Sustainability loan for tenants

This entry covers insulation and insulating glass in existing rental homes. Roof, attic, facade, floor and ground insulation must have an Rd value of at least 3.5 m²K/W; cavity-wall insulation must reach at least 1.1 m²K/W. Rd measures the insulation’s resistance to heat loss. Insulating glass must have a U-value no higher than 1.2 W/m²K; a lower U-value means less heat passes through the glass. Ask your landlord about insulation first: these works often require their involvement, and self-installed improvements require their written sign-off.

SVn lends the money following municipal approval. Borrowing is limited to accepted actual costs between €2,500 and €25,000, after deducting contributions received or due from others. Eligible costs include materials, installation and related energy advice and certification costs. Loans below €7,500 run for ten years; loans above €7,500 run for fifteen years. You pay interest and repay the principal through monthly payments from the first year, by mandatory direct debit. The published SVn rate checked on 13 October 2026 is 1.70% for both terms; the rate is set when SVn receives your application and stays fixed throughout the loan. The municipality publishes a 1.3% minimum rate including the SVn surcharge.

The money is held in a construction account rather than paid to you as unrestricted cash. Submit invoices using SVn’s declaration forms: SVn pays contractors directly, or reimburses an invoice you have already paid after checking proof of payment. You must pay any invoice amount exceeding the account balance yourself. The account lasts twelve months, with one extension of up to twelve months on request. SVn may close it after six months without transactions; unused money at closure reduces your loan balance.

Mortgage security is normally unnecessary, but the municipality may require extra security. The loan is documented in a private agreement or, where applicable, a notarial deed.

SVn charges no arrangement fee. Financial adviser costs and any applicable notarial costs are your responsibility. You can repay early without a penalty; an extra repayment must be at least €250. When you move home, the municipality requires the entire remaining debt to be repaid. You must still repay if your contractor fails to deliver. Joint borrowers are each liable for the whole debt. Late payments can incur statutory interest and administration or collection costs; SVn can demand immediate repayment after at least two months of arrears and an unremedied default notice, when you leave or are expected shortly to leave the Netherlands, on bankruptcy or debt restructuring, or for deliberately false material information or misuse of the funds. Death can also trigger this if SVn has good reason to expect the obligations will not be met.