Below you will find the complete text of the short squatting guide for the Rotterdam area. I can't stress enough how vital this info is. The guide was written and contributed to this site by the people of the "Squatting Information Hour". To find out what it is they (don't) do read on.
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Short Squatting Guide
Rotterdam V1.1
07-2004
Available
immediately,
in virtually all Rotterdam neighborhoods and
the entire Netherlands. All kinds of unused floors, houses, buildings
and
spaces for short or long legal
living. Suitable for enthusiastic, open minded and social people. No
rent, no
deposit, no mortgage. A do-it-yourself attitude is
required. Utilities (gas, water and electricity) are almost
always possible. We work without memberships cards or other
bureaucratic non-sense.
We do help you to help yourself get a suitable home within a few weeks.
More
information and / or practical help? -> Come
see the KSU!!
The KraakSpreekUur (KSU /
Squatting Information Hour) takes place every Wednesday from 15:00 to
17:00 only.
Address: the J.I.P., Mathenesserlaan 173, 3014 HA, Rotterdam. 010-436
25 44.
Hello. This is a short
introduction explaining
how you can squat a house in Rotterdam. This small guide only outlines
the
basics if you want more info or have specific questions drop by the
KSU. In any
case it is always a good idea to get more information. To do this you
can also
read the (longer) Squatting Guides = ‘Kraakhandleidingen’ on www.squat.net and check out the links
given at
the end of this guide. Some of the more (technical) things mentioned in
this
guide may be a little difficult to follow, the pictures on the
frontcover
should help. When reading this guide remember that squatting is
somewhat
different in each city or town.
Getting all the necessary and
accurate
information on the buildings you may want to squat is extremely
important. The KSU almost never gets this info for people,
since it
does take some time and can in theory be done by anyone. We do know
which
neighborhoods tend to have more empty houses (not specific houses). We
really
appreciate it when people tip us off about additional promising areas
or
houses.
The first step in getting
information is
searching two or more houses that seem suitable. These houses must be
empty and unused for a year or more. This
means that the houses have not been improved or changed (renovation or
other
construction) and that nobody uses them as a post address or storage
address
for valuable goods. Even if you are fairly sure of this there are a few
things
you should always do to double check:
·
Talk
to 3 or more different neighbors. Do not
only ask them about how long it is unused, also ask about the owner,
the
condition, the plans for the house and the street, etc. Write down
anything
they might say. Whenever you are getting information or talking to
people it
really helps to look neat -not like a typical punk/squatter- and to
speak good
Dutch. Just tell them you are looking for a house, don’t mention
squatting.
Otherwise you may not get the information or even wrong information.
·
Look
if there is a lot of mail in the hallway /
the letterbox, if there is a lot and nobody picks it up this is good
sign. Go
take a look often, including in the evening (lights). Put a sharpened
match
between the door and doorframe. If this stays in place, the house is
probably
not being used. Make sure you also check the house the night before you
squat.
·
Look
through the windows and check if there is
a lot of dust on the windowsill, check if there are cobwebs between the
door
and doorframe or “fake” curtains.
·
Someone
who speaks good Dutch should call the
Eneco* (electricity company) and
ask when the power was cut off. You may have to call 2 or more times
and talk
to a few different people/make up a likely excuse before you get this
information. If the electricity was cut off more than a year ago this
is a good
sign, if it was not cut off at all this is not necessarily bad.
Except for the Eneco it is
essential to go by
organizations in person rather than calling for information. If you do
have
trouble with calling the Eneco pay them a visit as well.
·
The
next important step is finding out who the
owner of the house is. The City Informatie Centrum (CIC) have some very
useful
and free information. You must go see them in person.
When you go to the CIC show them your squat address and tell them you
would
like a print out with information about the owner and such. Officially
you can
only get one address at a time for free but you can go with a few
people or
come back again. Don’t tell them you plan to squat, say you want the
information because you want to contact the owner to rent or possibly
buy the
place or make up another good excuse.
Next also say you want to know if
building,
renovation or demolition permits have been applied for and / or issued
for your
houses. (Bouw, renovatie of sloopvergunningen aangevraagd en / of
afgegeven.)
Again –only if asked why- make up a believable excuse: say you live in
the area
and heard some rumors and want to know for sure. If permits have been
applied
for or given you need to know when they were applied for and when they
plan to
do something in or with the house. There is not much point in squatting
a house
that will certainly be torn down in 2 months… Especially since a judge
and
possibly the police will almost always favor the owner if he has
concrete plans
he can prove with documents. When you ask about these permits it is
quite
likely they will give you a number and a time to call about them or
send you to
one of their specialized workers (bouwinspecteur). That’s even better,
make
sure you call the bouwinspecteur.
When you ask at the CIC who the
owner is
(print-out) they may say you must identify yourself because the owner
is
private and not an organization. If this happens don’t tell them your
name or
other details! In this situation the best thing to do is just say
“nevermind,
thank you” and then –if you want to squat from a private
owner-
go the Kadaster (see below). This organization does not ask you to
identify
yourself but will usually charge you about 8 Euro for their
information. If the
owner is private you can still get information about permits at the CIC
without
having to tell them anything about yourself. Permits are public
information no
matter who owns the house. Finally at the Kamer Van Koophandel (see
phonebook)
you can find out when a company moved out of a building and where to.
Even
though getting information is not difficult no matter who the owner is
the KSU
usually advises people to squat from ‘woningbouwverenigingen’ (housing
councils) rather than companies or even less desirable, private owners.
If you
are not sure you can check in the gray phonebook if the organization
you are
dealing with is a council. The reason why squatting from councils is
better is
that they are very unlikely to do anything illegal (intimidation,
violence,
eviction) unlike companies or private owners. Since the majority of
(empty)
houses in Rotterdam is owned by councils it only makes sense for
inexperienced
squatters to squat them first unless they are very prepared and very
motivated.
It is always a good idea to pay a
visit to the
KSU and ask about a particular house, we may
know something about the owner, house or area that could help you a lot.
Never squat alone or with few
people (7 or 8 is
o.k. for a small apartment or house, more for bigger or special
buildings)
discuss and plan things well. Make sure that a good number of people
can
actually stay around the clock for a day or two. At least one person
should
speak good Dutch. Gather the following stuff in advance:
·
A
functional/symbolic “squat set” for each
house or floor you will squat, a squat set
is: a small chair, a small table, an air-mattress and a sleeping bag.
Folding
or camping stuff is best for a squat set since it is small and light.
·
A
suitable lock and good tools.
·
Old
Stuff (shirts, vases, candles etc) to put
in the window so the place looks lived in.
Buy a lock of the same type as is
already on
the door. If the lock is of the ‘oplegslot’ type, a good and cheap
brands is
Benco, E 20,- for sale in very few places, De Jong IJzerhandel
(hardware store)
often has them. Don’t get cheaper / other brands as they are either
awful
quality or double the cost.
If there is only one lock of the
oplegslot type
on the door you will need at the very least the following tools for
breaking
open the door and mounting the lock successfully:
·
2
good crowbars, hammer, new lock, temporary
lock (two thick eyelet screws and a padlock), good (pozidrive) screws
in sizes,
4.5 * 30, 4.5 * 45, 4.5 * 60mm, about 16 of each, screwdrivers in all
the
common shapes and sizes. Old flat screwdrivers, a few small pieces of
cardboard
from a box -can help when putting on the new lock-, a wood chisel about
1.5 cm
wide, a battery powdered drill (can be rented!) and mobile phones with
plenty
of battery and credit!
If the lock is of the
“profielcylinder” type
pay especial attention to the metal plating (beslag) around it. How
thick is
it, of what material is it made, how is it attached. How far does the
cylinder
stick out? Are there any brands or stars printed on the material? For a
replacement profielcylinder “Corben” is the only brand worth buying
(cheap and
good quality). It is always a good idea to push on the door at various
heights.
By feeling and observing how much the door ‘gives’ you can see which
locks are
actually locked and to some extent whether the door will be difficult
or not.
Always check if there is a so-called anti-inbraakstrip mounted. Taking
digital pictures
of the door and lock is also good. You can always show the print outs
to the
KSU. We have special tools and other gear which make getting in a much
easier,
these can be borrowed. We do ask a deposit (new value of tools and
gear) and
the tools must be returned very quickly and in good condition or else
we may be
forced to buy new ones.
·
Write
the letters to the owner and the
neighborhood (see below), make sure you have the correct address and
phone so
you can reach the owner quickly.
·
When
you go squatting take all the papers you
have gotten from gathering information and any legal papers you may
have (see
below).
Make sure nobody in the group has
any form of
identification (not even membership cards or pieces of paper). Agree
beforehand
which alias –fake name- everyone will use. As a general rule you should
never
give your name to the owner –doing so will make it easier for him to
take
(legal) action- or the police.
When squatting find the quickest
and quietest
way to get in with the least damage (the back, the roof, the garden,
the
basement, a sliding window). If these are not good options you can
break open
the front door. This is a bit more risky, you will need people keeping
an eye
out. Although living in a squat is totally legal damaging a door, lock
etc. is
not. It is a very minor crime so be quick and neat. Good tools,
technical
insight, steady nerves and cooperation are essential when getting in.
Squatted!:
When the door is open let
everyone and set up
the squat set real quick. It is best that the squat set is visible from
the
street. In the meantime barricade your door and / or replace the lock fast.
The cheapest and quickest barricade is a beam of wood (about 120 * 8 *
4 or
thicker) and two small but thick pieces of wood (15 * 8 * 4) with four
screw
holes each. As soon as the door is open and the squat set is on the way
you
mount the first small board on the door about 7 cm below the lock. Then
you
mount the second one on the floor making sure that you jam the beam
tight
between the two small boards. If the 8 or more screws you used are
thick and
long, the fit is tight and the beam is at about a 45 degree angle you
should
have a door that is hard to open from the outside. With a functioning
barricade
you can put a lookout just outside the door and work on replacing the
lock. At
the first sign of trouble you can very quickly and solidly jam the door
shut
with the beam.
About 65% of the doors have so
called
‘oplegslot met vaste cylinder’. Once the door is open you can remove
the both
parts of the lock by unscrewing 8 screws. It takes a bit of practice to
be able
to mount the new lock quickly. Practicing on the door of some friends
first
might be a good idea. When buying the lock you should know on which
side the
lock is as seen from the street;
Lock is on left
:
you will need a lock for a
‘rechtsdraaiende deur’.
Lock is on right
:
you
will need a lock for a ‘linksdraaiende deur’.
Don’t be intimidated by police or
the owner. If
you don’t want them to come in they may not do so legally unless the
police has
special permission and a document
called a ‘last tot binnentreden’.
Very
important, before you squat surf to:
www.rhizomes.nl/Laws
Wetgeving.html
This page consists of the most important laws that apply to
squatting. Print this out,
read and understand it. It is in Dutch but having this on you
when you
squat can often make all the difference between being illegally
evicted or
keeping your new home.
If at all possible squat during
the week,
Fridays and the weekend stink because you will almost certainly not be
able to
reach a buurtagent or the owner. In other words you may have to hang
around the
empty squat for days in relative insecurity…
Someone who is Dutch or speaks
perfect Dutch
should calmly explain the situation to the police. This way the police
will
hopefully think all the people are Dutch. If you are not Dutch and
don’t speak
good Dutch it is best not to say anything to them since if they figure
out you
are “foreign” you are legally required to identify yourself if asked.
Remember: failing to do so is
theoretically
enough for them to arrest you, perhaps even deport you if you are not
from the
EU! Even so, foreigners should not carry papers when squatting either.
If the police
don’t have a good reason to believe you are foreign (accent!) they may
not
indefinitely assume you are.
You do not have to explain to the
police how
you got in, it is best to politely refuse to say anything about this or
to say
the door / window was open. Whatever you do, do not admit to damaging
anything.
There used to be a rule that you
could be
evicted within the first 24 hours of squatting a house. This rule no
longer
applies and you have the right to live in a house and are protected
from the moment
you set up your squat set and close the door behind you with a new
lock. The
police is sometimes behind the times and may not know this rule has
changed. If
they ask about how long you have been in the squat just tell them you
have been
there for more than 24 hours and show them the legal papers (from the
internet
site) to explain that it is actually not even relevant anymore.
You can, but don’t have to, let
one or two (no
more!) policemen in to check that the place is truly empty (Leegstand
constateren).
This may sometimes be usefull, if a policeman comes in write down the
name or
policenumber of the policeman. Then when the owner or other police drop
by and
start being difficult you can refer them to this policeman. Make sure
you that
for the first 1-2 days or so there are enough people in the squat. This
is more
fun and handy if the police or owner should “visit”. The more people
the less
likely they will try to talk or throw you out (=illegal).
Some owners (in particular
private owners) have
been known to send around some big friends or construction workers who
want to
throw you out or trash the place. This is rare but if it happens don’t
let them
in and call the police. After all you have a right to be there and they
should
offer you protection. However, the police does not always do that which
they
should.
If the owner
has or pretends to have a plan with the house he will let
you know. Probably through a letter saying that you must leave within
so many
days. You don’t have to worry too much about this letter and others
like it.
But if a special paper which summons you to court
arrives,
you must decide if you will leave or try to win in court. The owner
will have
to prove in court that he really has plans. Courtcases –which are
usually in
the form of a so-called ‘kort geding’- can be and are won by squatters.
Going
to court does sometimes cost you money but not necessarily a lot. The
KSU can
help you with this as they have some legal knowledge and a lawyer that
may be
able to help.
The KSU
usually suggests writing a polite letter -we have examples- to
the owner before the actual squatting. In this letter you can offer to
pay (a
low) rent. If you have this letter ready you can deliver it in person
to the
owner right after you have spoken to the police. The sooner you do
this, the
sooner you will know how the owner feels about the squatting. You
almost never
end up paying rent since this gives you even more rights and the owner
many
responsibilities but the important thing is to offer it.
Often the
owners will want to offer you an ‘om-niet-contract’ (also
called ‘anti-kraak’ or ‘tijdelijke verhuur’). 9 out of 10 times this is
a bad
contract which is usually only in the interest of the owner. In
practice it
means –among other shitty things- that he can kick you out whenever he
wants
with little notice. There are very few cases in which considering
signing such
a contract might be o.k.
Come by the
KSU with the contract if you have any doubts at all.
If the police doesn’t show up
right after you
have everyone and everything inside as well as the lock mounted you can
go talk
to them yourself. The KSU does this 90% of the time since it offers a
few
advantages in most situations.
Two persons –the rest should stay
in the house-
can go to the nearest police station and talk to a ‘buurtagent’
(neighborhood
police) and explain the situation. This type of police is usually much
friendlier and social to squatters than normal police. Also it gives
you a good
opportunity to explain that you have squatted the place legally and
that you
are nice people that will improve the house and neighborhood. Compare
this to a
panicked neighbor or the owner calling the police and saying “Junkies
have
broken into the house and it sounds like they are trashing the place”…
The reaction
of the police will be totally different and it is very likely that the
outcome
will be different as well. In other words if at all possible make sure
the
police comes in to the picture when you are expecting them and while
you are
with many people. This makes things
easier and safer for you.
You can ask the buurtagent to
make a ‘mutatie’.
This is an official police record in the computer which in the future
you may
be able to use as proof that you did squat the house and that is was
empty when
you did. So whenever possible ask the buurtagent for the
‘mutatienummer’ plus
his name or number and write it down together with the date. Before you
find a
buurtagent on duty which is willing to make a mutatie you may need to
go to 2
or even 3 police stations or try again the next day.
On rare
occasions people get arrested because of squatting. When this
happens the police will almost never keep you for long, but only if you
do not
say anything and there is no way for them to find out your identity! If
this is
the case a couple of hours or a day is usually the longest time you
will spend
in a cell. When you are arrested by the police you can often assume
they will
say almost anything (yes, they lie often and without shame) to find out
who you
are and what you did. Do not say or sign anything. If they say they can
‘keep
your for weeks’ and that ‘you are in a lot of trouble because you were
breaking
in’, and that ‘your friends already told us’ don’t believe and don’t
answer
them in any shape or form. Not speaking will
NOT result in a criminal record
while speaking may give a lot of problems!
4.
Other concerns after you squat
To get into contact with the
neighborhood, you
can make a letter in which you: explain why you squatted, tell them in
which
house you’re living and that they are welcome to have some coffee in
your new
house etc. The KSU has some examples of these letters. Being and
remaining
considerate to the neighborhood is a good idea, the more people are
with you
the better.
If you have money for gas and
electricity
(water is usually connected) you have to call the Eneco again. Not
paying for
utilities is usually a very bad idea. Your pipes and wires must be in
good
working order before they will connect you. If gas and electricity are
still
connected you can call and ask them to send you a transfer form
(overschrijvingformulier). On this simple form you will usually have to
fill in
that you did not know the previous user –most likely with an empty
building- if
they then put the contract on your name it will only cost you E
13.45,-.
Connecting the power and gas if
they are turned
off will require an appointment with an Eneco worker, this will cost
you E
39.95,-. After this your monthly cost will usually be between E 70,-
and E
150,- for a floor or small house. Check with the Eneco. The Eneco will
always
connect the television cable (costs about E 12,- / month) when they
connect the
other utilities unless you
specifically ask them not to. Getting a phone or
Internet connection is no problem. Call
the appropriate companies such as KPN and Chello.
Summing up:
1.
First
spot a few empty and unused houses.
2.
Get
all the necessary and
reliable information about the buildings.
3.
Get
all your gear and legal papers in order and ask plenty of people to
help.
4.
Squat,
set up squat set, mount barricade / new lock, clean up.
5.
If
you decide to notify police, neighbors and owners of your presence do
so as quickly and friendly as possible.
5.
Information about the KSU Rotterdam
If you really can not drop by the
KSU (this is
always better) you can also call or mail: rotterdam@jip.org.
Bear in mind this mail is not checked very often.
There are a few experienced
squatters in
Rotterdam that the KSU knows. These people often help with the
practical side
of squatting. They function as a “breaking crew”, mount locks and talk
to the
police & owner. These people have a lot of tools and will usually
increase
the chance of success greatly. They do not ask for money but appreciate
any
donations very much. However these people do have a few requirements
before
they will consider helping out:
1. You must have all the information
gathered in the way that is explained in this guide.
2. You must have this information
on two squatable houses that are suited
to your
needs and be willing to make good
agreements /
appointments with them. For example these people expect you to be on
time and
sober!
3. You must be willing to take
financial
responsibility for their tools and gear unless
you really have no money.
4. Expect to have to wait before
these people
can help you. Remember these people are strictly volunteer and have
private
lives. It may take five days or eight weeks before they can help you,
depending
on the circumstances.
6.
Some information for non-European Union people
Squatting always comes with a relatively small risk of getting into trouble with the police or the law. As explained before for people that are not from Europe the risks are a fair bit higher since with a “foreigner” status you have fewer rights and are often “illegal”. This does not mean that you can not or should not squat. Non-EU people have and do squat in Rotterdam. It does mean you have to be very careful, prepare very well and try hard to get some Dutch people to help you.
7.
Some useful addresses
Eneco utility company
: 0900 - 0201 (10 ct/min, Monday –Friday, 08:00 –
18:00
(You need to have the postcode of the house when you call, it is on the CIC paper)
If you need to talk to the Eneco
in person the
address is: Zuider Parkweg 300, very near Metrostation ‘Slinge’. Open
Monday
through Friday from 08:00 until 17:00.
City Information Centre (CIC)
: 010- 489 7777, Coolsingel 197.
The CIC is open Monday through Friday from 09:00 until 17:30 except
Monday when
they open at 13:00. They are also open Saturday from 11:00 – 17:00.
Kadaster,
:
010 - 242 65 77
Max Euwelaan 70,
3062 MA Rotterdam (in Brainpark)
De Jong ijzerhandel
North
:
010 - 466 18 37
Delfshaven
:
010 - 425 55 30
Noordmolenstraat 8,
3035 RJ (North)
Schiedamseweg 49,
3026 AC (Delfshaven)
Open Monday through
Friday 09:00 – 17:30, Saturday 09:00 – 17:00.
The links below are a treasure
trove of
information! Especially if you follow the various links to for example
“kraakhandleidingen” and the many questions & answers.
WWW.RHIZOMES.NL,
our own website, lots of additional info.
WWW.SQUAT.NET,
lots of info on everything related to squatting.
WWW.KRAKENPOST.NL,
here you can read news and pose questions about squatting.
Check the rules, read the manuals and
previous posts first!
WWW.KRAAK-FORUM.TK,
similar to KRAKENPOST, great answers to lots of common questions.
Again, read
and check before you post questions.
Final Note: Living in a squat is
legal and
often means a very cheap, quick way of housing yourself and possibly
friends
for weeks, months or years -depends on situation and on you-. Compare
that with
the three year waiting list for an expensive rental and draw your own
conclusions.