B&B and living in a commercial building?

Questioner

In 2000 I bought a house with a business premises with my ex. There is a small garden in between. Due to serious psychological problems of my ex, we are not married, no cohabitation contract either, but the complex belongs to both of us, I moved into the business premises 15 years ago and am a caregiver for him. In the business premises I have an art agency/studio. Upstairs there are 4 rooms, which I rent out as a Bed & Breakfast. I am registered with the municipality at the home address. The business premises have a different address. 1 month ago there were suddenly 2 people from the Municipal Enforcement, they said. They had been made aware of me by a neighbor further down the road, who had applied to let her son live in the business premises, which was refused. I had to let them in according to them. They asked everything, took photos, debtor's notes and wanted to see rooms. It was overwhelming, threatening and intimidating. When they left, I came to my senses and asked if they could identify themselves. They couldn't, but they wrote down their names and phone numbers. I sent an email to Municipal Enforcement about this behavior. Two new officials then wanted to come and talk. That hasn't happened yet. The municipality has known for years that I have a B&B here. I pay tourist tax. A B&B is a company, registered with the Chamber of Commerce. I understand that you have to live at a B&B. Some guests also stay here longer, one even a year. I also thought that an artist would be allowed to sleep in his studio. So that he could also work at night. I would like your opinion on the questions: should I let the municipal enforcers in and give them access to everything? There is 1 guest in 1 room. Is a B&B allowed in a business premises? That was allowed before. And am I allowed to live there? What do you advise me? Without a B&B, the costs here are far too high and we would have to sell everything quickly. Then my mentally ill ex would be on the street and I would be 78 years old. And many people here in those business premises. Aren't there already enough homeless people?

Lawyer

Let me first say that this is a complicated situation and it is strongly recommended that you seek legal advice from a lawyer or attorney specializing in housing and tenancy law. Under Dutch law, municipal inspectors have certain powers, including the right to enter buildings under certain circumstances. However, they must be able to identify themselves, and the lack of identification when you visited could be a concern. You did not know whether these people were really inspectors, and it is your right to verify their identity. As for using the business premises as a B&B, this will depend on the specific local regulations of your municipality. Many municipalities have regulations that prescribe how a business premises may be used and these regulations differ per municipality. A B&B is in principle a business enterprise and could be allowed in a business premises, but that depends on your specific situation. Regarding living in a commercial building: in many municipalities it is not permitted to live permanently in a commercial building without this being explicitly permitted in the zoning plan. However, there may be special circumstances in your situation that justify an exception. It is important that you discuss these issues with a lawyer. It will also be useful to obtain information from your local council about the specific rules that apply to your situation. These issues can be complex and it is important that you understand your legal position to avoid any undesirable consequences.' ---------------- Stichting Rechtswinkel.nl is a national organization with students and volunteers. The above advice is based on limited information and may be incomplete or even incorrect for your situation. Always consult a lawyer or attorney for your further steps. Read disclaimer: https://rechtswinkel.nl/disclaimer I would like to invite you to rate the above answer so that we can learn from your response.