New rules basing rent increases in the social housing sector on household income have led to a flood of protests, the Volkskrant reports on Thursday.

Based on a survey with housing corporations which own 25% of the social housing stock, the Volkskrant estimates 8% of tenants have made a formal complaint about their new rent.

‘The [new rules] will mean an extra member of staff,’ a spokesman for Arnhem’s social housing group Volkshuisvesting told the paper.

Tax office

The new system means people living in rent-controlled property who earned over €43,000 a year faced a 6.5% rent increase from July 1. Those earning €33,000 to €43,000 faced a 4.5% rise.

Landlords calculated who should pay the new rent on the basis of tax office information.

However, many complainants say the tax office details, based on 2011, tax returns, are no longer correct because they have lost their jobs, retired, or their household make-up has changed.

Only people earning below €33,000 are entitled to live in rent controlled property – or a house of flat costing below €665 a month. The aim of the higher rent increases is to encourage people to move to the private sector or buy a home.