The All-Important Stamp of Approval
The werkgeversverklaring (employer's statement) is arguably the most crucial document in a Dutch rental application, aside from the employment contract itself. It is a standardized form, often based on a template from the NHG (National Mortgage Guarantee), which an applicant's employer must complete, sign, and often stamp. Its purpose is to provide a landlord or real estate agent with a verified, third-party confirmation of the applicant's employment situation and income. While salary slips show past earnings, the werkgeversverklaring provides a forward-looking statement about the stability of the applicant's job, making it a document of immense weight in the screening process.
Deconstructing the Document
A standard werkgeversverklaring contains several key fields that agents scrutinize:
- Employee and Employer Details: Basic information about who the applicant is and where they work.
- Position and Start Date: Confirms the applicant's role and length of service.
- Salary Breakdown: Provides a detailed breakdown of the gross annual salary, including holiday allowance, bonuses, and any other regular pay components.
- Nature of Employment (
Aard van het dienstverband): This is the most critical section. It specifies whether the employee has a permanent contract (contract voor onbepaalde tijd) or a fixed-term/temporary contract (contract voor bepaalde tijd).
- Letter of Intent (
Intentieverklaring): For employees on a temporary contract, this box is their lifeline. In it, the employer can declare their intention to offer a permanent contract upon the expiration of the current one, assuming performance remains satisfactory and business conditions are unchanged. Without this declaration, applicants on temporary contracts are often rejected immediately.
The Tenant's Dilemma
Prospective tenants are entirely dependent on their employer's cooperation and speed in providing this document. Any delay can mean losing out on a property. Furthermore, many employers are hesitant to sign the intentieverklaring for employees on temporary contracts, as it carries a strong moral commitment, even if it's not a legally binding guarantee of a future contract. This can leave employees in a catch-22, where they are perfectly capable of affording the rent but cannot produce the specific piece of paper that the rigid Dutch screening system demands.
