Amsterdam houseboat rent security, due diligence;

Firstly, it's important to note that houseboats in the Netherlands are not "real" property, and are not covered by Dutch tenants rights or rent controls*. It is fully legal to live in a boat, and to rent a houseboat as a residence. Each of our boats is a legal address where tenants may register and receive mail.

Before signing a rental contract or handing over any money, both tenants and landlords need to do their due diligence. That is, check that the other party is what they say they are.

I’ve seen a lot of cut and pasted pages about houses, this is about houseboats in Amsterdam and is written by me.

Both landlords and tenants should be aware that houseboats are not real estate, and Dutch tenancy law does not apply.

Read your contract, because that’s what does apply.

For renters;

First, you need to be sure the person renting to you owns the boat, or is a registered agent [Makelaar in Dutch].

To check the ownership of the ship, you can contact the shipping register [Kadaster] on 088-183 2200

Not all boats are registered at the kadaster but most are these days.

I prefer to call Amsterdam waternet, ask for woonboot division, and ask the city office to confirm the owner’s name.

You need the name and the address of the boat.

When you meet for signing the contract, ask to see the owner’s ID. Take a picture of it.

That’s pretty much what you are able to do, it’s easy and doesn’t take much time. You can be fairly sure things are ok now.

Some questions to ask;

Does the tenant have to pay the ligeld [it will be sent to the eldest registered resident of the 1^st of each year], and if so how much is it?

What about the other city taxes, such as waterschapbelastingen [a pollution tax]?

For owners;

Obviously, you need to check whether the tenant[s] can pay the rent.

You’d be amazed how many people want to rent a property when they simply don’t have the means to do so!

Ask for the name and phone number of their boss, and tell them to inform that person you’ll be calling.

Independently check that number by googling the company and its officers. Google the tenant, check social media if possible. Spend an hour or two.

Previous landlords will sometimes give a reference. This is a bit tricky if it’s a large company.

As a small property owner, you have an edge over the large firms, you can be more flexible with income requirements and pets.

Remember that you’re starting a relationship. It really helps if everyone is friendly with each other.

At the same time, it’s business. We all need to find the balance.

There needs to be clear statements about rules for subletting, pets, smoking.

If the ship needs to go to the shipyard in the near future, that has to be stated too.

Most boats have sewage pumps, don’t forget to state what can and can’t be flushed.

I always insist that a single person is the main tenant, responsible for the rent, cleaning, and damage. I’ve had trouble when the lessee was a company, and they just stopped paying.

*New or prospective owners should be aware that Amsterdam has extended "Opkoopbescherming" aka "woonverplicht" to houseboats, so now if you buy a boat for less than 623,000 euros, you're not allowed to rent it out for 4 years.