Temporary Lease of a Vacant Property

The Vacancy Act provides for the possibility of temporarily renting out vacant residential space in a building or in a dwelling intended for sale, demolition, or renovation.

In other words: if your home is for sale and is vacant (this is verified through the GBA), you can submit an application.

Please note! To be eligible for a permit under the Vacancy Act, the residence must be vacant from the time of the application through the time the permit is granted.

If the property is rented out before the lease term ends, the tenant is protected under rent control laws, and a permit issued under the Vacancy Act can no longer change that.

How does it work?

When you submit an application, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.

Within two weeks of receipt, we will verify whether the application is complete. If any documents are missing, you will receive a letter specifying which documents you still need to submit. If you do not submit the requested information within the specified time frame, your application may be set aside. In that case, your file will be closed.

You can apply for the permit for the following vacant buildings:

  • A home that is for sale and has never been lived in.
  • A home that is for sale and in which the owner lived during the 12 months prior to it becoming vacant.
  • A home that is for sale and has been rented out for no more than 3 years over the past 10 years.
  • A rental property that is being demolished or renovated.
  • A building that is not intended for residential use (for example, an office, a school, or a building for group housing).

How long is your permit valid for?

  • Property listed for sale: 5 years
  • Rental property that is being demolished or renovated: 2 years (extendable to a maximum of 7 years)
  • Housing in an office, school, or group living facility: 2 years (extendable to a maximum of 10 years)
  • Residential property for which you have an exemption from the zoning plan: for the duration of the exemption (up to 10 years).

What should I do?

Please note! Is the validity period of your current permit for your home that is for sale less than 5 years? If so, you do not need to renew it. Your permit is still valid for 5 years. You can ask the municipality of Voorschoten to confirm this by sending an email to leegstandvergunning@voorschoten.nl

What do I need?

You do not need to make an appointment to submit a permit application.

To submit a complete application, you must provide a number of documents (Checklist):

- The original Application Form for a Permit for the Temporary Rental of Vacant Residential Property under the Vacancy Act, fully completed and signed by all owners.

- Consent from the co-owner or co-owners via an electronic form.

- A copy of the deed of conveyance for the property to be temporarily rented or proof of ownership of the property to be rented.

- Supporting documents showing when the property was listed for sale; this could include, for example, the registration with a real estate agent.

- Documentation showing that the home is currently on the market.

Costs

2025:

The fees are calculated based on the property’s WOZ value as of January 2023, in accordance with the Municipality of Voorschoten’s 2024 Fee Ordinance. The rate is set at 0.04% of the property’s sales value, with a minimum fee of €70.00 and a maximum of €445.00.

To extend for one year a permit for the temporary rental of a vacant residential unit as referred to

under Article 15, paragraph 9, of the Vacancy Act, €70.00

Once you have submitted the details of the property to be rented, the fees will be calculated and you will receive a request for payment of the fees.

Voorschoten Fee Ordinance

Additional Information

The processing time for your application is eight weeks. By submitting a complete application in one go, you can shorten the processing time.

You can find detailed information on the Rent Commission's website at.

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