the life cycle performance of sustainable renovation concepts

- Besluit Beheer Sociale Huursector (BBSH)This law determines the core activities of the housing corporations.- Wet op het Overleg Huurders Verhuurder (WOHV)This law regulates the dialogue between tenants and owners about policy aspects.WONINGWAARDERINGSTELSEL (WWS)The WWS determines the maximum rental price that housing corporations can ask forsocial houses. The maximal rental price is determined based upon points that areattributed to a house. These points are attributed based upon the quality of the houseand its environment. However, in the current WWS, an investment in energy savingtechniques leads to a limited number of extra points. The WWS discourages aninvestment in energy savings measures. This is a restriction in the policy regarding theencouragement of energy saving measures.Another restriction of the WWS is that the total thermal insulation of a house can lead toa maximum of 15 points. As a result, housing corporations are discouraged to applysustainability measures to their envelope (Weevers & Go, 2009).Currently, a new WWS is developed and will be implemented in 2011. This new WWScaters to the current problems that arise from the WWS, regarding the implementation ofsustainable renovation measures.BURGERLIJK WETBOEK (BW)According to the BW rental prices of houses can be increased once a year. Hereby, the“Minister of VROM” determines an average and maximum percentage of increased rentalprices. However, next to this yearly rental price adaptation, the landlord is alwaysallowed to increase the rental prices due to implemented improvements of the house,such as energy saving measures.The BW does not restrict the implementation of energy saving measures directly. For arenovation project there are two limitations stated by the BW:- The increased rental price may not be higher than what is required for theinvestment, with reference to a basic yearly mortgage and a reasonable write-offperiod.- The rental price may not exceed the WWS.If ten houses or more are renovated at the same time, the renovation project is classifiedas renovating a complex. In this case at least 70% of the tenants have to agree with therenovation plans. Tenants are obliged to agree if the landlord gives a reasonable proposal(Weevers & Go, 2009).BESLUIT BEHEER SOCIALE HUURSECTOR (BBSH)Housing corporations in the Netherlands have to do with the BBSH. An important task ofhousing corporations is to supply appropriate housing to people from the lower socialclass with priority. Also the housing corporations should take care of the fact that tenantsapply for the rental surcharge from the Dutch government. The BBSH maximizes theaverage yearly increase of rental price. However, for the calculation of this averageincrease of rental price, the increase of rental price due to house improvement and rentalharmonization is not included (Weevers & Go, 2009). As a result, housing corporationsare discouraged to invest in energy saving measures in their buildings.RENTAL PRICE AND RENTAL SURCHARGEThe system of rental surcharge in the Netherlands, formerly known as rental subsidy, hasthe goal to support households with a low income in the rental costs. The rentalsurcharge depends on the income of a household. Dependable upon the age andcomposition of a household, the income boundary lays between 20.000 and 29.000 euro.The right on surcharge and the height of the rental surcharge depends upon the followingfactors: (Weevers & Go, 2009)24