Two of the Netherlands’ biggest tenants’ associations are taking the state to court on Thursday in protest at government plans to allow sharp rises in social housing rents.

Housing minister Piet Hein Donner has introduced new rules which allow housing corporations and private landlords in areas where social housing is scarce to increase rents by up to €123 a month for new tenants.
Points
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.
Donner is allowing landlords in 10 areas, including Amsterdam, to add 15 to 25 points to the total, pushing many flats above the rent-controlled sector limit.
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.