Oldenzaal wants to make home sharing easier: good news for creating extra housing places

The municipality of Oldenzaal wants to make home sharing easier in the future. With clearer rules and potentially free permits for forms such as homesharing and co-living.

Good news from Oldenzaal: the municipality wants to make home sharing easier. That is an important step, because forms such as homesharing, living-in arrangements and friends living together can quickly create extra housing places in homes that already exist.

Making smarter use of existing homes

Something is moving in Oldenzaal. The municipality wants to make home sharing easier in the future — and that is good news for everyone who believes the housing crisis can also be addressed more intelligently by making better use of the homes that already exist.

Because let’s be honest: new construction matters, but it takes time. In the meantime, many homes still have unused rooms or space that could be shared. With forms such as living-in arrangements, homesharing and friends living together, extra housing places can be created relatively quickly, without building a single new home.

Home sharing helps make better use of the existing housing stock. Think of a host offering a room to a student, a young professional or someone in urgent need of housing. Or people sharing a home together. These kinds of solutions can make a real difference in the short term.

What makes home sharing so valuable is that it is both practical and human. It is not just about square metres — it is about opening up space and creating new housing opportunities. It is important to note that room-by-room rental is not part of this proposal and will remain subject to a permit requirement.

What does the municipality of Oldenzaal want to change?

The municipal executive has drafted a proposal that includes a policy framework for home sharing and measures to reduce barriers. With this, Oldenzaal is sending a clear signal: home sharing deserves a more serious and accessible place within local housing policy.

Under the proposal, an environmental permit would still be required for home sharing. At the same time, the municipality wants to make applying for that permit much easier. Permit fees for living-in arrangements, homesharing and friends living together would be reduced to zero euros.

That may sound like a small detail, but in practice it matters. Clear rules and lower costs can make the difference between people taking action or holding back.

Not final yet: the municipal council still has to decide

At the same time, it is important to be clear about the current status of the proposal. The municipal executive drafted it in response to an adopted motion aimed at making better use of the current housing stock, but the municipal council still has to decide on it.

Only after that decision will it become clear when and how home sharing in Oldenzaal will actually become easier. If the council approves the proposal, more detailed communication will follow about the rules, conditions and possibilities.

So the direction is promising — but the formal decision-making process is still ahead.

Why this matters

At Hospi Housing, we see every day how much potential there is in sharing living space. Not only because it can create extra housing places more quickly, but also because it can make housing more personal, accessible and social.

That is exactly why it is encouraging to see municipalities like Oldenzaal taking this seriously. More clarity. Fewer barriers. More room for hosts and house seekers to find each other. That is the kind of movement the housing market needs.

And there is more to look forward to: a pilot collaboration between the municipality of Oldenzaal and Hospi Housing will also be launching soon. More on that later — but we are excited to contribute together to making home sharing more accessible.