Can we reasonably reject a renovation proposal?

Questioner

Termination of indefinite-term lease for renovation L.S. The situation is as follows: - My co-tenants and I (four in total) rent a room in a building on Kapelstraat in Utrecht. We currently pay o Yohannes - €350,- for 16m²; o Jeff - €348.48 for 10m²; o Guus - €295 for two rooms of 6m² and 5m²; o Elias - €361.70 for 13m². - The rental prices are exclusive of utilities for which we all pay €95 per month. - Guus, Jeff and Yohannes have a permanent contract. Elias has a fixed-term contract that expires on 31-12-2021. - The shared facilities consist of 1 shower (1m²), 1 kitchen (3m²), two toilets, 1 sink and a garden (17m²). So there is no common space. - None of the rooms have a washbasin Our landlord wants to renovate the building as of February 1, 2022. He has offered us a plan for the renovation that we do not agree with, mainly because of the high rents. He has also not offered us alternative housing during the renovation. However, he is willing to let us return after the renovation in possession of an indefinite term contract. The house will look like this after the renovation. - Five rooms o Ground floor: 1 room of 15.3m² o First floor: two rooms of 9.4m² o Second floor: two rooms of 8.6m² - All rooms have a washbasin - General facilities o Ground floor  Garden: 9.4m²  WC: 1.3m²  Kitchen 7.1m² o First floor  Shower: 1.3m² o Second floor  Shower: 1.3m²  WC: 1.3m² The price per room will be at least €450 (probably more for the large room) including g/w/l. This is a rent increase while our personal living space is getting considerably smaller. Also we have no living space to stay during the renovation. Our question is: - Can we reasonably reject this proposal? - Can our tenant invoke his right to urgently need the home for renovation?

Lawyer

You do not have to agree to a termination of a rental contract. Even if there is a plan for renovation, that does not mean it is sufficient. If you do not agree, the landlord will have to go to court (at least for people with an indefinite contract). The judge will then consider whether there are sufficient grounds for termination. For example, there must be alternative housing available and there must also be sufficient reasons for the renovation. The mere fact that the home will be more beautiful and the landlord will soon be able to charge more rent is not enough. For fixed-term contracts, it depends on what has been agreed regarding the end of the contract and its termination. You can contact me without obligation if you have further questions or require legal assistance. On my site you will also find an article about terminating a lease for renovation.