An estimated 60,000 people live permanently on vacation parks across the Netherlands. Yet local authorities are actively defying a national government push to temporarily allow the practice, continuing to enforce bans and issue fines against permanent residents in the name of protecting public safety and the recreational sector.
Cabinet Urges Restraint Pending National Framework
The Dutch cabinet recently called on municipalities to pause enforcement and temporarily allow permanent residency on holiday parks. Minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan of Housing and Spatial Planning asked local councils to show restraint while the government works on a national framework scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
The administration aims to create legal pathways for long-term dwellers. It is making exceptions only for severe issues like criminal subversion or immediate safety hazards.
Regional Investigations Reveal Defiance Among Municipalities
Regional investigations by local broadcasters and the NOS reveal a different reality. Municipal governments are largely ignoring the ministerial appeal.
They maintain that recreational homes lack the structural requirements of standard residential properties and must be preserved strictly for leisure use.
Contrasting Approaches From Westerveld to Hardenberg
Municipal responses vary sharply by region, ranging from partial pauses on sweeping sweeps to strict, ongoing enforcement measures. In Drenthe, most local councils continue regular enforcement actions despite the cabinet’s request.
The Municipality of Westerveld adopted a middle ground. It paused park-wide enforcement sweeps while maintaining individual compliance checks, noting that broader actions are frozen pending the national cutoff date and potential legal rights to formal rulings.
In Overijssel, local authorities and the provincial government previously raised joint objections against the housing plans initially championed by former minister Mona Keijzer. Councils in the province argue that local governments are best equipped to assess their own housing markets.
While many Overijssel municipalities restrict their interventions to safety risks or direct complaints rather than immediate evictions, others press forward. The Municipality of Hardenberg continues conducting routine inspections and issuing binding penalty orders.
Ooststellingwerf Halts Sweeps Amid High Occupancy
Meanwhile, some councils took steps to ease pressure prior to the latest ministerial letter. The executive board of Ooststellingwerf chose to halt enforcement on permanent residency back in 2024 following earlier legalization proposals.
Despite that administrative pause, official figures show that individuals remain registered at 204 recreational properties across seven of the municipality’s 15 holiday parks. Actual occupancy numbers are believed to be even higher.
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