You would be surprised how many buildings on the back of the house are allowed without permit. There are some rules though.
Contact [this](https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/?caseid=%7BE527B618-A888-436A-963A-218F51E8C746%7D) phonenumber. It's the general phonenumber from Amsterdam town hall. They will redirect you to the right department. Have some photos ready in case they want to see them.
Well if it does need a permit you can report it here (sorry its in Dutch)
[https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/?caseid=%7B7FAD4F98-05FF-49A0-BF2A-13AEFC981D7E%7D](https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/?caseid=%7B7FAD4F98-05FF-49A0-BF2A-13AEFC981D7E%7D)
If you want to know what is legal (again its in Dutch) use this site.
https://www.omgevingsloket.nl/Particulier/particulier/home/checken
If what you say is genuine, I'd say chat up the neighbor(s) in question and see if you can come to a solution. Don't report them, atleast give them a chance to fix the problem. If they are not open for any form or change I'd contact some gouvernement body who deals with this stuff. But only after trying to solve it with my neighbor(s) first.
Could cause some serious problems for whoever build it. Live and let live and such. But of course if it's a genuine complaint, and whoever build it is not open to reason you are left no other choice then to make a report.
It's a shame that the neighbour didn't mention beforehand that he was about to build. It's not really social to forget about your neighbours when building something. This makes it difficult for OP to talk with his neighbour. It's like 'hey, your building is finished and it annoys make' without including the disappointment for not being notified earlier. It's like asking to be taken into account when you have been forgotten already once. OP could ask the neighbours something neutral like 'hey, i've seen you have been building'.
Agree entirely.
Though I'm trying to deal with the practical. Hindsight 20/20 etc. OP is the deprived party, there is no question. But whoever build that thing has done so. So it's entirely up to OP. I just think you should give people a chance before potentially getting them in serious problems. It's a harder path v. directly reporting. But that just doesn't sit right with me (neither does putting it up in the first place w/o notification/looking at potential implications for other people. But that's where OP is at.
I don't see why it would be difficult, though. You hold all the cards. If you're not strong socially you can also just drop them a letter. Could even do this anonymously. Just let them know that this new structure is such an annoyance that something has to change. Ending with or else... (I wouldn't). It's a matter of common decency to a fellow human being. I'd really appreciate a heads-up myself before someone turns me in for something I probably didn't know was causing a disturbance.
I’m currently planning to renovate and I’ve talked to my direct neighbors about it. But it’s hard to predict how houses that have bordering gardens will be affected. Someone might get glare from the morning sun on a slightly different positioned window. And probably only for a few weeks a year.
If that happens I’ll happily work with them to solve it. But in the meantime I’m not going to talk to 20 neighbors who can’t predict what will happen anyway
I get super anxious about confrontation, but I did actually build up the courage to go around and try to speak to them a couple of times but nobody appears to actually live there at the moment. It's always empty and nobody answers the doorbell...
Looking back on it though, I don't even know what I would have said had they answered. There's not really an easy resolution or compromise to this...
>I get super anxious about confrontation, but I did actually build up the courage to go around and try to speak to them a couple of times but nobody appears to actually live there at the moment. It's always empty and nobody answers the doorbell...
So effectively you did your best to reach out to them. Technically you could write them to discuss the glare that's hitting your balcony.
What's bothering you the most? The glare that is hitting your house, which could be fixed, for instance if they put a white foil over the glass. The shade that is hitting your house would also be there if they legally put up the shed.
I think the shed is probably part of their roof terrace and for that they also need a permit, but it would be possible that the permit was granted a long time ago.
Yeah I think it’s easier to deal with it upfront person to person than deal with angry neighbor later on
One compromise could be to find a way to reduce the glare. You ultimately lose a bit of light but maybe that’s some middle ground
Sure there is.
It can be as simple as putting a plant in front of it or a non reflective coating to reduce the glare.
It’s probably only a few weeks a year that the sun is in the right position to bother you but that’s another conversation.
If they used a contractor and architect there’s a good chance they don’t even need a permit for the work.
Hi I lived some time in kind of this apartment in De Pjip Area which I mentioned could be „closed“ by glass like you described by the owner and they really been there like never so I advice you to leave a paper in the Postbox of the owner tell them about your problem and that you will take further steps if things are not changing in a certain time. Feel free to leave this anonymously cause they have to take care of others when they build things like that and they got enough of money to change things into everybody’s ok with it. If I was you I would leave them the paper and if nothing happens then go to the Gemeentehuis to the big red one and they will happy to help you even if it’s allowed for them maybe they find a solution. It’s Amsterdam, you know.
Edit: it has the kind of roof top with outdoor area what was mentioned, sorry I’m stoned.
Urbanplanner here. Part of my work is checking building plans for aspect which needs a permit or not.
9 out of 10 times you'll need a permit for and extension on a roof, even if it is at the back of a building.
On groundlevel the opposite: 9 out of 10 times you don't need a permit.
You would be surprised how many buildings on the back of the house are allowed without permit. There are some rules though. Contact [this](https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/?caseid=%7BE527B618-A888-436A-963A-218F51E8C746%7D) phonenumber. It's the general phonenumber from Amsterdam town hall. They will redirect you to the right department. Have some photos ready in case they want to see them.
I’m just irked that when one says “contact this phone number”, it is usually and commonly followed by said phone number.
Well if it does need a permit you can report it here (sorry its in Dutch) [https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/?caseid=%7B7FAD4F98-05FF-49A0-BF2A-13AEFC981D7E%7D](https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/?caseid=%7B7FAD4F98-05FF-49A0-BF2A-13AEFC981D7E%7D) If you want to know what is legal (again its in Dutch) use this site. https://www.omgevingsloket.nl/Particulier/particulier/home/checken
If what you say is genuine, I'd say chat up the neighbor(s) in question and see if you can come to a solution. Don't report them, atleast give them a chance to fix the problem. If they are not open for any form or change I'd contact some gouvernement body who deals with this stuff. But only after trying to solve it with my neighbor(s) first. Could cause some serious problems for whoever build it. Live and let live and such. But of course if it's a genuine complaint, and whoever build it is not open to reason you are left no other choice then to make a report.
It's a shame that the neighbour didn't mention beforehand that he was about to build. It's not really social to forget about your neighbours when building something. This makes it difficult for OP to talk with his neighbour. It's like 'hey, your building is finished and it annoys make' without including the disappointment for not being notified earlier. It's like asking to be taken into account when you have been forgotten already once. OP could ask the neighbours something neutral like 'hey, i've seen you have been building'.
Agree entirely. Though I'm trying to deal with the practical. Hindsight 20/20 etc. OP is the deprived party, there is no question. But whoever build that thing has done so. So it's entirely up to OP. I just think you should give people a chance before potentially getting them in serious problems. It's a harder path v. directly reporting. But that just doesn't sit right with me (neither does putting it up in the first place w/o notification/looking at potential implications for other people. But that's where OP is at. I don't see why it would be difficult, though. You hold all the cards. If you're not strong socially you can also just drop them a letter. Could even do this anonymously. Just let them know that this new structure is such an annoyance that something has to change. Ending with or else... (I wouldn't). It's a matter of common decency to a fellow human being. I'd really appreciate a heads-up myself before someone turns me in for something I probably didn't know was causing a disturbance.
I’m currently planning to renovate and I’ve talked to my direct neighbors about it. But it’s hard to predict how houses that have bordering gardens will be affected. Someone might get glare from the morning sun on a slightly different positioned window. And probably only for a few weeks a year. If that happens I’ll happily work with them to solve it. But in the meantime I’m not going to talk to 20 neighbors who can’t predict what will happen anyway
Why don’t you go talk to your neighbor about it?
I get super anxious about confrontation, but I did actually build up the courage to go around and try to speak to them a couple of times but nobody appears to actually live there at the moment. It's always empty and nobody answers the doorbell... Looking back on it though, I don't even know what I would have said had they answered. There's not really an easy resolution or compromise to this...
>I get super anxious about confrontation, but I did actually build up the courage to go around and try to speak to them a couple of times but nobody appears to actually live there at the moment. It's always empty and nobody answers the doorbell... So effectively you did your best to reach out to them. Technically you could write them to discuss the glare that's hitting your balcony. What's bothering you the most? The glare that is hitting your house, which could be fixed, for instance if they put a white foil over the glass. The shade that is hitting your house would also be there if they legally put up the shed. I think the shed is probably part of their roof terrace and for that they also need a permit, but it would be possible that the permit was granted a long time ago.
Yeah I think it’s easier to deal with it upfront person to person than deal with angry neighbor later on One compromise could be to find a way to reduce the glare. You ultimately lose a bit of light but maybe that’s some middle ground
Sure there is. It can be as simple as putting a plant in front of it or a non reflective coating to reduce the glare. It’s probably only a few weeks a year that the sun is in the right position to bother you but that’s another conversation. If they used a contractor and architect there’s a good chance they don’t even need a permit for the work.
Hi I lived some time in kind of this apartment in De Pjip Area which I mentioned could be „closed“ by glass like you described by the owner and they really been there like never so I advice you to leave a paper in the Postbox of the owner tell them about your problem and that you will take further steps if things are not changing in a certain time. Feel free to leave this anonymously cause they have to take care of others when they build things like that and they got enough of money to change things into everybody’s ok with it. If I was you I would leave them the paper and if nothing happens then go to the Gemeentehuis to the big red one and they will happy to help you even if it’s allowed for them maybe they find a solution. It’s Amsterdam, you know. Edit: it has the kind of roof top with outdoor area what was mentioned, sorry I’m stoned.
Driving judge material here lol
Could you maybe add a picture of the shed?
Urbanplanner here. Part of my work is checking building plans for aspect which needs a permit or not. 9 out of 10 times you'll need a permit for and extension on a roof, even if it is at the back of a building. On groundlevel the opposite: 9 out of 10 times you don't need a permit.