The pillars
Of the quality mark
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Municipality & Layout
To be eligible for the quality mark all documents and licences should be in order. Based on the blueprints of the building the configuration of the quality mark inspection will be drawn up. Furthermore, the building layout should meet certain requirements, for example communal facilities such as kitchen, shower and toilet must be accessible within three floors and a room must have a minimum floor area of 5m2 by a minimum ceiling height of two meters.
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Fire Safey
Both the landlord and the tenant are jointly responsible for the fire safety of the building. The landlord is mainly responsible for the technical safety of the building, the tenant is supposed to use it in a safe way. Where Dutch law only requires extra fire safety measures such as linked smoke detectors, fire extinguishers etc. in buildings with 5 or more rooms, the quality mark requires this also for buildings with 3 or 4 rooms. Furthermore, the fire department will have access to the blueprints of buildings with a quality mark, ensuring they are aware of the layout and the number of residents in the building in case of an emergency.
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Burglary protection
Yearly, one in every 32 homes report a (attempted) burglary. More than half of the burglars choose to enter through the front door, often leaving little too no traces. The quality mark requires front doors be equipped with a burglar prevention strip and letterbox security to prevent burglars from using popular break-in methods. Tenants will also be made aware of their role to prevent burglary.
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Monitoring & Management
The fire extinguishers, heating and hot water installations must be maintained by a recognized installer. In addition to the fact that a building must be technically sound, regular inspection and good management of fire-safe use is also essential to ensure that the landlord meets the statutory duty of care. Every year, the landlord controls the building with the quality mark app and can use the free control module to periodically check the premises.
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Regulations regarding rent
From a landlord with a quality mark may be expected to rent out his accommodations in a correct manner. Aside from maintaining realistic rental prices and returning deposits within 2.5 months, the landlord also needs to have a proper rental administration and liability insurance (WAB). The quality mark provides bilingual model documentation such as rental agreements and living rules and use of the transfer module, in which the tenant and landlord record the state of the accommodation at the start and end of the lease. This prevents potential discussions about deposits after the fact.
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Regulations regarding neighbourhood
The ‘Prettig Wonen’ quality mark sign should be placed on the façade which shows at a glance that the accommodation satisfies certain criteria with respect to fire safety and protection against burglary and that the landlord is trustworthy and easy to reach. Tenants and neighbours can come into contact with the landlord through the ‘Prettig Wonen’ website. Additionally, information is given about fire safety, burglary prevention, house waste, nuisance etc. by way of the bilingual living rules. The quality mark is based on a certain degree of self-regulation and hopes to improve the dialogue between tenants, landlords and local residents.