My fight against DUWO

My fight against DUWO
-- Duwo, the infamous house agent for international students in Leiden, Delft and The Hague

Over the past week, I have been almost sleepless. At first, it was because of scare, later it was because of fury.
I lived in a room of DUWO arranged and rented by the school, to be more specifically, the International Student Office, on behalf of me before I came to The Hague for a one-year master programme. As a known unfair practice, I had to pay the whole year rent at the first beginning.
It is one of the four rooms of an apartment where I share with three Polish girls for kitchen, shower and toilet. Life was fine during the first month. Like most Chinese I have been brought up to treat others with politeness and friendliness. Although somehow they could be very noisy even late in the night, I tried to get by with the help of ear plugs. Things started to get worse when they befriended some Polish guys living nearby. They are little-educated migrant workers, who would spend most of their time after work talking, drinking and laughing. And they find a perfect place: Our apartment.
Things went back and forth between worse and better as I had to remind them from time to time that they were actually disturbing my life here. I didn’t report to the house agent, because, firstly, I didn’t think they were going to do much to make the situation better; Secondly, my roommates were moving back to Poland soon. However, last Saturday, one week before my roommates left The Hague, came my last straw. They were talking, drinking and laughing again all night in our small kitchen. They were so loud that I just could not fall into sleep even I got a fever and took some medicine that was supposed to help me sleep well. When I demanded their departure at 4 am, they got amused and laughed even louder. Later at around 7:30 am, the same thing happened again, I called the police. They left finally but swore revenge.
I got scared that I wrote an email that morning (last Sunday, 14 January) to the office manager of our programme and copied it to the house agent and one of our lecturers. Our office manager forwarded my email to the International Student Office, who by then I knew had arranged accommodations for me and any other international students at the school.
I got responses from all of them, but not from the International Student Office by late afternoon on Monday. I went there directly. The one in charge was in a meeting. So I left a note and come back next noon (Tuesday).
The head of the International Student office received me and offered me an option and told me that that was the only option he had got for the moment: A 460-euro room. I told him it was too expensive for me. Within half an hour, he offered me another option: A smaller room of the same price as that of my current place, but where I have to share kitchen and shower with five other students.
As both didn’t sound desirable for me, I asked if there were any more choices on Wednesday. If not, what would happen if I broke the contract and found a suitable and affordable room for myself. The answer was actually a shock for me as they told me that it wouldn’t be possible until MICM (the programme office) or I agreed to pay all the rest rents for my house. It literally meant that if the only way to break a contract is to fulfill it.
As it sounded unbelievable and extremely unfair for me, I wrote an email to our programme coordinator for confirmation on this. However, as you may say this was typical Chinese, but I didn’t want to bring further trouble to our programme office, I decided to make the best out of the worst and take the expensive room
They gave me one morning to decide. By Thursday noon, I had to make my decision. To be more sure about my decision, I went to the house agent asking for the extra money I have to pay for the house. They told me that it was not up to them to tell me that since they were actually leasing the room to the International Student Office. So I went to ISO asking the question again. I was reaffirmed that it was 460 euros and they were not sure about the exact amount of how much more money I have to pay. But they told me I “don’t really have to worry” and I would be given another invoice. All I needed to do was to pick up the key on Friday after 4 pm at DUWO’s office. And I would be presented the contract, from where I could find the amount of money I had to pay.
On Friday afternoon, I went for the contract. It turned out that the total amount of money was 3,938 euros for the period from 22 January 2007 to 15 September 2007, excluding another 100 euros for the moving since they just have to rearrange another contract. Shocked at the big difference, I asked for an explanation from the house agent. What I was told was “it was our calculation system, very complicated to explain.”
I was outrageously speechless. It was Friday when the International Student Office was not open for any visit.
I went back home, started to write, and for the first time, I was no longer afraid of trouble.
We Chinese tend to be refrained from troubles even when our rights are fringed. I was told that the house agent was especially harsh on Chinese students since we are typically docile and would always give up some of our rights or money in exchange of peace. For that, I haven’t got the chance or resources to testify. But talking from my own experiences, probably it was true. The typical attitude you can expect from them when you are asking them to fix some problems at your place, they will treat you like you are trouble makers and it is up to them to give you a favour to help you out.
Whenever it happened, I used to just take and swallow it like a typical docile Chinese in their eyes. But not this time. I can sacrifice money, but not dignity. They are treating me exactly like I am an idiot!
I am demanding an apology from both the International Student Office and DUWO. I can’t tell what is going to happen, but one thing I would like to share with you is that: If someone are acting like pigs, at least you should let them know that they are really like pigs.
If you are interested you may read the emails I have been corresponding with those involved with my housing problem in the following or on my blog: http://newlifeinthenetherlands.blogbus.com. Sorry it is all in English and I don’t have time to translate them into Chinese since I am working on two major papers for my study due for next week.

In posting this, I also intend to offer a few suggestions for future students to come to the Netherlands:
Firstly, try to stay away from DUWO as possible as you can.
Secondly, if you can’t, ask for the exact amount of money on the contract instead of the monthly rent they are telling you. And ask for the specific break-down of the total amount and make sure they are reflected on the contract. It is their trick to include only the total amount on the contract. In that case, they are evading any possible legal charges against them. If there is a break-down list of what are changing the money for, like monthly rent and service fee, they have to justify their explanation on each item, which I am afraid, they wouldn’t do that for the moment because they can’t. But it is our right to ask for it.
Thirdly, ask for a short-period of contract. If you could make it an half-an-year one instead of one-year. If they insist on one year, ask for explanations. I don’t think there is any law or regulations demand you to sign a whole year of contract.
Fourthly, be politely tough. Straight up and fight against any assault on our rights or dignity.
Last but not least, be united, help each other and help ourselves. It is not at all easy to be alone living and studying in a foreign land. But we will never be alone if we just help each other like a family.

*****************
Emails

11am, January 14: An urgent request regarding my housing
Dear xxx,

It is Sunday morning but I just have to write now. I can't live here any more. I need to move.
I was sleepless last night even though I got a fever and took some medicine that was supposed to make me sleep well.There were some drunk Polish guys talking and partying in our kitchen since 9 pm last night till early this morning I called the police.
After I asked them to leave several times throughout the whole evening in vain, I called the police at around 7:30. The police arrived, some of them left, but the others, hiding in my Polish roomates' rooms, stayed. They swore revenge.
This was not the first time I got harassed by these Polish guys. They are migrant workers living around the area. My roomates came to know them soon after they arrived here.
Since then, they have been frequent visitors. They talk, drink, smoke and party in our kitchen in the day whenever my roomates don't have classes and most of the time, they stay here till late into the night, or more properly, early in the morning.
I had to admit that during the first month, things were acceptable. Starting late October, things got back and forth between worse and better from time to time. Whenever I talked to my roomates and tried to hush them at least during rest hours, they were quiet for a while. But soon they would start to make noise as usual.
Things have grown out of control over the past month. They didn't budge a little bit even when my roomates asked them to leave and I had to shout. Some of the worst moments include that early in the morning on New Year, one of them got drunk and rang our door bell like crazy, somehow one of the girls let him in. He made a mess of the kitchen – he just pissed there!
Last night was just my last straw. Over the past three months, I had to wear my ear plugs to block all the noise they made for a hope to get into sleep. But it didn't help at all last night as I kept awaken up by their loud voice and laughter from time to time. At 4 am, feeling shaky and exhausted from my fever and sleeplessness, I rose up and asked them to leave our house. They even started to throw dirty words at me. Then I asked my roomate to throw them out. She failed as well. It was when I threatened to call the police that they were quiet for a while. So I went back to sleep but was awakened again two hours later by their loudness.
I went out again and demanded their departure, only arousing a big laughter from them. So I had to call the police. I had no choice but I was scared, too as they started to curse and even threw a chair at my door.
The police arrived finally. My roomates hid three of them in their rooms and left only one to do the report. Since I only wanted them to leave, I didn't tell that to the police.
After the police left, I heard the other three come out, cursing and my roomates pulling them back from running into my room.
I know for well that my three Polish roomates are moving out at the end of this week but that's exactly what I am worried about.
As long as they still live here, it is safe for me. But what can happen after they move out? Those guys are unpredictable when they get drunk and they get drunk all the time.
Yes, I can call the police. But it takes at least 2 minutes for me to make a report in English.
The thing is I don't feel safe living here anymore. I request a change of place urgently. I should have reported this situation earlier. But I had thought as long as the Polish girls leave on January 20,things will be fine. Now it isn't.
I am really worried.

Best regards,
S Lin

2 pm, January 18: End of story?
What happened in my place was a horrible story, but what I had been experiencing with the International Student Office and house agent DUWO was far beyond I could believe.
I was offered two choices, either a more expensive room (480 euro per month, which is 120 euros more than what I am paying now) that will leave me to live by 100 euros for each month during the rest of my stay in the Netherlands, or a room that is of the same price I am paying now for my current place, but where I have to share the shower and kitchen with five other to-be-college-students.
Since either sounds desirable to me, I asked if it is possible for me to break my current housing contract. The answer is a definite NO unless either MICM or myself pay the rest eight months of rent of my current place. It sounds so unbelievable and extremely unfair, since it means that the only way to break a contract is just to fulfill it!
I was told to make a decision before this noon. Helplessly I could only take the expensive room. But before I agreed on the move, I told them if I could see how much more exactly I had to pay. I went to both the International Student Office and the house agent and I got the same answer like this: "We've already told you the rough amount of monthly rent. The final amount may more or less different. You know, the calculation system is very complicated. But you don't really have to worry about that. The most important thing for you is to make a decision now."
I don't have to worry about that? Regarding my previous contract, there was a 300-euro difference between what they told me in advance and that on the contract. No one reminded me of that difference when I signed the contract. I felt speechlessly outrageous.
But that's no the end of story. Just before I left the office I was told I had to pay the house agent an additional of 100 euros for the moving. I had thought they would help me move and that's the reason they were charging it for that. NO, it is because "we have to arrange another contract."
Not a pleasant story, but probably you can just take it as an eye opener. For me, it was!

7 pm, January 19: ???!!!
I was planning to take the room of Stamkartplein 168, but now it seems I can't afford it anymore since it is no longer 460 euros per month, it is
500 euro now on the contract.
The International Student Office wanted my final decision by yesterday noon (Thursday, January 18). So I went to the DUWO office at around 11:30 am, just wanted to know how much more exactly I had to pay for the new room. DUWO refused to give me the exact amount, saying that it was up to the International Student Office to tell me that since
they were actually renting the room to them.
So I went to the ISO and asked for Mr van der Ploeg. He was in the office, but somehow he didn't or didn't want to talk to me in person. It ended up that I was talking to one of his colleagues who became a transmitter going in and out of the inner office to answer my requries.
But again I didn't get my answer about how much more money for the new room. What I was told was that:"I guess we've told you the rent, it was 460 a month." I said, "Yes, I know. But still I want to know how much more exactly I have to pay for the change. I've been to the DUWO office and they said it was up to you to tell me that."
Then she told me, "You will know it when you go to their office tomorrow after 4 pm. You can pick up the key and move over the weenend. As for the rent, you will find it on the contract. But actually I don't think you have to worry about that. We will calculate it."
But as I have told Vanessa over the phone, the amount of money I found on the contract today was 3,938 euros for the period between 22 January 2007 to 15 September 2007. It is approximately 500 euros per month. I asked for explanation on the calculation, they said it was too complicated to be explained.
I just couldn't sign the contract before I know what exactly I am paying for.
It was really distressing because the ISO was not open on Friday and I've got no one to explain that to me. So I called MICM international office for help, suggestions and somehow, for comfort.
Somehow with hindsight, I have come to realize DUWO's way of calculation on the rent. They are charging around 85 per cent of a month's rent for each contract as service fee. They did it that way on my previous contract without mentioning it to me in advance. I was told that the total yearly rent for my current place was 4,050 euros and it
ended it up 4,337 euros on the contract. I got confused and felt offended at that time as well. But finally I've come to take it well thinking if only it is common practice here.
But in this case, it is not that I mean to break my previous contract -- actually there is no way for me to break the contract, isn't it?!!-- and move to another room.
The thing is I have to if I do care about my safety, and in this case, I just have to because otherwise nobody will do.
It is so unfair that I have to pay the service fee again in addition to the 100 euros for the moving, which is charged not because they are going to help me to move, but because they have to rearrange another contract.
Although ISO told me that there is another room available at Asstraat 78, where I will have to share the kitchen and shower with five other to-be-college students. It is of the exact same price as my current place and I don't have to pay more besides of the 100-euro moving fee.
But try me, go and ask DUWO if I take that one. Without no exception, I will end up paying another 300 euros for the service fee plus 100 euros for the moving, even though I am moving to a supposed same-priced room.
I wrote to Chris late on Wednesday night before I made the decision to take the room at Stamkartplein. I was told that day by Mr van der Ploeg that I couldn't break the contract unless MICM agreed to pay the rest eight months of rent for my current place. It sounded totally unbeliveable to me since it litterally means: The only way to break the
contract is just to fulfill it. I don't mean to bring further trouble to MICM so I decided to make the best out of the worst and take the expensive room.
I wrote to Chris because what they said about the condition of breaking the contract sounds so unbelievable and unfair thatI really needed a confirmation from Chris.
Chris called me this morning and said this was also exactly what he was told to. He said he didn't know that it was regulated that way befoe my situation came up, for that I believe he didn't. I told him that it was fine, all I wish is that he might try his best to ensure such things will
not happen again since it is really unfair and even sounds ridiculous.
Just hear how contradictory their explanations are. The reason I was given for the unbelievable condition to break the contract is that: If you break the contract, it means we are not going to rent out the room for the rest period of the contract, that is the reason you have to pay it all.
While when I was in need of moving, I was give a limited two options, both unfortunately not desirable to me. I asked if there were other possible alternatives, they said:"Sorry, that's what we can offer you now. We've arranged all our other rooms. You know, they are well on
demand!"
To be honest, I can't take this anymore. For me, what I have experienced with the ISO and DUWO is far more depressing than what those drunk Polish guys did in my place. At least, they are somehow reasonable when they are not drunk.
If you have any suggestions, please do offer them to me. I feel so depressed and disappointed that somehow I don't trust on my own reasoning any more.

11 pm, January 19: Demand on an applogy

Dear xx,
Thank you for your immediate call, your honesty, sincere concern and offer of help.
Somehow I've been thinking about what you are going to do for me over the past two hours. So I've been thinking about what I want actually. Yes, I want safety first of all. And I want an apology from the International Student Office and DUWO.
But I don’t want to move any more, or at least not for the time being. I've wasted so much time on the should-be-easy housing issue that I am almost running late for my two major assignments. It doesn't mean that I am feeling safe at my current place, but I think it should be the responsibility of the International Student Office to be responsible for my safety here since they arranged my housing or probably that of DUWO since I am their customer, isn't it?
By the way, as we will soon start our master class 2, in which we are supposed to learn some communication research skills. I would really like to try them hands on by doing a satisfaction survey on DUWO's tenants, even though I can almost guess the result without any more research now.
However, what can be more interesting is the possible reaction from the tenants when I reveal the result of the survey, and also remind them that it is actually the International Student Office who is supposed to be
responsible for their housing.
Just like most of other tenants, I didn't realize it until recently. It was such an inspiring realization to me as it dawned on me why DUWO always treat their tenants like idiots instead of the God, because we are not actually their customer, the International Student Office is.
Thank you again for your kindness and wish you a nice weekend.
And a suggestion I wish it helps: If you can't do anything more, at least tell future students the exact amount they have to pay for their rents.
It does sound ridiculous that when you find a hamburg is priced 2 euros, by the time you want to and have to take it, you are told that it is 3 euros actually. The reason? "It is because of our calculation, but it is really complicated and hard to explain!"
I am not blaming you on that since you probably don't know the trick, either. But do ask for the exact amount shown on the contract and tell it to each future student, because that is the exact money they will pay, not the reasonable amount = monthly rent x 12 months anyone would expect. Trust me, this will save you a lot of complaints you don't deserve to hear.

Again thanks and regards,

Lin

UP战友!

我完全理解你的心情,DUWO就是这样BT,和学校一起,炸干我们的钱!!!!

在Utrecht，这里的中介是SSHU,房租500，因为网络施工，噪音持续了1个月，所以向学校和sshu提出complain（超级全面，附了好多照片还……），丝毫没有回信
1.同lz，申请的时候，申请表上并没有让填写申请期限，只问了来荷兰和预计离开的时间
2.赴荷前收到校方回信，要求我租一整年，房租500,由于太贵，和international office，sshu交流过，告知无法更改——有人接到sshu的comfirmation比较早，要求调房成功，情况特殊
3.要上飞机时，收到学校的practice information，第一次知道，凡是申请了sshu中介的房子（当然，没有其他选择）只要申请了，都默认为申请一年期的，无论你打算什么时候离开荷兰——超级不公平，而且该条款不在任何合同上，也没有提前告知我们——有人的合同是4个月的，原因是sshu找不到一年的房子给他们，反正时间长短，sshu说得算
4.同时知道，sshu对于2006年9月入学的学生，改变了合同条款，合同一旦签订，不可终止（提前一个月通知是不行滴……）

所以，提醒只有一个，自己找房，别通过任何学校的中介！
找不到也得找！

我的房子，总的来说不错，housemate都很nice，就是房租太贵了
complain是当时觉得学校和sshu懵我们，没事闲的闹闹。
因为课程和论文太多，没有持续——当然，也没有收到任何回信。

刚开始签订合同时觉得每月500实在没法忍受，后来想开了，反正这点欧元带到这儿，也没打算带回去，花哪不是花？只能阿Q一点，当自己享受了。

我刚来得的房子也一样，那个中介最终的目的就是把你的押金扣光，不让你补钱就是好事儿了。

这种中介垄断了整个学校和城市的学生住房.这种做法就是导致他们一天天做大,以为自己了不起!一开始他们还会接受学校的建议,之后越来越嚣张!  DUWO原先只不过是一个小公司,在我们学校里面有间小办公室.现在了不起了,房价一年比一年夸张!做事越来越不讲理!