Driveway

Parking on Private Land

A driveway (oprit) in the Dutch context is a strip of privately owned land on a property's plot that provides access for a vehicle and allows for off-street parking. This feature is fundamentally tied to the type of housing. It is virtually non-existent in the dense historical centers of cities where buildings are constructed directly on the pavement line. Instead, driveways are a characteristic feature of post-war suburban development, most commonly found with terraced houses (rijtjeshuizen), semi-detached homes (twee-onder-een-kapwoningen), and detached houses. A driveway signifies that the property has its own private land at the front or side, a luxury in a country where space is a fiercely contested commodity.

The Value of an Oprit

The value of a private driveway for a resident in the Netherlands cannot be overstated. In most cities, on-street parking is tightly controlled and requires an expensive municipal permit (parkeervergunning). The waiting lists for these permits can be notoriously long—in some parts of Amsterdam, the wait can be several years. Having a private driveway completely bypasses this system. It provides a guaranteed, free (beyond the property cost) parking space directly at one's home. For a tenant, finding a rental property with a driveway is therefore extremely rare and highly desirable. Such properties will command a significant rental premium. A tenant should be aware that even if a house has a driveway, it may be very narrow by international standards, and the lease should be checked for any specific rules regarding its use (e.g., prohibitions on parking commercial vehicles).