City Council Pushes for Stricter Measures Against Rogue Landlords
Landlord misconduct has been coming up as a hot topic as of recent, inclining the council to discuss stricter measures.
A large majority of the Groningen city council is pushing for stricter measures against rogue landlords, calling for more funding for enforcement. The motion, proposed by the PvdA council faction, has support from GroenLinks, Student & Stad, ChristenUnie, VVD, CDA, SP, and PVV.
“The municipality must stand on the side of the tenants and take tough action against slum landlords who abuse their position,” said PvdA councillor Rico Tjepkema.
He emphasised that effective enforcement is crucial but currently underfunded. Tjepkema suggested that fines paid by slum landlords should finance enforcement efforts, indirectly benefiting tenants.
Recently, numerous cases of tenant intimidation, unsafe living conditions, improper charges, and negligent maintenance have surfaced, highlighting the need for more staff in the municipality's team addressing rental abuses.
Groningen has one of the tightest housing markets in the Netherlands, making tenants highly dependent on landlord behaviour. Despite protections like the landlord permit introduced in 2019 and new regulations from the Good Landlord Act and the Affordable Rent Act, enforcement is still a challenge.
Both coalition and opposition parties agree that current enforcement is insufficient and are calling for more enforcers to ensure landlords follow the rules. The council will discuss this proposal during the spring debate on Wednesday.
