Over Half of Dutch Rental Agents Admit Willingness to Discriminate, Study Finds

Over Half of Dutch Rental Agents Admit Willingness to Discriminate, Study Finds

Discrimination in the Dutch rental market remains a serious concern, as a recent government-commissioned study by the Verwey-Jonker Institute uncovers that over 50% of estate agents are prepared to refuse foreign tenants when landlords request it. This alarming figure marks an increase from the 37% recorded just one year earlier, suggesting that the fight for equal housing access in the Netherlands is far from over.

Background: Discrimination in the Rental Sector

In the Netherlands, the Rental Arbitration Board (Huurcommissie) and the Equal Treatment Commission (Commissie Gelijke Behandeling) enforce anti-discrimination laws designed to guarantee fair housing for all applicants, regardless of national origin, race or religion. Yet enforcement often relies on tenants coming forward with evidence, a step many are hesitant to take due to the sensitive and often slow legal process.

To understand the scope of discrimination, researchers from the Verwey-Jonker Institute posed as landlords in a controlled experiment. They made 200 requests to rental agents, explicitly asking not to rent to Moroccans, Turks or Poles. The study, published on the official government portal, is available here: government research report.

Key Findings of the Verwey-Jonker Study

1. Rising Willingness to Discriminate: 52% of agents agreed to carry out the discriminatory request despite acknowledging it was illegal. This is up from 37% in the previous year.
2. Mixed Legal Awareness: In half of those cases, agents admitted they were breaking the law yet complied, citing landlord preference as the overriding factor.
3. Agents Who Refuse: 22% of estate agents outright refused to act on discriminatory instructions, while another 22% pointed out the illegality but ultimately left the decision to the landlord.

These results illustrate a troubling trend: compliance with discriminatory instructions is on the rise, even as agents become more aware of their legal obligations.

Why Do Agents Cooperate? The Economic Angle

Lead researcher Marcel Coenders explains the economic pressures shaping agent behaviour. With the shrinking supply of rental homes outside the regulated sector, competition is fierce. Agents often prioritise satisfying landlords to secure their business, fearing to lose lucrative contracts over legal or ethical concerns.

“Landlords have a clear economic argument,” Coenders notes. “They want tenants who pay reliably and move on quickly. Some agents justify discrimination as a way to fulfil those landlord demands.”

Expat Tenants vs. Local Applicants

Interestingly, the study also highlights a contrasting view among some landlords who actively seek expat tenants—often defined as highly paid international employees on fixed-term contracts. These landlords believe expats:

• Have stable, high incomes and are less likely to default on rent.
• Tend to vacate after a few years, allowing for rent resets.

While this may sound like a rational business decision, it still amounts to unfair treatment of Dutch nationals and other foreign applicants who may offer equally secure tenancy.

Professional Bodies and Regulatory Solutions

Members of professional organisations for letting and estate agents were slightly less likely to agree to discriminate, yet still 42% were willing to do so. The NVM (Nederlandse Vereniging van Makelaars) has condemned housing discrimination, calling for a legal quality standard for real estate agents. Such a standard could:

• Impose binding ethical guidelines.
• Allow regulators to suspend or revoke licences for discriminatory practices.
• Ensure only agents compliant with anti-discrimination laws can operate in the market.

Without these measures, expelled agents can simply continue independent operations, undermining industry-wide efforts to promote fairness.

The Tenant Perspective

For prospective tenants, discrimination can have long-lasting consequences. Being turned down based on ethnicity or nationality not only delays finding a home but can also affect the ability to qualify for huurtoeslag (housing benefit) or register with a gemeente (municipality). Many tenants hesitate to file complaints out of fear that landlords or agents will blackball them in future searches.

Raising awareness of rights and simplifying the complaint process are crucial steps toward improving transparency. Tenants who suspect discrimination should:

• Request a written explanation for rejection.
• Document all communications with agents and landlords.
• Seek advice from legal aid organisations or tenant unions.

Moving Forward: Strengthening Fair Housing

Tackling discrimination in the Dutch rental market requires a multi-pronged approach:

1. Legal Enforcement: Encourage stronger sanctions for agents who breach anti-discrimination laws.
2. Industry Standards: Implement a mandatory quality standard for all estate agents.
3. Tenant Support: Promote accessible channels for reporting and resolving discrimination cases.

By combining regulatory reforms with industry self-regulation and tenant empowerment, the Netherlands can move closer to a truly equitable housing market.

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