260 Properties to be Examined in ‘Rental Property Survey’ Statia

Oranjestad- The Central Bureau of Statistics will be starting with a so-called ‘Rental Property Survey’ on St. Eustatius.

According to a press statement, CBS will be conducting the survey at the request of the Government of Statia and the Ministry of the Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK). According to CBS, the goal of the study is to get insight into the characteristics of rental properties.

“The information of the survey will be used by the government to improve current legislation regarding rental prices. In the context of improving the social housing market and promoting good maintenance, there must be more equality between the rents of public and private property owners, whereby the rent is linked to the quality of the home”, according to CBS.

CBS also says that, based on the data collected, a ‘points system’ can be developed to value homes. According to CBS, based on this point-system, the Public Entity of St. Eustatius can set up a ‘rent committee’ to help tenants and property owners.

The rental properties survey is a sample survey conducted among residents of rental properties. Interviewers of CBS will go to no less than 260 rental properties on the island to register characteristics of the property, such as the location, the rental price, type of property and number of bath- and bedrooms.

CBS assures that they are obligated by law to process the collected information strictly confidentially and that they have various measures to protect information collected.

All interviewers will have a CBS identification badge and must identify themselves upon request, so that everyone can be sure that the interview is indeed being carried out by CBS.