Living on a recreation ground

The way this works is set out in the policy guidelines on temporary occupation of holiday accommodation

Municipality of Apeldoorn, version by the Mayor and Aldermen, 1 May 2020

The municipality of Apeldoorn is taking active measures against the unauthorised occupation of holiday homes. Under the provisions of the local planning regulations, holiday homes may only be used for recreational purposes. It is prohibited to use holiday homes as a main residence. The municipality enforces this rule.

These policy guidelines set out the rules governing situations in which a temporary exemption for non-compliant use may be granted. In the case of a short-term transitional arrangement (up to 12 months), a holiday home may, subject to certain conditions, be used as a residence, provided it complies with the zoning plan. A condition is that the applicant must have a prospect of securing regular accommodation in the municipality of Apeldoorn within one year. If the application is granted, the applicant must register at the temporary holiday address in the Basic Register of Persons.

This temporary accommodation can be used, for example, during major renovation work on a property, whilst a property is under construction, as a temporary solution whilst moving house, following a house fire, etc.

Permission must always be sought from the local authority and the holiday park owner before using temporary accommodation. To be eligible for this, the applicant (i.e. the future occupant) must apply for an environmental permit.

To be eligible for an environmental permit for the temporary occupation of a holiday home as a stopgap, all of the following requirements must be met:

• The applicant must demonstrate that he or she will be able to secure permanent accommodation in the municipality of Apeldoorn within one year. This can be done, for example, by submitting a purchase agreement for a recently purchased property, a quotation for renovation work or a certificate of urgent housing need from Woonkeus Stedendriehoek;
• the applicant must demonstrate that there are urgent circumstances necessitating temporary residence in a holiday accommodation;
• the holiday accommodation to which the planning application relates is lawful and must have been built with planning permission or must comply with the requirements for development without planning permission;
• In the opinion of the municipal council, the holiday accommodation must meet reasonable standards of habitability (it is reasonable to assume that it complies with the requirements of the 2012 Building Regulations for temporary or existing buildings intended for residential or accommodation purposes);
• The holiday accommodation must not have been (temporarily) occupied at any time during the six months prior to the start of the temporary occupation. This is to prevent the accommodation from being permanently withdrawn from its tourist and recreational use;
• If the application does not relate to a holiday home on the applicant’s own land, the applicant must have permission from the owner and/or operator of the holiday park and from the owner of the holiday home to occupy the holiday home.

Once the planning permission has been granted, the following conditions apply:

• The planning permission is personal and cannot therefore be transferred to others;
• The planning permission is valid for a maximum of one year;
• the occupant must register and deregister at the holiday address in the Basic Register of Persons (when moving to regular accommodation);
• The planning permission is valid only for the holiday home for which the application was made. If you move to another holiday home, the planning permission will lapse;
• Occupancy is entirely at your own risk;