Landlords of poorly insulated homes in Flanders cannot put up their rents

The Flemish parliament has imposed a rent freeze for tenants of poorly insulated housing, forbidding landlords from raising the rate until energy efficiency is achieved.

The freeze is effective immediately, Het Laatste Nieuws reports. The agreement was reached during discussions on an upcoming rent indexation, which allows landlords to raise rates in line with inflation should they choose to.

In order to prevent landlords from raising these rents even faster, the freeze for poorly insulated buildings was implemented.

Indexation is forbidden for rental properties with an EPC (energy performance certificate) rating of E and F for at least one year, Flemish housing minister Matthias Diependaele said.

For properties with a D label, landlords are still allowed a partial indexation. Buildings with an A, B or C label are permitted increase rents in line with inflation to the full extent, should they choose to.

Properties have been required to have an EPC label since 2009. “If there is no EPC, no indexation is allowed,” Diependaele added.

The idea behind the measure is that renters should not be punished by both higher energy costs and a raised rent.

This is just one of the energy measures in a broader package of support announced by the Flemish government aimed at providing relief for households during the ongoing energy crisis.