by 5 to almost 8 percent.”
Rental housing for middle incomes
Whether a home falls under social rent, which means that it costs a maximum of 800 euros per month, is determined using a points system. From energy label, to number of square meters and length of the countertop, it all plays a role. If there are more facilities available and the level of finishing is high, you can receive extra points and a home will be more expensive.
In the ‘Affordable Rent Act’ of Housing Minister De Jonge, this points limit is raised to a rent of 1,100 euros. The rental price of more homes is therefore capped. The aim is to make more homes accessible to middle incomes. Only for homes above the points limit is the landlord free to ask what he or she wants.
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Scarcity is the problem
Landlord Martijn Winnen does not believe that it is possible to create affordable rental housing for everyone: “We will never make it. There is scarcity, that is the real problem. Price increases are the result of that scarcity. So you have to tackle that scarcity.” , with existing buildings and new construction. And you may also have to do something about the influx of people.”
Winning is now seeing the opposite happening: “Private landlords are getting stressed. They are now starting to sell their properties in a panic. If you now rent out a home for 1,600 euros per month and you will soon receive 1,000 euros for it, you cannot do it at all.” more out.”
Uncertainty is not good for the market
Responsible for more new homes is Judith Norbart of IVBN (Association of Institutional Investors in Real Estate, Netherlands). Pension funds invest in new construction through her. She hopes that the law will be passed. “This law has been discussed for a year and a half. And during that year and a half, the market was in uncertainty. And then you see that the investments are not as they are, not to the extent you would like.”
“We want to accelerate, more homes,” said Norbart. “We are afraid that if this law is postponed, there will be a longer period of uncertainty and that housing production will not start as quickly as we would like. We do not think that is responsible for all those home seekers who now need a home.”
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‘Housing is a right’
Investors, tenants and private landlords alike see a solution to the stagnant rental market in more homes. Although they differ in opinion about how this should be done. According to the Woonbond, housing is a “fundamental right and necessary” and the government must ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads.
“Precisely because we have too few roofs, we can no longer argue about the price, because that is a real scarcity,” says Winkels. “That’s being in the desert, there is 1 man, he sells 1 bottle of water, but yes, it costs 100 euros. That’s how it is with homes at the moment. And you can’t do that to young people.”
‘Housing is an investment’
Winnen actually thinks that if you can make money from homes, more will come: “A home is an investment. If I go to the supermarket and buy food there, then everyone has earned from it. Food is also a right.”
The mid-rental law was declared non-controversial in a procedural meeting of the House of Representatives Committee for the Interior. The full House will finally vote on it on September 12. The House is expected to adopt the committee’s decision. This means that this outgoing cabinet can still get to work on developing the plans.
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View the report here
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About the Opinion Panel survey
The survey was conducted from August 21 to September 9, 2023. 33,795 members of the EenVandaag Opinion Panel participated in the survey. The results are weighted and representative of six variables, namely: age, gender, education, marital status, distribution across the country and political preference, measured towards the 2021 House of Representatives elections. The Opinion Panel consists of more than 80,000 members.
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2023-09-09 08:04:57
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