Newsletter #9
March 29th we were at Rochdale's door in Amsterdam to convey our demands for freezing and against intimidation and threatening letters! Thank you everyone for coming and the solidarity!
Did you know that room occupants can also refuse the rent increase?
Attention students, roommates and other members of the bad luck generation! Because renting out non-self-contained accommodation (rooms) cannot be liberalized, it falls under the rent protection of regulated (social) rent. This means that your rent is linked to the points system and you have more rights to refuse the annual rent increase! Do the points check of the Rental Committee to find out if you're not already paying way too much anyway, and then follow up our step-by-step plan to refuse the rent increase! This way you can take back control of your living situation and join the national battle for a multi-year rent freeze! Because this year too, rents may rise again by 3.1%, while many room residents are already paying far too much for mold cages, broom cupboards and garage boxes. Sign up on our website to join and stay informed!
Note: Non-self-contained accommodation means that you share the kitchen and/or bathroom with other residents and you do not have your own front door, but you do have your own contract for your room or accommodation! Sharing an apartment (with one contract) in the private sector does not count as non-self-contained accommodation.
Proposals for rent increases are coming
July 1 is getting closer and the first letters from the tax authorities about the rent increase have been sent. A small group of tenants is entitled to a one-off rent reduction, others receive an income-related rent increase of €50 or €100 per month! To do this, your landlord peeks into your bank account, and you probably received a letter about it. However, for the majority of tenants, landlords follow the government's maximum rent increase each year as standard policy. The interplay between government, tax authorities and housing associations is once again painfully clear. That is why we call for a multi-year rent freeze! Government, set that percentage to 0!
Take action locally at your place and show others that they can also refuse the rent increase in order to make a statement together for a rent freeze! There are plenty of opportunities to commit to this this year. For example, organize a flyer promotion or become active within one of our local networks. Would you like to know more about such a local network of rent increase refusers? Read it in our guide!
Action meeting Utrecht
We kick off the campaign in Utrecht on Tuesday 25 April. Do you have ideas on how we can make 'We Refuse the Rent Increase' even more successful in Utrecht? Do you want to help or/and refuse the rent increase?
Then come to Wijde Begijnestraat 122 on Tuesday 25 April, 20:00,
3512 AX Utrecht (Departmental building SP Utrecht)!
Date and time: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 – 8:00 PM
Where: Wijde Begijnestraat 122, 3512 AX Utrecht
Who refuses the rent increase? - A portrait of Jaap from Ermelo
Jaap refused his rent increase last year and tells his story in this portrait. His story illustrates the difficult situation of the elderly in a large house and the risks they have to take when they move to a smaller but more expensive house! No matter how much overlap there is in abuses regarding housing, every tenant has a unique story that deserves attention. Read more about why Jaap refuses the rent increase and how Ermelo organizes itself against the rent increase the article on our website!
This interview is part of a series of portraits of tenants who participate in the campaign 'We refuse the rent increase'. Also refuse the rent increase? Sign up!
Are you a rent increase refusal and would you like to tell your story in this series? Let us know! Mail to info@wijweigerendehuurverhoging.nl
Flyer promotion
We make free flyers available through De Rode Lap to organize a flyer campaign in your city, village or region. Stickers and posters are also available for a small fee. The best period to distribute flyers is from April/May to July 1, so hit the streets! Try to reach as many (social) tenants as possible with your flyer campaigns and above all make it a pleasant day together with your fellow participants. A good way to draw extra attention to your flyer campaign is to send a press release to the local media or to announce it via social media. Need help? Feel free to ask your questions via info@wijweigerendehuurtarieven.nl or come to one of the upcoming webinars.
webinars
More webinars are planned for the coming months! Do you have questions about our campaign method, do you want to become active, organize a flyer campaign or do you need other tips and answers? Sign up for one of our webinars on Wednesday from 20:00 to 21:00 on one of the following dates:
26/04/23
10/05/23
24/05/23
07/06/23
21/06/23
Donate
Support We Refuse the Rent Increase with a donation! In order to continue to supplement our campaign material and to keep the rest of the campaign running, we ask you to keep donating. This is how we fight together for multi-year rent freeze! All donations go directly to running the campaign.
Bond Precaire Woonvormen
The action campaign of Wij Weigeren de Rent Increase is made possible in part by the Bond Precarious Housing Forms. In addition to the fight for lower rents, do you also want to make a case for housing security for everyone and make a sustainable contribution to the wider housing movement? Become a member of the BPW now!
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