Odd jobs in Amsterdam
When you rent an apartment, it is important to know what maintenance work you are responsible for taking care of yourself and what is better left to your landlord or building administrator. In many cases, you will find that your contract is extremely specific about which parts of your home you are allowed to change or fix and which you are not supposed to touch; however, in some cases, even though might want to have your walls painted a new colour (and your contract might not say anything for or against the idea), that might be the quickest way to lose a deposit.
Therefore, one of the easiest ways to avoid problems with your landlord, if you rent an apartment in Amsterdam, is to contact him or her with any questions about odd jobs that you would like or need to have done on your home. Not only does this keep the owner/caretaker aware of the current state of the apartment, but it allows you to “test the waters” in terms of what you plan to do.
If this does not turn out to be much help, there are other easy ways to locate people who will be able to take care of your general needs.
The Dutch, like Americans, are big fans of craigslist.com. There you have access to a wide range of advertisements and there is diverse supply of services, from babysitting and dog walking to personal chefs, technicians and private tutors.
In addition, Albert Heijn supermarkets have large, popular message boards where people look for jobs and post their requests for services. As always, though, word of mouth tends to be more reliable than the message boards, so always begin by asking other people in your building, office, and fellow expats.
