Find below some frequently asked questions to address your (initial) queries.

What is a service cost settlement?

The service cost settlement outlines the details of service charges and utility costs incurred during your tenancy in 2022. It includes a breakdown of the costs and explains how they were calculated.

Why do I receive a service cost settlement?

The Netherlands has a regulated rent system which makes a distinction between base rent and service costs. Next to your base rent, you pay a monthly prepayment to cover the expenses incurred for shared facilities & services and utility costs (gas, water & electricity). As a tenant, you contribute to the maintenance and management of the shared facilities and services provided by Xior Student Housing for your residence. Each year we settle your prepayments with the actual incurred expenses and utility costs. The service cost settlement ensures transparency and allows you to understand the aforementioned expenses and utility costs. You can also find more information here.

What does the service cost settlement include?

Your service cost settlement will typically include the following items:

1. Service charges:
• Costs for residence manager
• Cleaning costs (cleaning of communal areas & window cleaning)
• Small maintenance & repair (can include amongst others gardening costs, 20% of maintenance contracts with a 24/7 service, security costs)
• Insurance (glass insurance)
• Municipal taxes/levies taxes (such as waste charges & water treatment levy)

2. Energy charges
• Heating of communal areas and individual unit
• Electricity of communal areas and individual unit
• Water of communal areas and individual unit

3. Prepaid amenities
• TV and/or internet
• Furniture and soft furnishing (if applicable)
• Laundry service (if applicable)

How are the service charges calculated?

The service costs are calculated based on the proportionate share of each tenant of the total cost, taking into account the amount of days you have stayed at our residence according to your lease agreement.

A numerical (hypothetical) example to illustrate:

Total cost for a residence to be allocated (A): 1.000 €

Number of units: 100

Your unit (B): 1 (1%)

Your stay (C): 1/1/2022 – 30/11/2022 = 334 days (91.5% of 365 days)

Your share of costs (D): 1% x 91.5% = 0.915%

Your cost (A x D): 1.000€ x 0.915% = EUR 9.15

And how are my utility costs calculated?

The calculation of your individual and communal utility costs depends on the situation in your residence, below we give a brief summary of the most common options:

• Individual heating cost (gas consumption)
• With an individual gas connection (dedicated to your unit only) your actual usage will be taken into account.
• With a certified electronical metering system (ista or Techem) your actual usage will be taken into account (more information on metering systems can be found further on in the FAQ).
• Without an individual connection (dedicated to your unit only) or metering system, the total heating costs will be distributed in line with the regulatory framework which is:
• Fixed costs: 35% of the total costs are equally divided over the number of units.
• Variable costs: 65% of the total costs are divided based on the surface (m2) of the unit compared to the total the surface (m2) of the residence.

• Communal heating cost (gas consumption)
• With an individual gas connection specifically dedicated to the communal areas, the actual usage of the communal spaces will be equally divided over the number of units of the residence.
• With a certified electronical metering system (ista or Techem) the usage of the communal areas will be divided over the units (more information on metering systems can be found further on in the FAQ).
• Without an individual connection or metering system, the total heating costs will be divided over the number of units.

• Individual electricity cost
• With an individual electricity connection (connected to your unit only) your actual usage will be taken into account.
• With a certified electronical metering system (ista or Techem) your actual usage will be taken into account (more information on metering systems can be found further on in the FAQ).
• Without an individual connection or metering system, the total electricity costs will be equally divided over the number of units.

• Communal electricity costs
• With an individual electricity connection specifically dedicated to the communal areas, the actual electricity usage of the communal spaces will be equally divided over the number of units of the residence.
• With a certified electronical metering system (ista or Techem) the consumption of electricty of the communal areas will be divided over the units (more information on metering systems can be found further on in the FAQ).
• Without an individual connection or metering system, the total electricity costs will be equally divided over the number of units.

• Individual water costs
• With an individual water connection your actual usage will be taken into account in case trustworthy and adequate meter readings are available.
• Without an individual connection, the total water costs (if adequate and available) will be equally divided over the number of units.
• If no adequate meter readings are available, a standard cost in line with the regulatory framework will be applied (average use of 46 m3 , tariff of EUR 1.21 per m3, standing charge of EUR 68.92 if applicable, source: beleidsboek servicekosten)

What does ista/Techem provide?

ista is a certified specialist in metering and invoicing energy consumption in buildings with a shared energy installation. ista has been providing its services for over 65 years for approximately 325,000 homes in the Netherlands. They are a recognized and independent organization providing- the metering infrastructure, the registration of the meter readings, the maintenance of the meters and the preparation of the individual settlement. ista does this on behalf of Xior Student Housing. In case of questions specifically on your ista specification, you can reach them directly by phone (+31 (0)10 2455700 on working days from 09:00 to 17:00) or e-mail (info@ista.nl). The website of ista also provides useful information on your specification, please check this link.

When can I expect my settlement?

We are currently in the process of finalizing all the service cost settlements. We will provide the following information over the coming weeks:

1. A specification is circulated containing all the details of your service cost settlement (please note this is not the actual invoice already, the invoice will be circulated at step 3).
2. A presentation will be hosted in your residence or city to explain the service cost settlement (based on the corresponding invoices). During this session you have the possibility to ask questions or to explain your doubts to the Xior staff. We are strongly encouraging everyone to try and attend this session. An invite email will follow shortly after having circulated the specification.
3. The actual invoice of your service cost settlement will be sent out.

Explanation service cost settlement

You can find the explanation here.

Why are the service costs for 2022 higher than expected?

The higher service costs in 2022 are primarily due to the significant increase in energy prices during that period. As an unavoidable external factor, these increased energy costs have impacted the overall expenses incurred for utilities such as gas and electricity.

I can’t pay my bill, what should I do?

We understand that an unexpected higher service cost settlement can impact your budget. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, we encourage you to reach out to our local teams by sending an email to city your are living in:

CITIES:

• Amsterdan: amsterdam@xior.nl
• Breda: breda@xior.nl
• Delft: delft@xior.nl
• Den Haag: denhaag@xior.nl
• Eindhoven: eindhoven@xior.nl
• Enschede: enschede@xior.nl
• Groningen: groningen@xior.nl
• Leeuwarden: leeuwarden@xior.nl
• Leiden: leiden@xior.nl
• Maastricht: maastricht@xior.nl
• Rotterdam: rotterdam@xior.nl
• Tilburg: tilburg@xior.nl
• Utrecht: utrecht@xior.nl
• Vaals: vaals@xior.nl
• Venlo: venlo@xior.nl

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