News

House rental guide in the Netherlands

Published

2 years ago

19/07/2022

House rental guide in the Netherlands. Of course, the first thing you need to do after it is announced that you will come to the Netherlands is to find a house to lay your head in. Unfortunately, renting a house in the Netherlands is a bleeding wound. Because there is an imbalance of supply and demand. In fact, this problem has become even greater in big cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. We will try to give you all the information you need and need to know about renting a house in the Netherlands Home Rental Guide.

House rental guide in the Netherlands

Social Home

About 75% of rental homes in the Netherlands are social homes. These houses are affiliated with housing associations called Housing Associations. A government-supported option for people with insufficient income, which lowers housing costs for them. Every year, associations have to allocate 80% of the houses they own to families with an annual income of up to €39,055, 10% to families with an annual income of €39,055 and €43,574, and the remaining 10% to families with an annual income of more than €43,574. . The state sets an upper limit for the rent of these houses every year. For 2020, this limit is 737.14€.

There is a long waiting list for social housing. If you come as an expat, you have very little chance in these houses. Because you’re probably over the salary cap.

To benefit from these houses:

– First of all, you need to register with one of the housing associations in the region where you want to keep the house.

– After registering with this association, the association will issue a residence permit for you. The purpose of this permit is to prevent people who do not need it from renting a social home. Your income must be within the limits set for that year.

– The next thing is to wait. As we said, the waiting lists are quite long. We even heard it was 15 years in Amsterdam.

Free market

All houses other than social houses are considered as free markets. You can rent them through real estate agents or directly with the landlords. Most of the houses are in the hands of real estate agents. Landlords can be companies in some cases. A company can allocate 100 flats of its construction project to rent and operate them. In this case, you can rent through the application sites determined by the company.

House Types

The houses are divided into 3 according to the condition of the goods. The amount may vary depending on the type of house and the condition of the furniture in the house. Of course, a furnished house means an increase in the responsibilities of the tenant.

Unfurnished (Unfurnished, Ongemeubileerd )

In the Netherlands, unfurnished houses have a very strange situation. If a house is unfurnished, it may not only be the furniture we know, but also the floor covering, kitchen cabinets, carpet, some electrical items. Especially seeing a house without a floor can be quite interesting for many of us.

Therefore, when looking at the house, it is useful to check if there are floors, curtains, etc. in the house. Because these will come back to you as an extra expense.

Another issue is that when you leave the house, you leave the house as you found it. So, if you have the floor covering done yourself, you can either remove it when you leave or sell it to a new tenant.

Semi-furnished, sofa furnished, Gestoffeerd )

In semi-furnished houses, there may be floor coverings, curtains, white goods in the kitchen and even a washer/dryer. These houses are the first choice for us. Because it is the floor, it is the curtain, you do not have to deal with it. Of course, the rent is slightly higher than in a completely unfurnished house. It can vary between 50-200 € depending on the house. The larger the house, the higher the price.

Along with the rental agreement, there is a list of the items in the house. This list is passed with the real estate agent or the landlord and it is agreed that the goods are without any problems. When leaving the house, a check is made on this list again.

Furnished (Furnished, Gemeubileerd )

Furnished houses have all the basic items that should be in a house. Such as white goods, crockery and furniture in the kitchen.

There is also a list of items here. When you first keep the house and when you leave the house, this list is checked.

While seeing the house, it is useful to ask what will stay in the house and what will not.

Bills

Electricity, natural gas and water bills are sometimes included in the rent. It is very important to pay attention to this. You can think of the average invoice amount as 200€ per month. Of course, there is no upper limit to this.

Things to consider when looking at rental ads

– If invoices are included, including service costs or inclusief servicekosten will be written. Sometimes incl. g/w/e/ (g: natural gas, w: water, e: electricity)

– If invoices are not included, excluding service costs or inclusief servicekosten will be written. Sometimes excl. g/w/e/ (g: natural gas, w: water, e: electricity)

The billing system in the Netherlands is slightly different. At the beginning of the year, you make an agreement with the infrastructure companies according to your estimated expenditure and pay a fixed amount every month (for electricity, water and natural gas). I’m new to the country, don’t be afraid to guess how. When you answer some questions such as the address of the house you will rent and the number of residents, they automatically calculate. At the end of the year, there is an additional invoice if you paid less, or a refund if you overpaid. The same is true if bills are included in the rent. So you pay a fixed amount to the landlord every month. The landlord sends you the invoices and the account at the end of the year. If you overpaid, you can get your money back. If you pay less, you pay the difference.

The Most Used Websites to Find a Home

Now that you have mastered the general terms, you can start your home search. Below we list a few sites that are frequently used to find a rental home. We even linked the English versions for convenience.

Pararius and Funda are the most used websites. We’ve also added a few alternatives.

pararius.com

funda.nl

directwonen.nl

https://www.huurwoningen.nl

https://www.dutchhousing.nl/en/home (Especially for Amsterdam)

https://housingonline.nl/en/properties/ (for Amsterdam and surroundings)

Realtor Subject

Many rental homes are rented by real estate agents. The real estate agent profile in the Netherlands is quite different from that in your country. They have ultra luxury cars under them. They are very stylishly dressed. We warn you in advance so that you are not surprised when you see it.

In general, the landlord pays the real estate agent costs in rental works, but in some cases, a commission can be taken from the tenant. Therefore, it is useful to ask this in the first place.

Seeing the Houses

Let’s say there are a few houses that you catch your eye on from the sites we mentioned above. The first thing you need to do is to request an appointment through the website. Here, you will send the request after entering your information and entering the details such as which day you prefer to see the house. They will get back to you to set up an appointment by email or phone. If the house is rented directly from the owner, this communication will be with the landlord. But the option to rent by owner is almost non-existent.

You will meet at home on the agreed day and time. If there is a real estate agent in between, you can see the house with the real estate agent and shower him with questions.

What is Required to Rent a House?

In order to rent a house in the Netherlands, you have to go through some stages and deliver some documents to the real estate agent/landlord.

– Residence permit. It is not possible for you to take any official action in the Netherlands without it.

– There may be people who like the house you like and want to rent it. In this case, the landlord has to make a choice. You may be asked for a motivation letter just as you would with a job application. Especially in cities where large and rented houses are scrambled, there may be more than one candidate who wants to rent a house. In this case, the landlord has to make a choice among these candidates. It is very important at this point to deliver the requested documents on time and completely. We were able to rent our house thanks to someone who could not deliver their documents. Another tip is to give a little more than the requested rent amount, which can make you stand out among other candidates.

– Proof that you can pay the rent. If it is your first home in the Netherlands, you can usually ask for an employment contract proving your salary. At the same time, the duration of your contract with the place where you work can also be effective in the decision process.

– We read that in some places BSN (you can think of it as an ID number here) is requested. However, BSN is taken with an application to the municipality when your address in the Netherlands is determined. So you cannot receive without an address in the Netherlands. The house can be rented just fine without BSN.

– After submitting the documents and the landlord’s approval, it’s up to the signing of the lease. But you can guess that all documents are in Dutch. Therefore, you can request an English contract to be sent. However, in many cases this may not be possible. You can ask for help from your colleagues, acquaintances, company HR. This is how we did it.

In some cases, the landlord may request extra documents. Don’t think that what’s left is the document we haven’t given yet. They asked us for our bank statement for the last 6 months in our country.

Extra Costs

There will be some extra costs when renting the house. The biggest item of these is the deposit. It is usually taken as 2 rentals. So when you first enter the house, set yourself up to pay that month’s rent plus 2 rent deposits.

Apart from that, the real estate agent cost we mentioned above, if you are buying a completely unfurnished house, expenses such as flooring, kitchen cabinets, which are strange for us but quite ordinary for the Netherlands, may come to the fore.

Rental Assistance

Rent support (huur toeslag) can be obtained from the state both for social housing and at the same time. Here are the conditions for this:

– be over 18 years old

– Have a Dutch residence permit

– Income less than a certain limit (We detail below)

– Being a self-sufficient house (must have room, bathroom, kitchen)

– The value of the house does not exceed a certain limit

– The rental amount is not above a certain amount

– If invoices are not included, it will be written as excluding service hosts or exclusive servicekosten. Sometimes excl. g/w/e/ (g: natural gas, w: water, e: electricity)

Rent Increase

The landlord determines the rent increase. The contract states the increase for the first year. A new rate is set for the following years. However, if you find it high, you can negotiate with the landlord. If the dispute continues, it is necessary to apply to the Huurcommisie, which we mentioned below.

Room Rental

It is also possible to rent a room in the Netherlands. For this, we leave the most used site below.

https://kamernet.nl/en

Notice period

Unless otherwise stated in the contract, the notice period is 1 month. In other words, if you are going to leave the house, you must notify your landlord at least 1 month in advance. If there is a real estate agent in between, you can also let him know.

Disputes

There is an institution called Huurcommisie that can settle most disputes without going to court if there is any dispute with the landlord. You can apply here for any dispute. If you have an objection to the decision of this institution, the last resort is to take it to court.

Insurances for Rental Houses

We will also touch on the subject of insurance in the Netherlands. There is insurance for everything you can think of, but it is worth mentioning the insurances related to this issue. These insurances are not very expensive, but they save you big expenses.

Property Insurance (Homehold Contents Insurance / Inboedelverzekering )

This insurance is an insurance against any damage to the belongings in the house in events such as fire, flood, theft. Not compulsory but one of the most popular insurances in the Netherlands. If you have a furnished home, the landlord may require this insurance. In this case, insurance is included as a clause in the contract. For us, it was mandatory.

Liability Insurance

Yes, the Dutch name is too long. Don’t let this scare you 🙂 This insurance is actually a comprehensive insurance. The part that concerns the house protects you if you, your child or your pet accidentally damage anything in the house (it is very important that there is no intention here).

We hope that our article will be useful for you and you can find the house you want. Good luck to you in this process!

News

Major disruption in train services between Rotterdam and Den Haag until December

Published

6 months ago

25/10/2023

Berry Fox

Major disruption in train services between Rotterdam and Den Haag until December

It was stated that there will be delays and disruptions in train services between Rotterdam, Delft and Den Haag for the next few weeks.

Dutch Railways (NS) stated that as of today, train services will be disrupted due to maintenance and repair works on train tracks and platforms between Rotterdam, Delft and Den Haag, and train services will be temporarily stopped on some lines.

Maintenance and repair works to be carried out by Prorail will continue until December 3. Rails and platforms will be renewed, and work will be carried out to increase train safety.

In the NS statement, it was warned that train services may depart from other platforms and services may occur at different hours than usual and journey times may vary accordingly.

Lines outside the Rotterdam-Den Haag line (such as the line between Amsterdam Centraal and Vlissingen) will also be affected by the large-scale maintenance and repair work carried out by Prorail. For this reason, train passengers are advised to check the NS website before setting off.

NS; He states that the number of passengers will increase and more train services will be made in the coming years, and that the work carried out by Prorail is necessary.

News

More than 800 film producers and actors in the Netherlands call for sanctions against Israel

Published

6 months ago

25/10/2023

Berry Fox

More than 800 film producers and actors in the Netherlands call for sanctions against Israel

More than eight hundred well-known names from the cinema world in the Netherlands called on the interim government to impose economic and political sanctions on Israel.

More than eight hundred Dutch filmmakers and actors called on the interim government to “impose sanctions on Israel within the European framework.” The letter distributed on the social media platform Instagram also includes the signatures of players such as Carice van Houten, Sanne Vogel and Georgina Verbaan.

“We condemn Hamas’ attack, the constant hostage-taking that caused the loss of life of many Israeli civilians,” the letter said, adding: “We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian disaster currently taking place in Gaza. “More than 6,000 bombs dropped by Israel on Gaza since October 7 have killed thousands of Palestinians and threatened to displace more than a million people,” the letter said. “Meanwhile, the Israeli media is calling for the “destruction” of Gaza. “Israel is threatening to bomb even more heavily, and a ground attack seems imminent.” It emphasizes that concerns about the situation in Gaza are increasing.

In the letter, the signatories emphasized that unconditional support from the Netherlands and a call for a “break in war” were not enough and asked: “What will the government do while the international law of war is being violated and Israel is intensifying its military campaign?” he asks the question.

The letter concludes as follows: We, the undersigned filmmakers, actors and film professionals, reject violence against all civilians, regardless of their identity. “Therefore, we request the government to put pressure on the European Commission to impose economic and political sanctions on Israel within the European framework, if Israel does not immediately declare a ceasefire and guarantee humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

News

There will also be an increase in the consumption tax on soft drinks in the Netherlands

Published

6 months ago

25/10/2023

Berry Fox

There will also be an increase in the consumption tax on soft drinks in the Netherlands

Next year, the consumption tax on soft drinks will be increased. As of January 1, prices will increase by an average of 26 cents.

The government aims to increase the excise tax on soft drinks as of January 1, 2024, and to eliminate the excise tax on mineral water from 2024. Therefore, not only the price of beverages such as cola and fruit juice, but also the prices of plant-based beverages such as oat milk and almond milk, which are used as alternatives to milk, will increase by an average of 26 cents per liter.

According to the information on the Rijksoverheid website, starting from next year, lemonade (including syrup), fruit juices, vegetable juices, mineral water, non-alcoholic beer, low-alcohol beer containing 0.5% or less alcohol, and other beverages containing a maximum of 1.2% alcohol will be limited to 100% alcohol. The price of a liter will increase from 17.30 euros to 26.13 euros.

The purpose of the consumption tax that the government will impose on soft drinks, popularly known as the “lemonade tax”, is to direct people to make healthier choices. In addition, to increase the income from taxes to the state coffers. It is stated that with the new consumption tax, 300 million euros will be generated for the state coffers.

There are also those who oppose the “lemonade tax”
The price hike for plant-based products, which are used by vegetarians and vegans because they think they are better for their health, has been criticized by some circles. The petition launched by a university student opposing this tax has already been signed by 40 thousand people.

College student Misty Mason thinks this isn’t fair. Stating that it is unfair to impose higher taxes on milk alternatives, Mason points out that cow’s milk and chocolate milk are exempt from this tax.

Oatly, the maker of oat milk, supports the petition and even started a campaign. In many places in Amsterdam, there is a photo of a packet of oat milk with a QR code leading to the petition and the words: “This is not lemonade, the government says so.” He had written billboards put up.

The petition is also supported by associations and institutions that promote plant-based nutrition.

Van Ooijen: “It is not possible to exempt these products”
State Secretary for Health Maarten van Ooijen acknowledged in a statement to Trouw that the increase in the price of oat milk had an ‘inadvertent, undesirable and even unreasonable effect’, but said he wanted to continue implementing the tax increase for now. According to Van Ooijen, it is technically not possible to put milk drinks in a separate category and therefore exempt them from tax increases.

News

Wanted murder suspect Bretty Dorder in the Netherlands was caught!

Published

6 months ago

25/10/2023

Berry Fox

Wanted murder suspect Bretty Dorder in the Netherlands was caught

The notorious murderer suspect, 24-year-old Bretly Dorder, who was wanted since last Saturday, was caught in Amsterdam.

Suspect Bretly Dorder, who was wanted for allegedly killing a psychiatrist and causing injury to a person in a fight in Zutphen, was caught in Amsterdam.

According to Het Parool newspaper, at around 08:00 this morning, the police received a report that the suspect was seen getting on the subway. Thereupon, police teams took action and arrived in the area.

It was stated in the news that the suspect, who saw the police officers, fled to a hotel in Prins Hendrikkade. Police teams entered the hotel and eventually caught the suspect, who came out of the hotel toilet with his hands up.

The police had recently raided several houses in Amsterdam-Oost and Arnhem, considering the reports received in the past few days.

New images have been published
In the information given in the Opsporing Verzoek television program broadcast on Tuesday evening, it was stated that it is not known whether Dorder is still in Amsterdam, but he was seen at the Amsterdam Centraal Train station at the end of last week. He shared new images of Dorder. Pointing out that Dorder did not act very carefully despite the suspicion of murder against him and all the public statements about him, the police spokesman said, “He does not hide himself.” He stated:

In the published photos, Dorder can be seen wearing a dark blue hooded jacket and smoking a cigarette at the entrance of the station. In the second photo, he can be seen wearing sunglasses.

The police stated that the suspect usually travels by public transportation and especially by train, and warned: “We ask people traveling by public transportation to take a good look around them.”

Anyone who sees the murder suspect or knows his whereabouts is advised not to contact him and to call the emergency number 112 immediately.

What is known so far about fugitive Bretty Dorder
Bretly Dorder (24) is suspected of being involved in the shooting incident that took place on Rotterdam Handelsplein on 13 October, leading to the death of Rotterdam psychiatrist Jean van Griensven (60). What is known about Dorder, who has been missing since Saturday and is also wanted in Germany and Belgium, is as follows:

Dorder is described as a “large” man, aged 24, approximately 1.83 meters tall. He does not have a fixed residence address.
Dorder was released in July. The court in Rotterdam ordered him to remain free in his trial, where he is expected to be convicted on three separate charges of threats, attempted (serious) assault and theft of a driver’s licence.
Police released two photos of Dorder and emphasized that he was considered armed and dangerous.
A week after the fatal shooting, Dorder was reportedly involved in a stabbing in Zutphen.
Dorder is frequently active on online platforms and communicates with men through chat rooms such as Bullchat.
It was stated that the Dutch police received many reports about the fugitive and based on these reports, it was determined that Dorder frequently traveled by train.
On Sunday, police in Wesel, Germany, carried out an operation following a tip from a truck driver. However, the suspect was not found.
In the police statements, it was emphasized that anyone who sees Dorder should definitely not contact him and should immediately call the emergency number 112.

News

Fighting dog feces: Tracing feces with DNA

Published

7 months ago

29/09/2023

Kenta Fox

A municipality in the Netherlands is establishing a DNA database to combat dog feces.

In a municipality of the Dutch province of Zeeland, it was decided to establish a DNA database in order to punish those who leave their dog’s feces on the street.

According to the news in the public broadcaster NOS, the proposal submitted by the Socialist Reform Party (SGP) to create a DNA database to identify those who leave their dog’s feces on the street was accepted in the Municipal Council.

The SGP wants all dog owners in Reimerswaal to register their dog’s DNA in the database. The costs are estimated at around 75 to 100 euros and must be paid by the dog owners. Dog owners in the municipality do not pay dog tax. The SGP wants a fine for unregistered dogs of around 150 euros.

If the plans go ahead, boas would have to take samples of feces lying around in the municipality, which would then be tested. The dog owner can then expect a fine.

News

Ajax – Feyenoord: 0-4 (MATCH RESULT)

Published

7 months ago

29/09/2023

Kenta Fox

The match between Ajax and Feyenoord in the Dutch League on September 24, which was abandoned while the guest team Feyenoord was leading 3-0 due to torches thrown onto the field, was played again from the 56th minute. Feyenoord defeated its opponent 4-0 in the giant match.

The Ajax-Feyenoord match in the Dutch Eredivisie, which was interrupted in the 56th minute due to torches thrown onto the field on Sunday, September 24, was played without spectators today.

Feyenoord won the match, which continued where it left off at the Johan Cruyff Arena, 4-0 with the goal scored by Santiago Gimenez in the 59th minute.

In the 6th week of the league, Feyenoord, hosted by Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Sunday, September 24, took a 3-0 lead in the match with Santiago Gimenez in the 9th and 18th minutes and Igor Paixao shaking the net in the 37th minute. In the 44th minute, due to torches thrown onto the field, Turkish-Dutch referee Serdar Gözübüyük stopped the game and went to the dressing room. While the match continued after the events calmed down, this time the match was stopped and abandoned again in the 56th minute due to torches thrown towards the Ajax goal.

Ajax, who could only get 1 win in the league this season, is in 14th place with 5 points. Feyenoord is in 3rd place with 14 points.

News

Armed attack in Rotterdam, Netherlands: 3 dead

Published

7 months ago

29/09/2023

Kenta Fox

3 people died in an armed attack in two different places in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The attacker, who was a medical student and had a criminal record of animal abuse, set fire to a house and part of the Erasmus University Faculty of Medicine Hospital.

The incident in the country’s second largest city occurred on Thursday afternoon.

According to the statement made by the Rotterdam police, the 32-year-old attacker first carried out an armed attack at a house in the Delfshaven district.

A 39-year-old woman died in the attack, and her 14-year-old daughter was seriously injured. The child was taken to the hospital and later died.

The attacker then set the house on fire. It was stated that several houses on the street were also affected by the attack and fire.

The attacker went to Erasmus University Faculty of Medicine by motorcycle and shot and killed a 46-year-old male lecturer in one of the classrooms.

The attacker then went to the medical faculty hospital and set fire to a section there.

It is said that the armed attacker, who was reported to be wearing a bullet-proof vest, threw a Molotov cocktail at the hospital. However, this information has not yet been confirmed by official authorities.

Following the incident, heavily armed police special units were directed to the medical school. Police detained the 32-year-old attacker at the helipad of the hospital.

Rotterdam Chief Public Prosecutor Hugo Hillenaar announced that the attacker, a medical student, was convicted of animal abuse in 2021.

It is stated that the woman he killed was the attacker’s neighbor, and the male victim was his teacher at the university.

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb stated that there are many scenarios regarding the attack and emphasized that the investigation is still at a very early stage and many questions are waiting for answers.

“All of these questions really need to be answered, and that’s the job of the justice system,” Aboutaleb said.

Rotterdam Police Chief Fred Westerbeke also stated that the attack was a single-person and planned attack. The police chief did not provide further details about the incident.

It was reported that the attacker will be brought to court on Tuesday.

News

Home Ownership Rate Declines in European Union Countries

Published

7 months ago

25/09/2023

Kenta Fox

Home ownership rates are decreasing in European Union countries. 69.9 percent of the population living in the EU lives in their own homes.

The home ownership rate is 49.1 percent in Germany, 54.2 percent in Austria and 59.2 percent in Denmark. The home ownership rate is at high levels in countries such as Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. In EU countries, 43.8 percent of the population lives in a debt-free owner-occupied residence. The rate of people living in rented houses is 30.1 percent. The housing crisis is deepening in developed European countries, and housing costs may cause other expenses to be postponed.

According to the information compiled by the AA correspondent from the European Statistical Office data, 69.9 percent of the population living in the EU lives in their own homes. home ownership rateGermany49.1 percent in Austria 54.2 percent in Denmark In , it is at 59.2 percent.

In the European Union, 43.8 percent of the population lives in an owner-occupied residence, free of mortgages or mortgages. This rate is over 60 percent in 10 EU member countries. The highest debt-free home ownership rate is in Romania with 93.9 percent, while Croatia has 82.8 percent.BulgariaIt follows Romania with 82.6 percent.

In contrast, 30.1 percent of the EU population lives in rental housing. Germany with 50.9 percent tenant. It stands out as the country with the highest rate. Germany is followed by Austria with 45.8 percent, Denmark with 40.8 percent, and Denmark with 35.3 percent.

“The housing crisis is deepening”

In his statement to AA correspondent, Cushman & Wakefield I TR International Chairman of the Board of Directors, Tuğra Gönden, noted that housing costs in metropolitan cities in EU countries, generally in central locations, are quite high.

Stating that the population density is increasing year by year in the metropolitan cities of high-income countries, Gönden said, “The limited housing and land supply and the fact that more people want to live in urban areas causes housing prices to increase. As a result, this situation is also reflected in the housing ownership rates and people rent houses instead of buying houses.” “It causes them to turn to housing. Moreover, this increase in demand causes the prices of both sale and rental housing to increase, causing this vicious circle to continue.” he said.

Emphasizing that the housing crisis is deepening in developed European countries, Gönden made the following evaluations:

“The housing crisis in Germany is deepening, and the arrival of immigrants makes this situation even more complicated. Especially in one of the big citiesBerlinThis problem is felt more in Germany’s major metropolises such as. Due to increasing construction costs, rising interest rates and the influx of refugees, the housing deficit in the country has reached its highest level in the last 20 years. Ukraine-Russia The demand of Ukrainians who came to Germany after the war caused the need for an additional 200 thousand houses. The increases in rental prices caused great public reaction, and the government organized a referendum to find a solution to this problem. As a result of the referendum, 56.4 percent voted yes for the expropriation of more than 240 thousand houses.

Similar housing crisis problems are experienced in France. Rental expenses constitute a large part of the monthly expenses of French households. Capital city Paris increase in housing prices in central regions such as Turkey, etc., drives those looking for housing away from city centers and also prolongs the process of finding rental housing. According to the report of the Abbe Pierre Foundation, by 2022, 4.15 million people in France face housing problems or live in inhumane conditions. Following these housing supply problems, the French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that it plans to provide easier access to loans and offer loan opportunities with 0 interest by collaborating with banks to ensure that citizens have easier access to housing in regions where there is a housing shortage.

News

Van Gogh’s stolen painting was found after 3.5 years

Published

7 months ago

25/09/2023

Kenta Fox

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand, known as the ‘Indiana Jones’ of the art world, found Van Gogh’s painting stolen from the museum three and a half years ago.

A painting by Dutch painter Van Gogh, stolen from a museum three and a half years ago during the coronavirus outbreak, was found.

Art detective Arthur Brand said: “Confirming that the painting was the stolen Van Gogh was one of the best moments of my life.”

Richard Bronswijk from the art crimes unit of the Dutch police said, “Arthur Brand solved this problem in cooperation with the Dutch police. The painting is absolutely real, there is no doubt about it.”

Detective Brand received the lost painting “Parsonage Garden in Nuenen” dated 1884 at a house in Amsterdam.

The painting, estimated to be worth three to six million Euros, was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum on March 30, 2020.

In the video published by the Dutch police shortly after the robbery, it is seen that a thief broke the glass door of the museum near Amsterdam at midnight and ran away with the painting hidden under his arm.

Van Gogh Vicarage Garden at Nuenen

‘The Indiana Jones of the art world’

Dubbed the ‘Indiana Jones of the art world’, Brand made a name for himself by retrieving stolen works of art, including bronze statues of “Hitler’s Horses”, a Picasso painting and a ring belonging to Oscar Wilde.

The whereabouts of the Van Gogh painting were unknown until two weeks ago. However, one person called the detective and said he wanted to return the painting.

Brand noted that an unidentified man delivered the painting to him in a blue IKEA bag and a pillowcase.

A video the detective released shows him “opening the painting in the living room and being stunned by the discovery.”

Thief sentenced to 8 years in prison

In April 2021, police arrested a man identified by Dutch media as Nils M. on charges of theft. Nils M. was later sentenced to eight years in prison.

Nils M. was also found guilty of stealing Frans Hals’s “Two laughing children” in another robbery.

Brand said that a few months after the theft, he learned from a source in the criminal world who had bought the Van Gogh painting from Nils M.

The art detective said the man is currently in prison on a separate case involving the import and export of cocaine. Dutch media announced that this person was Peter Roy K., who was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and that he asked for a reduction in his sentence by using the painting as collateral. Confirming the identity of Peter Roy K., Brand noted that “there will be no agreement to reduce the sentence.”

The Van Gogh painting was returned to the director of the Groningen Museum, who had loaned it to the Singer Karen Museum.

News

Pakistani cricketer who put a bounty on Geert Wilders’ head gets 12 years in prison

Published

7 months ago

25/09/2023

Kenta Fox

Geert Wilders’ Hz. The cartoon contest on Muhammad caused reactions from Muslims around the world.

Pakistani international cricketer Khalid Latif, who put a bounty on his head for the murder of Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the Netherlands.

Hz. A court in the Netherlands held a trial in absentia against former cricketer Latif, who placed a 21 thousand euro bounty on Wilders’ head for organizing a cartoon contest on the subject of Muhammad.

In its decision on Monday, the Hague District Court said, “The court ruled that the suspect’s statements should be considered as an attempt to incite, incite and threaten murder. The words used by the suspect are clear: He promises a significant amount of money to perform a certain action and kill Wilders.” he said.

Prosecutors stated in the indictment that the leader of the Freedom Party accused people of the Prophet Muhammad in 2018. It was reported that Latif offered a cash reward to those who would assassinate Wilders after he organized a contest calling for submissions of Muhammad caricatures.

Latif, who lives in Pakistan, was not present at the hearing and did not retain a lawyer. According to local media, this is the first time a court in the Netherlands has convicted a non-Dutch person living abroad. There is no extradition agreement between the two countries.

‘If there was more, I would give it’

Geert Wilders’ Hz. The cartoon contest on Muhammad caused reactions from Muslims around the world.

Latif, a well-known figure in Pakistan, promised 3 million Pakistani rupees to “the person who will kill the person who planned this game” in a video he shared on social media and said, “If it was more, I would give it.” he said.

Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands at the time, condemned the cartoon contest as “provocative” and emphasized that Wilders was not part of the government. Wilders later canceled the contest.