Consultation and participationIdealis attaches considerable importance to the opinions of its tenants. We consider tenant participation an important subject. The rules for participation of tenants are set forth in the participation agreement, which we set up with our tenants' organization, the Stichting Flat Overleg, (SFO). The SFO comprises tenants' representatives of all Idealis student buildings.SFO and Idealis consider tenant participation essential for good policy development. Structural consultation between Idealis and SFO form part of this. Idealis and SFO endeavor to bring about optimum cooperation, with respect for one another's standpoints and mutual aims. The participation of tenants and tenants' representatives could involve various levels of the decision process. Via the SFO, Idealis affords its tenants a timely opportunity to speak out on policy or management issues that could be of vital importance to the tenants. Tenants' representatives per building The tenants' representatives are chosen by the tenants of each residential building. Supplemental to the general tenants' meeting (which takes place at least once a year), the tenants' representatives may call in the support of a group to serve as a sounding board. In such cases, the tenants' representatives personally invite a group of tenants to discuss various matters. This select group of tenants could concern all corridor representatives or, for example, only a few individual tenants. The aim of the sounding-board group is to obtain information, ideas and feedback from tenants about assorted matters. A sounding-board group could be set up for structural, periodic consultations or for temporary, project-based issues. Besides the consultation with the SFO and with individual tenants' representatives, Idealis communicates directly with tenants, including by means of Internet questionnaires and tenant panels. In part, this involves structural measuring, such as the annual survey on livability and tenant satisfaction of new and departing tenants. In addition, it could involve project-based consultation, for example, with respect to choosing from a selection of colors with systematic maintenance. International tenant representative In 2007, the SFO set up an advisory body of international tenants. The aim of the consultation was to obtain ideas, information and feedback from international tenants on subjects specifically relating to these tenants. The advisory body was set up for a trial period of one year, following which the SFO and Idealis will jointly evaluate its operation and decide about continuation, with or without structural changes. |