House of Representatives wants 'penalty' on vacant houses

There is so little living space available in the Netherlands that more and more students are giving up their search altogether and just staying with their parents. The student organisations National Student Union, CNV Jong and FNV Young & United have joined forces with the Housing Union to pen a manifesto on how to tackle the housing crisis.

In light of the approaching parliamentary elections, they are calling for a full housing benefit for citizens aged 18 and above, as well as the gradual abolition of the controversial mortgage interest deduction. They also want to see a vacancy tax introduced, a measure with which the House of Representatives already agrees.

Unacceptable
Over 180,000 homes are vacant in the Netherlands, with more than 30,000 of these having been vacant for over a year. ‘Long-term vacancy is simply unacceptable amidst a housing crisis,’ the manifesto states.

If the Senate also agrees with the measure, local authorities will soon be able to levy a tax on homes that have been vacant for over a year. It is up to the Senate to determine the severity of the penalty. Local authorities may also decide not to introduce this levy if they do not consider it necessary. Such a vacancy levy should encourage owners to sell or rent out their homes or additional homes, which could benefit students looking for accommodation.

A positive step
‘We think politicians have taken a positive first step,’ says Maaike Krom, chair of the National Student Union. ‘But local authorities must take action. Besides, much more needs to be done to resolve this crisis.’ LSVb promises to take action in this regard.

Currently, homeowners in the Netherlands are required to report to the local authority when their property has been vacant for over six months. Together, the homeowners and the local authority must then find someone to occupy the property. People sometimes squat vacant homes to draw attention to the problem of long vacant homes, as is the case in Utrecht.