September, October - the time when the first steps are done. And most of the people who just arrived in the Netherlands are more or less settled down.
Some people still trying to survive in Hostels or short stay accomodations. And other are already in possessing of a long-term contracts with landlords.
There are some different types of landlords, but generally speaking many of landlords are similir in their wishes both to help the students and young people coming to work in the Netherlands and on other hand to cover their extremly high bills of their (rental) mortgage properties.
Many landlords doing it (renting out) accomodation due to different reasons, but the most common thing about all of them is loneliness. For some of them loneliness is more pscyhological factor, when they don't want to stay alone in their small (big) houses and flats.
For other the most cruel thing is loneliness in financial matters - when landlords are looking for descent tenants to help sharing the bills and some other costs of (rental) mortgage houses.
In the Netherlands financial matters are quite important due to many thigs. Holland is one of the most expensive countries in continental Europe.
There are some few tips that will help you to avoid dissapointment in future contact with landlords:
1) Print out and sign contracts about renting a room (flat) in two exemplars. If you don't understand Dutch Language, at least you can try Google Translator, or even ask a landlord to print out the tenancy agreement in English Language. If a landlor is refusing doing it - that is the first suspicious sign.
2) In most cases the security deposit (normally 1 month rental price) is required - both for you (to reserve your right to rent the room on a month-to-month basis and for a landlord to protect his (her) interests in saving property in it's original condition: all the fixing works on broken stuff cost a fortune in the Netherlands on one hand and 1 month security deposit also provides to a landlord at least 1 month time period of finding another tenant if the previous one is no longer financially able to cover the rental costs. If the landlord on your request refusing to give you a paper (a standard paper with signature of both tenant and a landlord in two exemplars regarding the sum receiving as a security deposit - that is definately the second bad sign).
3) And just summing up the said above, there are two type of properties across the Netherlands - free (mortgage) houses - in most of the cases the best place to have a room at - and social flats (houses). There are also some very typical features that will be discussed further, to help you to understand which property (first or second type) you will be probably living it. But in general, only living in a private property (free market houses) gives you the fullest in your rights and responsibilities as a tenant, and it can be addressed also to a landlord. Renting (subletting) "social" houses is very limited by some civil acts of local authorities and can follow to a penalty or other prosecurement both for a (potential) tenant and a landlord.
Good luck and try to find your dream house before the real winter is coming to the Low Lands, the Netherlands.
A. Aksenovs,
HollandLive (c) 2010
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