Do you experience discrimination during your search for housing?
Vizier is here to check this for you.

Vizier, the municipality of Nijmegen, Radboud University & HAN University of Applied Science work together to reduce housing discrimination against internationals. Because it is against the law, if someone treats you unfairly or differently just because of who you are. Unfortunately, discrimination can occur when you are looking for a room, apartment or house.

Discrimination may not always be evident, and Vizier can help you by checking your specific situation. Have you experienced or witnessed discrimination? You can report discrimination at Vizier. You can also report anonymously or if you are not sure whether something is discrimination.

What is your advantage of reporting discrimination at Vizier? The professionals at Vizier give advice on how to deal with your situation and they can offer you support to find a solution. Furthermore, they can help you with complaints and if desired with reporting to the police. Finally, you help future internationals by making the problem more visible to authorities, so that the problem can be tackled more specifically.

Housing discrimination can take place in many ways. Some examples are: 

  • Your landlord charges you more rent for the similar room in the same house because you are an international. 
  • You have to pay higher deposit because you are an international. 
  • You have to pay higher agency costs because you are an international. 
  • When the renting contract was for an indefinite period of time, but later the period has changed to a definite time.  
  • It is against the law if a landlord (who is not living in the same building as you) or housing association rejects an international based on their nationality. 

But important: many internationals are looking via Facebook-groups for a room. In some advertisements people ask for the Dutch Identity (Dutch only/ No internationals) when choosing a new housemate. This may be inconvenient but not against the law when selecting their housemate because of the right of co-optation that applies in the Netherlands.

Check if your housing problem is discrimination, or if you have any questions about discrimination, feel free to call or e-mail Vizier.  Please click here to report a complaint.