Brussels, Belgium: At least 50 Brussels Tenants’ Union members campaigned in front of the Brussels Parliament on Monday afternoon for a general limit of rent indexation to 2 percent. The demonstration comes just before the parliamentary year opens.
The Tenants in the Capital region and a number of associations have been asking for a 2 percent limit since June, with some landlords currently indexing their rents by almost 10 percent.
Moreover, those unable to buy their property are hit twice by the high inflation: the rise in the energy prices increases their energy costs but also pushes up the health index, which drives rent indexation higher.
The union argues that the latest proposal to protect people is not a solution to the problem either. Brussels State Secretary Nawal Ben Hamou wants to link rent indexation to the energy efficiency of the properties.
These are rated from A to G, and A is the most energy-efficient and G is the least.
Along with this, Ben Hamou proposed that only buildings with a registered lease and an Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) certificate of category A, B, C or D will be eligible for indexation. Any landlord with a building classified as E, F or G would have to improve energy efficiency before raising the rent.
Meanwhile, the Tenants’ Union claims that this would essentially penalise those who rent properties classified as A, B, C or D for being energy efficient.
