To the front page

11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

2008 Archive

2007 Archive

2006 Archive

2005 Archive

‘Investigate suspect property transactions’

20 February 2008 - Some renters are confronted with a new landlord up to four times per year. Each time they feel more pressure to move, so as to enable the new owner to sell the house at a substantial profit. A renters’ organisation finds the transactions suspect and calls for further investigations.

Yesterday, police evicted a squat at Bikoplein 19. According to the squatters, owner Ronny M. - a ‘greedy pig’ - has bought the house from Nawar H. for €650,000. Nawar H. himself would have bought the house for €493,000 just three weeks earlier.

One apartment is occupied by an elderly woman who has been living there for forty years and does not want to move. A previous owner would have tried to force her out by removing floors; destroying plumbing and letting the house deteriorate. The squatters would have helped her repair the house.

Tjerk Dalhuisen of the Meldpunt Ongewenst Verhuurgedrag, an organisation that supports renters, knows the situation at Bikoplein. “Four years ago, one of our people made a home visit to the lady who lives there. Now that the squatters have been evicted, she’s on her own again”.

According to Dalhuisen, house prices explode because new owners hope they will be able to get rid of the renters so as to convert the buildings into expensive apartments. Renters are often unaware of their rights.

Yesterday, the Meldpunt published the findings of an investigation of seven houses in Amsterdam that it had received reports from renters about. It found that these houses frequently change hands among a small group of property owners. One of these owners is the aforementioned Nawar H., who is thought to be connected to Direct Housing, which was recently elected ‘rack renter of the year’ by students’ union LSVB and the SP youth wing.

The value of a house at the Pieter Langendijkstraat 31 increased tenfold within ten years, whereas the value of a house at the Lijnbaansgracht 58 increased ninefold within three years. Dalhuisen says he does not know where the money comes from, but does point to a recent study about the interconnectedness of property owners and organised crime.

The Meldpunt refrains from making policy recommendations but suggests suspect transactions should be investigated. According to Dalhuisen, property owners have already protested: “They are afraid tax inspectors will show up at their doorstep”.

Image: children play while police prepare to evict Bikoplein 19 (photo: Berneri / Indymedia). Meldpunt Ongewenst Huurgedrag (in Dutch), Bikoplein

Want to receive News from Amsterdam? Click here