Although the results of the monitor show progress in some areas, the research also indicates that continued efforts in awareness, enforcement, and cooperation remain necessary to ensure everyone in the Netherlands has an equal chance at housing. Minister Mona Keijzer of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) continues the annual monitoring of housing discrimination, focusing on education, strengthening local and sector-specific approaches, and implementing the Good Landlord Act. Industry organizations are working to raise awareness among their members. This fall, a new awareness campaign on social media about housing discrimination and the Good Landlord Act is also underway.
Research Findings
The Verwey-Jonker Institute conducted the fourth National Monitor on behalf of VRO. During the research, investigators used fictitious personal profiles in correspondence tests to obtain invitations for rental property viewings. They varied origin (name) and gender among other factors. In previous editions, candidates with non-Dutch sounding names were invited less often. In the latest measurement, researchers no longer see this difference: all profiles now have an equal chance of being invited.
The monitor further shows that awareness of discrimination is increasing in the rental sector. During so-called mystery calls, researchers called rental intermediaries with discriminatory requests, such as excluding certain tenant groups. In 55% of the conversations, agents identified this as discrimination, and over 22% explicitly rejected the request, compared to 14% in 2014. However, more than half of intermediaries are still willing to comply with such requests, compared to over 37% in 2022.
