Municipality to make homestay rentals easier

Renting a room through a homestay (hospita) can help alleviate the housing shortage in the city. The municipality wants to relax the rules for doing this.

The measure is 1 of the 61 measures in the draft Woonvisie 2040 (Housing Agenda 2020) from June 2024. What does the municipality want to change for residents who would like to rent out a room in their home?

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Room rentals with or without permit

Many people live in a spacious home in The Hague. Some people would like to rent out a room in their house. For example, to a student. The person renting out the room is the landlord (hospita).

The current rules only allow one-person households to rent out a room without a permit. If you are a (married) couple and you want to rent out a room, you have to apply for a so-called conversion permit (omzettingsvergunning). You will not always get this permit. No more permits are being issued in Laakkwartier and Rustenburg-Oostbroek, for example.

Permission from municipal council

If the municipal council approves the plans in the draft Woonvisie 2040, it will most likely become eaiser to rent out a room in many neighbourhoods. It will take until 2025 before the municipal council takes a decision on this. The rules will not yet change for the time being.

Decrease in housing shortage

Many residents of The Hague are already renting out a room in their home. It is a good way of earning a bit of extra money and to help somebody in need. You are allowed to earn an additional € 6000 tax-free. This is a rental fee of approximately € 500 per month.

Also see: Measures for problems on the housing market