You can have someone from the reception centre stay with you temporarily

Published at: 1/30/2024, 4:42 PM

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Do you have your own home and an extra room to spare? You can let someone who currently lives in an asylum seekers' centre (AZC) stay with you. This article tells you how that works.

Someone can stay with you temporarily instead of in the reception centre

Do you have an asylum residence permit and your own home? Then, via the

Central Organ for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)

or TakeCareBnb Foundation, you can let someone with an asylum application or residence permit stay with you for 3 months.

This allows the person who comes to stay with you to live with a family for a time instead of in the reception centre. That person then also does not have to report to COA in person for 3 months.

There are 2 ways to have someone stay with you:

1. You can have someone you know who has sought asylum stay with you

Do you know someone staying in an AZC and would like to take care of them temporarily? If so, you can. COA has a lodging arrangement that allows people who have applied for an asylum residence permit to stay with friends or family for 3 months. The people you know or family can arrange this through their contact at COA. Read how this works via the link below.

You may now temporarily stay with acquaintances if you have sought asylum

This article explains how your COA lodging arrangement works for people who have applied for asylum. Your potential guest must register with COA to stay with you.

2. You can let someone with a residence permit you do not know stay with you

Do you want to host someone you do not know? Via TakeCarebnb, you can become a host family for people with a residence permit who are waiting in asylum reception centres for a home of their own. To do so, you register with TakeCarebnb. Then you will have an interview with someone from TakeCarebnb.

TakeCareBnb will look for a lodger who is a good match for you. After a trial period of one weekend during which you and your guest see if it clicks, you can live together for 3 months. The person who helps you from TakeCareBnb remains your contact during those 3 months and answers questions from you and your guest.

Do you not like the stay within those 3 months? Then TakeCareBnb may be able to find another host family for your guest. Please contact your contact person at TakeCareBnb.

Application form to become a host family

Here you can sign up in English as a host family.

You and your lodger sign a lodging contract

Have you decided you want to become a host family and have a lodger? Then you will sign a lodging contract. This contract contains agreements about the length of the stay and what arrangements you will make about it.

After the lodging period starts, your lodger must register at your address within 5 days.

Taking in a lodger can have financial implications

The stay may have consequences on, for example, the amount of your social security benefit or the benefits you receive. TakeCareBnb or COA can support you if you have further questions.

Below is an overview of the most important information:

Possible consequences for your state pension

Possible consequences on your welfare benefits

Possible consequences on your municipal taxes and fees

Possible consequences for your allowances

Additional information about rental allowance

If you have a lodger, this may also affect the amount of your rental allowance. This depends on your joint income. Does your guest not work or does your guest only receive money from COA? If so, this will not affect your rental allowance.

Does your lodger have a job? Then this may affect your rental allowance. This depends on how much money you earn together. You can calculate this via the

Dutch tax authorities

. You can request support for this from TakeCareBnB or COA.

'Mijn toeslagen'

Report any changes in your income or rent that affect your allowances.

You can extend the stay

After 3 months, does your lodger still not have their own home? And are you happy with the stay? Your guest can ask COA if they can stay with you longer.

Do you not want this? Then your lodger will get another place in the reception centre at COA.

Is your lodger offered a home by your municipality? Then the lodging arrangement stops.