EPC label A or B required to rent out social housing in Limburg | Economy

Private individuals can rent out their property as social housing. To do this, they must conclude a contract with Wonen in Limburg (WiL), the unified social housing company. But it has strict rules. If the home does not have an A or B label, it is no longer eligible for the social market. However, there is a major shortage of social housing and, according to the latest figures, 21,000 Limburgers are on the waiting list.

In this way, WiL hopes to avoid the tenant having to pay high energy costs later. Flemish Minister of Housing Matthias Diependaele believes that it is good that the quality of housing is monitored, but points out that WiL with this requirement “puts too strong a brake on the possibilities for further expansion of the heritage.” In Limburg, half of the apartments have an A or B label. As far as single-family homes are concerned, this is only 16 percent.

“We are currently still investigating how we can guide the owners of homes that do not quite achieve a B label. We want to provide them with optimal support to renovate their homes, so that those homes also achieve at least a B label and are still eligible for social rental,” says Myriam Indenkleef, director of Wonen in Limburg.