Reinforcement of the rental market on Bonaire
Today the Senate approved the introduction of the Caribbean Netherlands Rental Market Measures Act for Bonaire. The law appoints a Rent Committee that helps in disputes, transparent rents and rent compensation for tenants with a low income.
Transparent rents
By introducing the housing valuation system (point system) as a reference framework for rental properties, one can check if the requested rent is appropriate for the offered living space. Tenants and landlords can submit disputes about this to the Rent Committee: an impartial organisation that gives advice and can make binding decisions.
Rent compensation
The housing costs in the Dutch Caribbean are high. Substantially reducing these will contribute to a better income situation for the residents of Bonaire. The introduction of the law makes an improved rent compensation possible in the social rental sector for people with low incomes. This means that less income needs to be spent on housing costs. For the private rental sector this measure is still under investigation. The rent compensation is provided to the social landlord, who then charges a lower rent.
Implementation on St. Eustatius and Saba
The law will also be implemented on St. Eustatius and Saba, as soon as they have worked out the local regulations for a housing valuation system and a rent committee (island regulations). The original Caribbean Netherlands Rental Housing Market Act was published in the Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees on the 19th of April, 2017 and can now be introduced at different times per island as a result of the adopted legislative amendment.