The Squatting and Vacancy Act (Wet kraken en leegstand)
entered into force on 1 October 2010. The aim of the new
legislation is both to introduce stricter anti-squatting measures
and to reduce vacancy rates still further. As a result of the entry
into force of the new Act, various items of legislation including
the Dutch Criminal Code and the existing Vacant Property Act
(Leegstandswet) were amended with effect from 1 October 2010.
According to the legislator, there is a close connection between
tackling squatting and tackling vacancy. This is said to explain
the need for a more comprehensive approach to the twin problems of
squatting and empty properties.
The Squatting and Vacancy Act is intended to provide
municipalities and property owners with more ways of preventing
property from falling vacant or in any event of ending vacancy as
quickly as possible through intensive cooperation between the
authority and the owner. According to the legislator, the rights
