Dutch residents live among 25,000 support posts, face rent hike

Residents of the L-flat in Zeist, the Netherlands, are living in apartments supported by an estimated 25,000 temporary posts due to severe structural problems affecting their galleries and balconies. The situation has drastically reduced their quality of life, with one resident, Sebastiaan van de Kamp, describing how his balcony is now unusable and a safety hazard for his son.

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That can no longer happen, because he will hang on those posts and climb over the balustrade.

"My living pleasure is completely gone," Van de Kamp stated, explaining that the tension in the floors and ceilings caused by the sagging structures makes noise from neighbors unbearable, particularly for his son who has severe autism. The posts, installed between December 2025 and March 2026 by landlord Woongroen, were placed after an inspection revealed the constructions did not meet building standards. Residents were advised to walk along the wall side of galleries and avoid balconies with more than three people.

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And because the floor and ceiling are so tense, you hear everything from the neighbors three times as loud.

Woongroen claims the posts allow residents to use the galleries and balconies normally again, but residents report feeling the concrete slopes away from their homes, with the tilt increasing on higher floors. Adding to their distress, residents received notice in April that their rents would increase by 3.6% starting July 1st. This increase, amounting to a few tens of euros per month, is a significant burden for many residents who feel they should not have to pay for a problem they did not cause.

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My living pleasure is completely gone.

"We are not asking for extra rent for placing the posts or for the solution that will follow," residents were told in a letter from Woongroen. This statement has been met with disbelief and anger. "A very strange reaction: why would we have to pay for that at all? We did not cause this situation," said Van de Kamp, who also noted a new crack in his living room ceiling since the posts were installed.

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