A man who faces eviction from his Amsterdam rent-controlled apartment for owning two other properties had been renting those homes to migrant workers, it emerged on Tuesday.

Judges in Amsterdam ruled last Friday in favour of housing corporation Ymere, which is seeking to evict the man on the grounds that he owns other properties which he could reasonably live in. He has been given until 1 September 2025 to vacate the social housing flat.

The full court ruling has now been published, revealing that the man had been renting out his two privately owned properties to foreign workers who paid in cash — between €1,200 and €2,000 a month — and did not have a rental contract. No-one was officially registered as living at the addresses either.

The man, from Amsterdam, had been living in an Ymere property since 2014, paying less than €500 in rent.

At one point he owned three other properties but  has since sold one.

“Landlords know labour migrants are in a vulnerable position,” said Gert Jan Bakker from tenants’ rights group Woon. “They don’t know the rules and are less likely to report wrongdoing.”

Amsterdam city council has launched a campaign to make the capital’s foreign residents aware of their housing rights, together with the Woon foundation.

Check your rights via the city council website.