Evictions of anti-social tenants doubled in 2003

20 July 2004

AMSTERDAM — The number of tenants evicted for anti-social behaviour doubled last year, with 470 principle tenants losing their legal right to housing, it was reported Tuesday.

The association of housing corporations, Aedes, told newspaper De Telegraaf that the rising number of evictions underlined the trend in society to be less tolerant of those who cause problems or break the rules.

The country’s housing corporations — which administer the social housing sector — assigned hundreds of employees to operate as full-time mediators between feuding tenants.

The most common complaints against troublesome tenants included too much noise, unacceptable odours, using or selling drugs, growing cannabis, prostitution and domestic problems.

If all other attempts at mediation and negotiation fail, eviction is the final resort.

But Aedes said tenants with behavioural or psychiatric problems were the most difficult to deal with. Many of these “problem” tenants are not capable of regulating all aspects of their lives, but they cannot live in an institution due to a lack of capacity and money.

The association called for closer co-operation between the housing corporations, local authorities, police and social groups to ensure these people do not end up in a limbo situation in which they have nowhere to live.

Subject: Dutch news + housing corporations + renting + anti-social behaviour