What if I can’t pay my rent?

There are many different measures and laws that affect student housing, which can cause uncertainty for students. For example, students may wonder whether they will be able to pay their rent. This question is answered here. First, we will explain your position as a tenant and at the bottom of the page we will provide links to the contact details of the major student housing associations. Do you have any further questions? Please contact our housing hotline.

You and your rent
As a tenant, you have to pay rent every month to be allowed to live in your home. What happens if you are unable to pay? For example, because you are unable to work due to the coronavirus. Fortunately, you cannot simply be evicted from your home. Tenancy law is quite protective of tenants. This means that terminating your tenancy agreement is not something that can be done quickly and easily. To do so, the landlord must go to court. In practice, two to three months of unpaid rent are often required before such a request is upheld by the court. This process is expensive and time-consuming, which is why landlords are often reluctant to take this step. Most landlords therefore try to reach an agreement with their tenant when such a situation arises. Are you having trouble paying your rent? Then first contact your landlord about this.

Housing associations such as Duwo or SSH often have a procedure for when tenants are unable to pay their rent. It is often possible to arrange a payment plan. This allows you to spread the rent you are unable to pay that month over instalments that you pay later. However, this is difficult if it looks like you will not be able to pay for several months. So always contact your landlord if you foresee problems.

Rent arrears
If, for some reason, you do fall behind with your rent, the procedure is often as follows: First you will receive a payment reminder, then a warning letter and finally your file will be handed over to a bailiff. The bailiff will first attempt to collect the money, but if this is unsuccessful, they will often initiate legal proceedings to claim all the money you owe and terminate your tenancy agreement. Prevent this by contacting your landlord. If you do find yourself in this situation, always seek legal assistance.

NB: the procedure and the time between procedural steps may vary depending on the landlord.

Update: No evictions and extension of temporary tenancy agreements

No one should end up on the street because of the coronavirus crisis. That is the opinion of Minister van Veldhoven of the Environment and Housing and the landlords’ organisations and trade associations (Aedes, IVBN, Kences, Vastgoed Belang). They have therefore agreed not to carry out any evictions at this time. In addition, the minister is introducing emergency legislation to extend temporary tenancy agreements. The Woonbond and the LSVb support this. Following on from this statement, vacancy managers have issued their own statement explaining how they are dealing with their residents during this crisis.

The government has taken measures to ensure that as few people as possible experience financial difficulties in the short term. For tenants who are unable to pay their monthly rent despite these measures, landlords are making every effort to provide tailor-made solutions. In addition, no evictions will be carried out during the coronavirus crisis, unless there are obvious reasons, such as criminal activities or extreme nuisance.

The housing parties represent more than 80% of rental properties in the Netherlands. The minister expects that these agreements will ensure that no evictions take place during the coronavirus crisis. If it appears that agreements are not being complied with or that landlords who are not affiliated with a landlord organisation are proceeding with evictions, legal measures cannot be ruled out.

View the entire statement online here.

Information per student corporation