Subsidy available for sustainable housing & rental property

Data analysis indicates that 4 out of 5 homeowners in The Netherlands can afford to bear the costs of making their abodes more sustainable. Unfortunately, 1 out of 5 are unable to invest in their home nor are they able to borrow money to pay for upgrades. The good news is subsidies can help homeowners improve the sustainability of their dwellings. In addition, it is also possible for existing landlords to apply for subsidies and convert rental housing to environmentally friendly accommodation. Here’s how expats can make their home and rental property more sustainable.

Rental housing subsidy explained

The plans fall under the Subsidieregeling Verduurzaming en Onderhoud Huurwoningen (SVOH). Owners of rental property can avail of funds to do several things. One is to tap the services of an adviser to define ways to make real estate more energy efficient. Two, subventions can be used to pay for renovations. For example, the insulation of a structure may be improved by using sustainable building materials. Hence, it does not only target energy-efficiency, but also use materials that are friendly to the planet.
Another practical way to use grants is to maintain a rental property. Ensuring that maintenance is carried out diligently improves energy use and reduces its waste. Other improvements that can be done include replacement of window frames, worn out weather strips and seals, boilers, and HVAC systems.

Investeringssubsidie Duurzame Energie (ISDE) or subsidy for sustainable energy

Owner-occupied homes can also use grants to boost sustainable energy use and efficiency. Under the ISDE program, a homeowner can use the money to insulate a property better for energy gains. It is also possible to purchase a solar water heater or electric water heater as well as buy an electric cooking appliance such as an induction hob. Another vital upgrade is to connect a property to a heat network or warmtenet which is a heating grid underground through which hot water runs. The hot water may be used to warm up a home.

Conditions to Qualify

To apply for a rental housing subsidy, an individual must meet several conditions. The applicant must own the property. In the Netherlands, there are no restrictions on foreigners and non-Dutch residents purchasing property. Hence, expats in Haarlem can own real estate and eventually, benefit from subsidies. If you’re applying for subsidies to improve rental housing, you must be leasing your property at the time of request. The maximum subsidy that is awarded to applicants is €6,000 per home. For landlords, the subsidy cap is at €400,000. Details are available on the website, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) or the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. For ISDE grants, the conditions are, the applicant must own the property and that they are currently living in the house. The investment subsidy is a one-off payment and is roughly about 20% of the investment cost. Further details are found on the RVO website.

The Netherlands government is committed to making buildings more sustainable. Subsidies and grants are accessible to homeowners and landlords to enhance energy use and upgrade existing housing stock.

Interested on how to make not only your house and your business, but the whole world more sustainable?

Haarlem Campus in the Koepel created the 1-year Master’s program: Applied Sustainability Management. The program aims at the development of specialised and interdisciplinary competencies in the combined fields of business, sustainability and transformation management to advance into advisory and management positions in companies and organisations interested in the transition towards a more sustainable world.