Court orders Alkmaar tenants to cooperate with district heating connection

A court in Noord-Holland has ruled that tenants in a residential complex in Alkmaar are required to cooperate with the connection of their homes to the district heating network. If they refuse to comply, they risk a penalty of 500 euros per day.

Housing association Woonwaard aims to improve the sustainability of the homes by connecting them to a district heating system. The organisation is eligible for a subsidy if the work is completed before May 1, 2026. However, some residents have refused to cooperate, saying the renovations are not urgent and voicing concerns about the potential financial impact of switching to the heating network.

The subdistrict court ruled that Woonwaard had sufficiently demonstrated the need for the renovations and the consequences of delaying them. If the work is postponed, the landlord would lose a subsidy, resulting in additional costs of around 5,700 dollars per home. The court therefore classified the project as urgent work and ordered residents to cooperate and allow access to their homes.

At first, the housing corporation brought 33 tenants to court in expedited summary proceedings. A number of residents opposing the plans, including 74-year-old Carla, who came to represent the resistance, are concerned that heat supplier HVC could gain a monopoly, potentially leading to higher prices. They also pointed to problems with earlier connections in the area that reportedly did not work properly.