Message from the board of the Zwartewaterwiede tenants' association, regarding the 2025 rent increase

 

Since the end of November 2024, we, the HVZ board, have been involved with Wetland Wonen in developing various scenarios for the 2025 rent increase. We have been able to provide input, raise our concerns about affordability, and observe the consequences of, for example, requesting a 0.5% lower rent increase. We have seen that housing associations need rental income to invest. Therefore, Wetland Wonen also needs rental income to both implement sustainability improvements and build more sustainably. Every euro less in income means fewer loans for Wetland Wonen, which in turn means fewer homes to build and fewer homes to make more sustainable. 

 

In February, we received Wetland Wonen's proposed rent increase for 2025. As the board of the tenants' association, we gave Wetland Wonen a positive recommendation regarding their policy regarding the annual rent increase. In our discussions and consultations on this matter, we, as the board, also raised our concerns about affordability, as mentioned earlier. Wetland Wonen shares these concerns. We are also realistic and aware of the various measures Wetland Wonen is implementing to address affordability. Some of these measures include: Customized rent, or Rent Adjustment; the "free solar panels (where the roof is suitable)" project; and lower rent increases for homes with an E, F, or G label that do not yet have solar panels.

 

In short, Wetland Wonen's rent increase will remain below the legally permitted percentage. And within this rent increase, it will apply tailored measures to distribute the costs as evenly as possible among its tenants.

 

In all of this, it's crucial that Wetland Wonen can continue investing in renovation, sustainability, and new construction. This is what motivated us, as the board, to issue a positive recommendation.