Yay. Imagine that, me having housing issues. I seriously hoped it would end with last years troubles, but no… we’re at it again. Haven’t even lived in my current place for a year.

Last time it was simple: I was living in student housing and I wasn’t a student anymore. Problem was, they only gave me a month to move out. This time, the story is far more complex.

Apparently, I’ve been living in my current place illegally. How can that be, you ask? Well. Apparently, it’s not allowed to sublet different rooms to different people in the city I live in. You are allowed to sublet the entire house to another person/couple/family/whatever, but not different rooms to different people. I had no idea, but the homeowner apparently knew. The city allows it, as long as there’s no complaints. And, there have been complaints. Unfounded complaints, but complaints nevertheless. And unfounded or not, it forces the city to investigate, and in turn it forces us to move out.

So, some guy working for the city in some way (advisor, I don’t know) thought of a way to let us stay there. A so-called “hospita regeling”. It’s basically this: We’re living there with 4 people, including me. Two of those people will be renting the entire house from the owner, as a “couple”. The other two will in turn, as a “couple”, rent 2 rooms from the first couple, instead of from the owner. But, for us to do that, two of us will have to leave. Cancel our contract, move to a different place in the city’s administration, everything. For a week. During that week, the city will send someone to check if we’re really gone. And after that week has passed, we move back in under the “hospita regeling”. So far, so good. Tricky, but legal. The big problem is, me and the other housemate have had to cancel our contracts. If the owner wants to, he can refuse us next weekend. He has no obligation towards us anymore.

To make matters worse, the house has been put up for sale. The owner has just gone through a divorce and now he wants the house he lives in for himself. It’s now registered to both him and his ex-wife. Including the mortgage. But, to take over the mortgage… the bank told him to get rid of the other house. He has to choose between the two houses and he obviously chose the house he lives in.

So, even with the ridiculous arrangements, I have to move out soon. Very soon. But there’s obviously a big if. If the city messes things up, or our neighbors across the street, or the owner… I’d be homeless next week.

Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.