With an employment agency, your job and your home are often linked, but legally they are two separate arrangements. If your agency contract ends, your right to the accommodation does not automatically end at the same moment. Moreover, since the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) came into force, the tenancy agreement must be recorded separately from the employment contract. After a workplace accident, that distinction is the most important thing you need to know.
Nederlands: Lees dit artikel in het Nederlands: Bedrijfsongeval als uitzendkracht: uw werk en uw woning tegelijk kwijt
Türkçe: Bu makaleyi Türkçe okuyun: Geçici işçi olarak iş kazası: işinizi ve konutunuzu aynı anda kaybetmek
Written by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten. Registered in the specialisation register of the Netherlands Bar for employment law and personal injury. Content reviewed on 17 September 2026 against the statutory text on wetten.overheid.nl.
Three arrangements, three routes
In this situation, three things become intertwined. Keep them apart and the picture becomes clear.
| What | What it concerns | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Employment contract | Whether you still have work and income, and whether you fall under the Sickness Benefits Act (Ziektewet) | Employment agency, collective labour agreement (cao), UWV (the Dutch employee insurance agency) |
| Accommodation | Whether and when you have to leave the accommodation | Tenancy law; in the case of eviction, always the court |
| Damages claim | Who is liable for your injury and which losses are compensated | The liable party or its insurer |
They do affect one another. If the accident costs you both your income and your home, the costs of replacement accommodation are a head of damage that belongs in your claim.
What the Good Landlordship Act means for you
Since 1 July 2023, additional rules have applied to renting accommodation to labour migrants. The most important: the tenancy agreement must be recorded separately from the employment contract. In addition, the landlord must inform you in a language you understand, and it must be clear which costs are charged for what.
If those rules are not complied with, you can turn to the reporting point of your municipality. Municipalities supervise and can take enforcement action with a warning, a fine or, as a last resort, by taking over the management of the property. That is administrative law: it does not automatically settle your tenancy position, but it does create pressure and produces documents that can be used in your case file.
Do I have to leave the accommodation immediately if my job ends?
No, not immediately and not on the landlord’s own authority. Even if the accommodation is arranged through the employment agency, the rule is: nobody may put you out on the street without a court judgment. Taking the law into one’s own hands, such as changing the locks or putting belongings outside, is not permitted.
Exactly what your position is depends on what was agreed and on the nature of the use. In some cases there is a tenancy agreement with rent protection; in others, the use is part of the employment contract. That distinction is legally complex and depends on the case. Have it assessed on the basis of your own papers; do not rely on what you are told verbally.
If you receive a letter stating that you must leave within a few days, respond in writing and ask for a postponement and for the legal basis. Keep everything.
What happens after a workplace accident
If you become unfit for work as a result of a workplace accident, this is often what happens: the assignment stops, the agency contract with an agency clause ends, you come under the Sickness Benefits Act at UWV, and at the same time your accommodation is called into question. Three blows at once, while you are recovering.
Important to know: your damages claim is separate from this. It is directed against the party liable for the accident, usually the hirer under Article 7:658(4) of the Dutch Civil Code, or the employment agency as employer. The end of your contract or your accommodation does not affect that liability.
It does, however, change your losses. The following heads of damage then belong in the claim:
- the difference between your income before the accident and your sickness benefit;
- costs of replacement accommodation, to the extent that they are reasonable and a consequence of the accident;
- travel and moving costs that you would not have incurred without the accident;
- costs of domestic help and care if you need them because of the injury.
Which documents you need
- Your employment contract and the phase provision (phase A/B/C or 1 to 4), and whether it contains an agency clause.
- The tenancy or use agreement for the accommodation, separate from the employment contract.
- Payslips covering a longer period, even if your hours varied. These substantiate what you would have earned without the accident.
- The deductions for housing, health insurance and transport on your payslip.
- All communication with the agency about the end of the assignment and about the accommodation.
- The sick report and UWV’s decision on sickness benefit.
What we can do for you
Within our firm, personal injury, employment law and tenancy law are under one roof. In this situation, that makes the difference: your accident, your contract and your home are not handled by three separate parties pointing at one another. We assess who is liable, what your contractual position is and whether you actually have to leave the accommodation.
Call 070 450 0300 or send your question via the contact form.
Frequently asked questions
Can the employment agency simply evict me from the accommodation?
No. Eviction requires a court judgment. Changing the locks or putting your belongings outside is taking the law into one’s own hands and is not permitted. Respond in writing and ask for the legal basis.
Does my tenancy end automatically when my job ends?
That depends on what has been recorded. Since 1 July 2023, when accommodation is rented to labour migrants, the tenancy agreement must be recorded separately from the employment contract. Have your papers assessed before you leave.
Can I claim the costs of replacement accommodation?
Yes, to the extent that those costs are reasonable and a consequence of the accident. Keep invoices and keep track of what you would have spent on housing without the accident; it is the difference that counts.
Who is liable, the agency or the hirer?
Both may be. The hirer has the duty of care on the shop floor and may be liable under Article 7:658(4) of the Dutch Civil Code (BW). The employment agency is your employer and must inform you about the risks in advance.
Where do I report abuses relating to housing?
To the reporting point of the municipality where you live. That reporting point has been mandatory since the Good Landlordship Act. A report does not settle your tenancy position, but it does lead to oversight and produces useful documents.
Read also
- Workplace accident: when is your employer liable?
- Workplace accident as an agency worker: who is liable?
- Labour migrants more often victims of workplace accidents
Further reading on this topic
- Employer uninsured or bankrupt: can you still recover your losses?
- Holding your employer liable for a workplace accident
- Safety instructions and language: was the explanation actually effective?
Sources and legal basis
- Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) (in force since 1 July 2023; separate tenancy agreement when renting to labour migrants, information in an understandable language, municipal reporting point).
- Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code, in particular paragraph 4 (liability of the hirer).
- Article 7:691 of the Dutch Civil Code (agency contract and agency clause).
- Supreme Court, 23 March 2012, ECLI:NL:HR:2012:BV0616 (Davelaar/Allspan, scope of Article 7:658(4) of the Dutch Civil Code).
Sources checked on 17 September 2026.
This page provides general information and is not legal advice about your own situation. No rights can be derived from its content.
