A Hyper-Specific Grant for the Groningen Region
A 'structural reinforcement grant' (subsidie voor bouwkundige versterking) is not a general or nationwide program. This term refers to a massive, specific, and complex government operation that is exclusively focused on the province of Groningen. For decades, the extraction of natural gas from the Groningen gas field has caused man-made earthquakes (bevingen) that have damaged thousands of homes. To ensure the safety of residents, the government, in collaboration with the Instituut Mijnbouwschade Groningen (IMG) and the Nationaal Coördinator Groningen (NCG), has established a program to inspect and structurally reinforce homes that are deemed to be at risk. This is a unique situation resulting from industrial activity and has no parallel in the rest of the country.
Not Relevant for Most Tenants
For any tenant renting a property outside of the designated earthquake risk zone in Groningen, the concept of a structural reinforcement grant is completely irrelevant. The structural integrity and safety of a building in any other part of the Netherlands is the standard, unsubsidized responsibility of the property owner (the landlord). All buildings must comply with the national safety standards laid out in the Bouwbesluit (Building Decree). A landlord cannot claim they need a special grant to ensure their building in Amsterdam or Utrecht is structurally sound; this is their baseline legal obligation.
General Structural Integrity
If a tenant in any part of the country has a genuine reason to be concerned about the structural integrity of their rental property—for example, they see large, growing cracks in the walls or sagging floors—this is a serious defect that must be reported to the landlord immediately. If the landlord is unresponsive, the tenant should contact the building inspection department (Bouw- en Woningtoezicht) of their local municipality, which has the power to investigate and order emergency repairs if a building is deemed unsafe.
