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Heating just one room instead of the whole house:these are the dangers
It may seem smart to heat just one room to save energy, but this can cause unexpected problems. In this article, you will discover why heating just one room is not always a good idea and what risks this can entail.
Heating one room: smart savings or risk?
Many people are looking for ways to reduce their energy costs, especially now that heating costs are rising. It may seem logical to only heat the living room, for example. However, experts warn that this 'saving strategy' can actually be more expensive and unhealthy than expected. "If the doors are open, the heat escapes to the cooler rooms. This means that the heating in the heated room has to work harder because it has to heat a larger volume of air."
Risk of mold and health hazards
In addition to higher energy consumption, there is another important reason to heat more than one room: the risk of mold. In unheated rooms, the walls and ceilings cool down faster, which increases the risk of mold formation. Mold can have harmful effects on health, such as respiratory problems, allergies and even asthma.
The mold spores in damp rooms are often responsible for these complaints and can remain in the air for a long time, which is especially dangerous for people with sensitive health.
Consumers' Association advises: heat all inhabited rooms
The Consumers' Association also advises against heating just one room or keeping the entire home warm with just a few radiators. Too great a temperature difference, of more than five degrees, can quickly lead to moisture problems and mould. This happens especially when warm, moist air flows from a heated room to a colder room, where it condenses and leaves moisture behind.
That is why it is sensible to heat all inhabited rooms in the house, even if you do not use them intensively. For example, the Consumers' Association advises keeping all living and sleeping areas at a minimum of 16 degrees during the winter period. For small homes, such as a studio, it may of course be different, and it may be sufficient to only heat the living space.
Keep doors closed
A final important tip: if you keep one room in your home warmer than other rooms, always make sure the door to that room is closed. This also applies when airing out the home.
By keeping doors closed between rooms with different temperatures, you prevent warm, moist air from entering cooler rooms.
This prevents moisture from condensing and causing mold.
Consider these tips carefully
Although it may seem tempting to save energy by heating just one room, this approach can end up costing you dearly. Consider the above advice to avoid health problems and higher energy costs. What initially seemed like a smart saving can quickly turn into a source of problems.
Source: www.infovandaag.nl
Keeping doors closed between rooms with different temperatures prevents warm, moist air from entering cooler rooms,
preventing moisture from condensing and causing mold.
Source: http://www.infovandaag.nl
Relaxing affordability requirements for new construction projects is 'dangerous'
The lobby to relax affordability requirements for new construction projects is 'dangerous' and the government plan to free up social housing by no longer giving priority to status holders must be scrapped.
That is what Martin van Rijn, outgoing chairman of the housing association Aedes, says.
The cranes are clearly visible from the window of his office in The Hague. “It won’t be long before the view is gone,” says former civil servant, former state secretary and former minister Martin van Rijn. Incidentally, he is the last to complain about that.
And not just because he announced this week that he is leaving as chairman of Aedes.
The 68-year-old Rotterdammer thinks it is time to pay more attention to his family, especially now that there are grandchildren.
Nevertheless, the former minister is still concerned about the lack of urgency in tackling the housing crisis. The pace needs to pick up. And he thinks the lobby to build more expensive homes is dangerous. Especially now that many people are desperate for social housing. “The warning lights are going on.”
Two-thirds of new homes must be affordable, half of which must be social housing.
Are you afraid that these requirements will be compromised?
“I think the discussion about whether it is necessary is dangerous. That is another discussion and not another home. We really need to get this done.”
The sector says that these requirements actually mean that less is being built.
“I understand that if land has been purchased, those homes also have to yield a return. But there is also a real human necessity. Many people are waiting for social housing. If you earn a little too much to qualify for social housing, you are screwed.”
“In a rental home in the private sector, you pay sky-high rents and you don’t have the money to buy a home either. Those people are stuck.
If you want to solve the housing shortage, you really have to ensure that the number of affordable rental homes remains.”
At the same time, there are also cities like Rotterdam that say in neighborhoods with a lot of social housing: things could be a bit less there.
“I can imagine that, but at the same time you have to arrange for those social housing units to be built somewhere else. The ideal of a corporation has always been that there are mixed neighborhoods in which people with a little money and with a little less money can just live together well. If you also want there to be strong, resilient neighborhoods, then you also have to be able to mix a little.”
There are already sounds that corporations should start building for the middle class again.
“Yes, and that is very right. Corporations also always built for nurses, police officers and teachers. You see that the corporations were not allowed to do anything in the past period and that the market did not work. Now we are stuck with the consequences.”
How do you see that?
“I started my career in public housing and saw the value of building affordable homes for people with lower incomes. Without those corporations, you would have really big problems.
If you look at cities in other countries, for example in Paris, there are banlieues where you actually don’t like to go. We never had that in the Netherlands. That’s because of the corporations. They have an interest in keeping the neighborhood whole and healthy.”
At the same time, program managers from those districts are sounding the alarm that a great many problems are converging in certain districts.
“The warning lights are also going off. You can see that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get the management of districts right and to ensure that there is a healthy composition with support for a number of facilities. You need mixed districts for that. If the composition becomes too one-sided, it becomes increasingly difficult.”
Is it a good thing that the government has decided that status holders will no longer be given priority for social housing?
“No. Those people have gone through all the procedures and have become Dutch residents, they are not for nothing. Those people have the right to a decent home, just like any other resident of the Netherlands.”
Can you as a sector deal with this differently?
“We will enter into consultation with the municipalities to see how we are going to solve this problem. Our starting point is that we want to build decent housing for people with a low income, based on the values that we have always had.
This applies to Dutch people and to people who have a residence status. This means that this will determine our position, we will do this together with the municipalities.”
You shouldn't exclude those people?
"No."
Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma said: we would be better off declaring a housing crisis than an asylum crisis.
"I agree with her. At the same time, declaring that crisis alone won't help, as is evident in other areas as well. It's better to make agreements about the performance we're going to deliver. We're going to put our shoulders to the wheel. We can do this in the Netherlands, this is the tradition of corporations. If that atmosphere returns, we'll have taken a few steps forward."
According to the chairman of the Woonbond, the housing shortage even violates fundamental rights. How do you view this?
“That is also true. There are many harrowing stories, from people who are divorced and cannot find a home to young people who have to live in their parents' attic for years and cannot start a family. The water is really up to some people's lips. I think it is a very big social problem. Every now and then you get the feeling that the urgency that is needed to achieve this is not yet felt.”
Source: Dagblad De Stentor, 12-11-2024
Compensation for peeping increase takes a lot of time
Tax Authorities
Last year, the Supreme Court confirmed previous rulings by lower courts: from 1 March 2013 to 1 April 2016, the Tax Authorities were not allowed to provide landlords with information about tenants' income. Judges still have to give their opinion on possible financial compensation. Until then, it is uncertain whether the Tax Authorities must pay damages to tenants.
Despite efforts, it takes longer than expected
The procedure to reach this possible compensation unfortunately takes much longer than the Woonbond expects. Whether there will ultimately be a test case is not yet clear. However, the Woonbond is making every effort to achieve this.
Clarity through test case
A test case involves a few tenants who previously requested compensation from the Tax Authorities having their case reviewed by a judge. The verdict in that case must also provide clarity for other tenants.
Ministry sows confusion in letter
Tenants who previously filed a claim for damages with the government received
a letter from the Ministry of Finance at the beginning of this year.
In it, the ministry rejected the submitted claims for damages, because "a test procedure with the Tenants' Association did not get off the ground". This was based on a misunderstanding.
No need to respond to the ministry
Did you receive a letter from the Ministry of Finance? Then you do not need to respond to it. The fact that your request for compensation has been formally rejected
does not mean that the Woonbond will stop its efforts to get a test case off the ground.
Orphans better protected against deportation
Young people whose parents have died may no longer be evicted from housing associations. As of January 1, 2024, there will be a new law that regulates this.
Last October, the House of Representatives voted on the law. The House also adopted a motion that should also protect orphans with a private landlord.
According to Statistics Netherlands, it happens approximately 80 times a year that young adults living in a housing association lose their parents. In private rental properties this is approximately 30 times a year.
Security up to and including the age of 27 The Tenancy Protection Orphans Act stipulates that young adult orphans may remain in the parental home until they turn 28. Housing associations must inform the young adult about the future living situation shortly after the death of the parent. And extend the rental contract until the age of 27.
Lower rent if necessary
The law also stipulates that the housing association must adjust the rent to what the young person can pay. Young people aged 16 to 22 receive a rent reduction up to the housing allowance limit. Young adults aged 23 to 27 who are entitled to housing allowance can also receive a rent reduction.
Conditions for cancellation from age 28
To prevent young adult orphans from ending up on the street from the age of 28, the housing association can only cancel if it turns out that the young adult can get a suitable replacement rental home for an indefinite period.
Source: www.woonbond.nl
Ministry incorrectly informs tenants about peeping claim
Tenants who previously claimed compensation from the tax authorities because of the peek increase have been misinformed. The Woonbond does not waive a trial procedure as suggested by the Tax Authorities.
Last month, the Ministry of Finance rejected the damage claims submitted in a letter to tenants. In substantiation, the ministry writes that “a trial procedure with the Woonbond did not get off the ground”. This is based on a misunderstanding, because no discussion about this has yet taken place between the Housing Association and the Tax Authorities.
What is the peeping claim?
At the end of 2022, the Supreme Court confirmed previous rulings by lower courts: from March 1, 2013 to April 1, 2016, the Tax Authorities should not have provided information about the income of tenants to landlords. Because this did happen, many tenants were faced with an income-related rent increase.
Unfortunately, judges have still not ruled on possible financial compensation. This makes it uncertain whether the tax authorities will have to pay damages to tenants.
Clarity through trial process
To gain clarity, the Woonbond is starting a trial procedure with some tenants. This means that a few tenants who previously applied to the Tax Authorities for compensation will have their cases reviewed by a judge. The ruling in that process should also provide clarity for other tenants.
No definitive outcome yet
Contrary to what is stated in the ministry's letter, the procedure is still ongoing. That is why there is no definitive answer yet about possible compensation. Keep an eye on the website to read the latest news about this.
Source: www.woonbond.nl
Tenants often have unjustifiable doubts about the energy label
The Woonbond has noticed that many tenants doubt whether the energy label of their home is correct. The Woonbond finds this worrying, because studies and the experiences of the Woonbond itself show that the energy label of rental properties is usually correct. In 2021, it turned out that 93% of the newly issued energy labels are correct . Nevertheless, the union understands the doubt, because a tenant can experience the house very differently than that indicated by the energy label.
A tenant usually only knows the letter of the energy label of his home.
Tenants' doubts about the energy label of their home are apparent from the questions that the Woonbond receives about this. This spring's Woonbond webinar on energy labels also showed that many tenants believe that the energy label of their home is incorrect. The recent broadcasts of AVRO/TROS RADAR and KRO Pointer about energy labels reinforce the doubts. The broadcasts discussed several examples of incorrect labels for rental properties.
Energy label does not determine comfort
However, the energy label of homes is usually correct. However, a tenant can experience his home very differently, for example because the home feels cold.
When drawing up an energy label, for example, drafts in the home are not measured. Drafts can make a house uncomfortable, even though the house still has a (reasonably) good energy label.
Energy label difficult to check
What makes it even more difficult is that tenants usually cannot check the energy label of their home (or have it checked), because a tenant generally does not have access to the report that goes with the energy label. In addition, since 2021 there has been a complicated calculation behind the energy label. This calculation can only be carried out by a qualified energy labeler (EP adviser). Tenants can ask the landlord for the energy label report, but most landlords do not make this report available for inspection.
Confidence through insight into label
The national government is working on giving tenants access to the energy label report that belongs to their home via mijn.overheid.nl. This will probably be possible from next summer. The Woonbond expects that access to the report will contribute to confidence in the energy label. “At the moment, a tenant only knows the letter of the energy label of his rental home and that is a kind of black box,” says Bastiaan van Perlo, energy policy officer at the Woonbond. “We hope that access to the label report will contribute to confidence in energy labels.”
Source: www.woonbond.nl
The office “Help Loket Brederwiede”
Residents of the former municipality of Brederwiede who have problems with applying for housing benefit or registering for a home, for example, can now turn to Help Loket Brederwiede in Vollenhove.
Selfless and free support is given to people who themselves have difficulty submitting applications to, for example, the municipality or other institutions and bodies.
This could include registering for a home or applying for rent allowance or energy allowances.
The Help Desk works closely with Wetland Wonen Groep, Social Work De Kop, the municipality of Steenwijkerland and ANBO.
Location and opening hours
The office is located in Nieuw Clarenberg (in the conservatory at Laurier). The office is open every Tuesday afternoon from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM. You can register via the number 06-40671424. You can also just walk in.
Liena Veenstra, Marianne van Stormbroek and Gerrit van der Linde are happy to help you.
Source: www.wetlandwonen.nl
The library helps you with digital questions during the digital consultation hours
Nowadays you can arrange everything via the internet. Also at Wetland Living. For example, you can find social housing in the region via the website De Woningzoeker (www.dewoningzoeker.nl). Could you use some digital help or do you know someone who needs this help?
Come by the Library. They will gladly help you. You do not have to be a member of the library. It is also not necessary to make an appointment. You can just walk in.
Digital office hours in the library
- Steenwijk Library
Every Monday from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Every Thursday from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM - Library Oldemarkt
Every Wednesday from 10.00 - 11.30 am - Library Vollenhove
Every Tuesday from 10:00 - 12:00
Every Friday from 10:00 - 12:00 - Library Hasselt
Every Friday from 10.00 - 11.30 am - Library Zwartsluis
Every Thursday from 10.00 - 11.30 am - Library Genemuiden
Every Saturday from 10.00 - 11.30 am
Source: www.wetlandwonen.nl
Changed service costs procedure at Rent Assessment Committee
If you think the annual statement for your service costs is too high or if you have not received an annual statement, you can contact the Rental Committee as a social tenant. In addition, a number of new rules have applied since July 2021.
From now on you must first inform your landlord in writing that you do not agree with the service charge settlement (or the advance payment for gas, water and electricity).
You must then give your landlord three weeks to respond. If your landlord does not respond or does not want to consult, you can start an “Annual settlement service costs and utilities” procedure with the Rent Assessment Committee.
Source:
Woonbond, Rent level 4
State does not want to talk about unlawful rent increase
(peek raise)
We don't talk to you, but litigate until you give up. The state has that message for tenants whose income data has been unlawfully shared by the tax authorities. These tenants received an extra high rent increase based on the shared income data.
In July 2013, the 'peek increase' was introduced. From that year onwards, tenants with a middle income received an additional, income-related rent increase. In order to be allowed to ask for an extra rent increase, landlords needed income data from tenants. The Tax and Customs Administration provided that information. But the law governing the provision of data was not in order.
Providing income data unlawfully
Until April 2016, illegal income data was provided. At the end of 2020, the civil court confirmed that the Tax and Customs Administration had not been allowed to provide income data until April 2016. That ruling followed a long legal process.
To the Supreme Court
Instead of finally discussing compensation for tenants, the government is now going to the Supreme Court. The court has not yet ruled on compensation. The Housing Association wants to discuss this. This is because the court has recognized that the Woonbond can act on behalf of the affected tenants in this case. But the state wants to fight the case further legally. This marks the start of the next chapter in a long-drawn-out legal process.
Years of legal battle
In 2016, the Council of State also announced that the provision of income was not allowed. In 2017, the Woonbond started a collective claim on behalf of duped tenants. The claim went to the administrative court. On appeal, the administrative court ruled that the case belongs to the civil court. He confirmed that the provision of income data was unlawful. And also ruled that the Woonbond is authorized to act on behalf of the tenants in this case.
From box to wall
Now the government's lawyers claim again that the civil court is not about it, but that it is a matter for the administrative court. But the case is already before the administrative court. The government indicated to the administrative court that it is a matter for the civil court. The tenants are sent from pillar to post by the government.
Too high rent due to government error
In 2013, tenants with an annual income from € 33,600 could already receive an additional, income-related rent increase. Until April 2016, there was therefore no legal basis for sharing income data. The Tax and Customs Administration violated its duty of confidentiality. Tenants immediately experienced the financial consequences of this. To this day, tenants are stuck with a higher rent.
Woonbond wants to talk about a solution
The Woonbond deeply regrets that the government is opting for a new legal step instead of discussing a solution. Tenants who have known for years that the Tax and Customs Administration has violated their privacy are still left empty-handed. Tenants who have had an income-related rent increase during this period will have to wait until the Supreme Court's ruling for clarity.
Source: www.woonbond.nl
Discrimination?
Is it discrimination if I am not allowed to rent a certain flat because of my age?
A landlord has the freedom to enter into a lease with whomever he wants. If he or she wants to designate a house or a residential complex for a specific target group, for example seniors or young people, the landlord is free to do so.
For example, homes are given a “label”, for example a senior, 50+ or youth label.
However, that assigned label has no legal status and you cannot derive any rights from it as a tenant or house hunter. You can, however, ask a landlord about the underlying policy for designating a home or complex for a specific target group. A person over 50 who is refused a home in a youth complex is therefore not discriminated against. He or she simply does not fall within the target group that the landlord wants to house. Only the label “care home” is linked to regulations. The houses and the complex must meet certain conditions. And the house also receives more house valuation points, which means that it can get a higher rent.
Source: Woonbond, Huurwijzer 3, 2020
