Dog friendly accommodation

Shouldn't be a problem.  If you're renting, there is no law that says the landlord has to let you keep any pets, so best to ask at the outset.  You do have to pay "hondenbelasting"; this link will take you to the Wiki page with the details; it's in Dutch, but you speak Afrikaans, so should be able to follow it.

If you've chosen Amersfoort because of the open spaces around it; much of it is a military training area, so may not be what you expect.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi Cynic

Thanks again for your Reply.
Would you say that the Netherlands is a dog friendly country in general? I've read it is.

How difficult would you say it is to get pet friendly accommodation?

Thanks for the info on Amersfoort. We do want to settle down outside of city centers, somewhere with lots of open fields etc. We will be going around from town to town for the first while till we find the ideal location.

Thanks
Charl

My own experience is that Holland is pet-friendly; our own family all have dogs and have never had a problem; you just need to be aware that some people don't like them, so you need to respect that.

As to difficulty; if you are renting, then we are talking about the private sector because you won't be entitled to be allocated any of the social housing.  In those circumstances, there is always a chance that the landlord can say no; all you can do is ask.

Perhaps consider putting your dogs in kennels until you find the right place?  It would not be a good idea to rent somewhere from 6,000 miles away, then turn up with your dogs and find you have a problem.

Hope this helps.

I would recommend Vathorst, which is a very lively area and pet friendly. It is situated on the north end of Amersfoort, and one of the city's boroughs.