Housing corporations and landlords with rent-controlled properties in Amsterdam and a large number of other places can put up the rent for new tenants by €123 a month, a court in The Hague ruled on Thursday.

At the moment, the rent for social housing in the Netherlands is determined by the number of points a property has. For example, a landlord could earn extra points for central heating, but points can be taken off if the flat is far from public transport.
Free sector
Social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner is allowing landlords in 10 areas, including Amsterdam, Utrecht, Gelderland and Noord-Brabant to add 15 to 25 points to the total, pushing many flats above the rent-controlled sector limit.
The maximum rent for a rent-controlled property is €635 a month.
The minister hopes this will encourage landlords to invest more in property and eventually increase supply. But the tenant organisations say it will stop people moving home and reduce the number of rent-controlled properties.
The court rejected the tenant organisations’ complaint, saying Donner’s decision is legal and in line with his powers as minister.