De Bond Precaire Woonvorm, the specialist in the field of temporary housing, will start the campaign 'Refuse the inspector puts a different lock on your door' on Saturday 21 April. Throughout the Netherlands, residents of various anti-squat agencies will replace their front door locks with their own lock. In doing so, they reclaim their right to privacy and home peace that is being violated by the anti-squat agency.
Anti-squat agencies violate the privacy of their residents. Their inspectors illegally enter the living quarters of anti-squat residents. Anti-squat agencies think they are allowed to check residents on their lifestyle and private life. Do you do your dishes regularly? Buy a closet for your clothes. Who's always staying with you?' The inspector also regularly threatens with evictions or fines during these types of 'home visits'. Home peace and privacy are fundamental rights, also for temporary residents. No one can take those rights away. The Bond Precaire Woonvorm calls on residents to stand up for their rights and stop the trespassing:
Refuse the controller, put another lock on your door!
The right to privacy is, among other things, laid down in art.10 of the Constitution, the right to peace at home in art.12 of the Constitution and art. 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) states the right to respect for private and family life. Illegal access to a home is regarded as trespassing in art. 138 of the Criminal Code.
Violating privacy, peace and private life through structural home visits by inspectors of anti-squat agencies is therefore illegal. The 'permission' for control inspections that anti-squat agencies contractually enforce on their residents must no longer be tolerated.
Then what?
The private-law loan agreement used by anti-squat agencies is intended for the lending of goods, not for entering into contracts relating to housing.
In practice, the loan agreement is used by anti-squat agencies to circumvent regular tenant rights and the existing arrangements for temporary letting under the Vacancy Act. For example, anti-squatting is an erosion of the rights of tenants. The violation of privacy, peace and private life in the anti-squat industry is unfortunately only one part of the many abuses in that sector. It is not without reason that special legislation has been drawn up in the past for housing and tenants.
Minister Spies of the Interior should in the first place abolish the anti-squat construction. It should also ensure that the use of housing types with less rent protection is kept to a minimum. A housing shortage among young people, urgent home seekers and others with a vulnerable position in the housing market can only be found in sufficiently affordable housing. The government should not embrace anti-squatting as a solution for those groups. The outsourcing of property management by market parties, corporations and governments to anti-squat agencies and the accompanying circumvention of legal regulations regarding renting and housing must therefore stop.
What is the Bond Precarious Housing Forms?
The Bond Precaire Woonvorm (BPW) is an independent organization of specialists in the field of temporary housing. Since 2010, the BPW has been working specifically for precarious (temporary) groups in the housing market. The BPW was created in response to the trend that more and more flexible forms of housing are emerging as a result of needs on the supply side of housing (the landlords and real estate entrepreneurs). At the same time, the demand for permanent housing is not decreasing, nor have the needs on the demand side of housing changed structurally. Ultimately, everyone is looking for a permanent, pleasant and safe home. Currently, the BPW is mainly engaged in tackling abuses in the anti-squat sector. Among other things, the BPW is active in supporting residents who are unjustly in danger of being put out on the street by their anti-squat agency. Anti-squat residents know where to find us via the internet and we receive countless requests for help.
EN 
NL