The housing keurmerk is a certification mark that your house can receive to prove that it’s safe and good value. This all came about from a collaboration between the two organisations (namely the Stichting Studentenhuisvesting Maastricht (SSHM) & the Vereniging Verhuurders Woonruimtes Maastricht (VVWM)) the fire department, the Maastricht student council and the Geemente.
They created the “Prettig Wonen Keurmerk”. This certification given out by the keurmerk foundation to student housing that follows the rules well. This can be safety related (are there smoke detectors and fire extinguishers & is it burglary-proof?) or related to rental price, as well as the landlord’s behaviour and willingness to fulfill his obligations. Check out the website (only in dutch) or this short informative video for more information!
The keurmerk ensures that the room/housing lives up to a variety of standards. This benefits the students, the landlords, neighbours, Gemeente and even the University. By establishing 6 cornerstones it aims at regulating and improving the housing market, so that parents can send their children to Maastricht and be ensured about the child’s safety.
If you want more detailed answers, you can look at the power point presentation for explanations on the organisation and processes, as well as a picture of the actual certification mark.
When you find a room with the keurmerk, you can be sure that you are living in a safe environment. You know your house will be properly taken care of and has a caring landlord/agency in case you need help!
