Housing cooperatives have been busy since 1 July to install the mandatory smoke detectors. That is quite a job and not always easy because there are tenants who do not want to cooperate. Of the 25,000 tenants of housing cooperative Alwel in Roosendaal, Etten-Leur and Breda, about 2,500 initially give up. This is solved as much as possible with a personal approach.
First and foremost: the vast majority of all Alwel tenants are happy with the smoke detectors and absolutely see the need for them. But not everyone. People refuse to install it for various reasons.
“Not all people understand our letters,” says branch manager Rob van Son of housing cooperative Alwel in Roosendaal. “But there are also people who just don’t care. Or tenants who don’t want you to come into their house because they do things there that shouldn’t be seen. If someone has hemp plants in a back room, they don’t want you to come up with a smoke detector. hang up.”
“People with mental health backpacks just don’t want strangers coming over.”
“There are also tenants who simply don’t like a smoke detector in their home,” adds Eefje Bruijns van Alwel. “Then it mainly concerns the smoke detectors that work on electricity. Then you often get a cable duct to your smoke detector and some people find that really ugly. And in some cases they don’t want the smoke detector.”
In addition, there is another group with deviant views. “I have not yet had them on the phone myself, but I know stories that people think that China is listening in through the smoke detector or that there is a camera in it,” continues Bruijns. “A challenge are also tenants with a psychiatric background who just don’t want strange people coming over.”
“It’s not just about the safety of the residents themselves, but also that of the neighbors.”
Alwel opts for a patient, personal approach to solve the problem. They have to, because the smoke detectors have been mandatory for almost three months. With ten percent of the 25,000 rental homes, extra effort must be made.
“Our employees in the neighborhoods look for people who don’t want a smoke detector, drink coffee and don’t let go,” explains Rob van Son. “Experience shows that one percent really does not cooperate and then we eventually go to court.”
One percent doesn’t seem like much, but that’s 250 households. And then we are only talking about Roosendaal. “Sending letters, visiting, the entire process is super expensive,” continues Van Son. “But very important, because it is not only about the safety of the residents themselves, but also of the neighbors.”
Alwel is satisfied with the progress of the project and half of all smoke detectors have now been installed. They move on professionally and with patience. “The focus has also shifted a bit”, concludes Eefke Bruijns. “People are not concerned with fire safety, but with energy bills and survival. And we understand that.”
