Rent boycott over flooding at care centre 03/08/2006 00:00

3 August 2006

AMSTERDAM — Residents of a care centre in the town of Sluis have decided not to pay the rent until the management does something about a flooding problem.

The last straw was on Wednesday evening when heavy rains led to their apartments being flooded for the third time in six years. The residents agreed on Thursday to take their landlord, Woonzorg Nederland, to court. The withheld rent money will go to the lawyer taking the case.

"Something must finally be done about the flooding. Last year we were evacuated for 120 days after a downpour. That was almost necessary again on Wednesday after a cloud burst," one resident said.

A spokesperson for Woonzorg Nederland said she understood why the residents are not paying their rent. "That is their right. We are obliged to provide good housing units.

"The company has hired an independent building expert to study the problem. It might be with us or the municipality's drainage as other buildings were flooded on Wednesday," she said.

"We spoke to the local council last year but we did not follow up afterwards. That was our fault. We are now going to do everything we can to find a definite solution."

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Subject: Dutch news