Woonbond wants lower rent for poorly insulated homes: this is how Zoetermeer housing associations react

Way too cold in winter, too hot in summer. That is the case with some Zoetermeer homes. This is not only annoying, but also very expensive due to the high heating costs. The Woonbond believes that this should be compensated for: a lower rent. What about Zoetermeer?

According to the Woonbond, tenants of poorly insulated houses are the victims of the high heating costs. “More and more people are having trouble paying their energy bills,” said the Woonbond on their website site. According to the association, a high energy bill is partly due to single glazing.

‘Single glass as a defect’

The organization therefore wants Minister Hugo de Jonge to oblige landlords to replace single glazing with insulating glass. If a landlord does not comply with this, a tenant in Zoetermeer can request a rent reduction. “For example, tenants do not pay both a high rent and a high energy bill,” according to the Woonbond.

The response of Zoetermeer corporations

indebuurt did a tour of Zoetermeer corporations. What do they think of the idea of ​​the Woonbond? De Goede Woning says that they have worked hard in recent years to replace single glazing with double glazing. Only 550, of the total of 6,200 homes that De Goede Woning rents out, still have single glazing. Often this only concerns one small window, for example the bathroom window. Due to the urgency, DGW will replace the last windows in 463 of the 550 homes this year. This will be done in 2025 for the other 87 homes, in combination with painting work.

Vidomes and Vestia

According to Vidomes, tenants of poorly insulated homes have been receiving a lower rent for years than tenants in well-insulated homes. This housing association indicates that they provide almost all homes with double glazing. With single glazing, residents can submit a request to replace their single glazing with double glazing. Tenants with single glazing will not receive a rent reduction to encourage them to submit a request.

Finally, Vestia states that it will not implement a general (temporary) rent reduction for tenants with poorly insulated homes. Vestia focuses on the new, national performance agreements on the approach to EGF labels. In 2028, there may no longer be homes with energy labels E, F or G. Vestia will therefore give priority to these homes in maintenance and improvement projects. There will be no rent increase for the homes that are better insulated as a result.

What to do in case of payment arrears

Do you have payment problems due to rising energy costs or for another reason? Then contact the housing association and start a conversation. Often a rental discount in the form of customization is possible. Tenants usually have to meet certain conditions in order to submit an application.