Liezel, Maria and Özge didn’t know each other before but met because of Citylife and now are very happy together. They said it’s a new life chapter. They like to do things together: eat and share food, go to art galleries and the cinema, go out for dinner. They also organize movie nights at home and travel together.
As they say about themselves: “We are basically 3 people from opposite ends of the world who found each other in Rotterdam and became a family”
– Liezel, Maria and Özge
ESG
Founded in 2023, The Citylifer is committed to redefining the residential experience in urban areas across the world. We are not a traditional real estate company; The Citylifer is a gateway to incredible experiences in the heart of the coolest cities in the world. Catering to contemporary nomads, we curate exciting communities with fully-furnished private accommodations and shared facilities so that, no matter where residents choose to move to next, we’ll make sure they feel right at home.
At the Citylifer, we realized that there was a lack of affordable, comfortable living spaces that fostered community and provided a home away from home. With a passion for sustainability, social responsibility, and good governance, we have created an ESG policy that underpins everything we do. We strive to minimize our environmental footprint and optimize our social impact. At the same time, we also encourage and inspire our residents to join us in this effort.
Energy efficiency
We are committed to reducing our energy consumption in our buildings and we take a step-by-step approach to achieve these goals. The first step is to minimize the energy demand. During the construction, we improve the insulation, glazing, and roofing, to minimizing heat loss and air infiltration. Furthermore, we install high-efficient and smart HVAC systems, LED lighting and energy-efficient appliances. In turn, The Citylifer encourages residents to to be mindful of their energy use through smart metering, real-time feedback and energy-saving tips. The second step is to prioritize onsite renewable energy sources such as solar panels to offset the building’s energy consumption. Finally, any remaining energy demand is met by remote renewable sources.
Sustainable materials
We are mindful of our carbon footprint and waste reduction, particularly in our material sourcing. We scout for locations that offer existing buildings, often vacant offices, which we transform into residential buildings. In this process, we emphasize recycling and reusing materials to minimize waste. For new building materials, we prioritize those that are recycled or environmentally friendly to reduce our impact on the environment. We also carefully choose our furniture, fixtures, and equipment packages, considering their durability and low environmental impact.
Sustainable transportation
We understand the significant role of mobility in promoting greener living at The Citylifer, which is why we offer various mobility options that help reduce our environmental impact. Cycling is a significant part of our Dutch DNA, so we provide ample space for bike storage. We also encourage cycling through bike-sharing and bike subscription programs, making it more accessible for our residents. Additionally, we select our building locations among others on their proximity to tram, metro, bus or train stations. We encourage residents to make use of public transport instead of taking the car. For car enthusiasts, we offer shared cars and electric car charging stations. Lastly, we prioritize working with suppliers who share our commitment to sustainable transportation options.
Mental health and well-being
The well-being and mental health of our residents is highly important to us at The Citylifer. Social interaction and being part of a supportive community play a large role in residents’ happiness, which is why we’ve purposely designed our buildings to facilitate connections among residents. Our community is divided into clusters to make it easier to meet and get to know fellow Citylifers. Additionally, we provide spaces for residents to work remotely or pursue their hobbies, promoting a healthy work-life balance. We also offer fitness classes within The Citylifer building or partner with local gyms to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Finally, we organize community events and activities, both by The Citylifer and our residents.
Resident satisfaction
At The Citylifer, we prioritize simplicity and convenience for our residents. We understand that our target group values flexibility and easy procedures, which is why we offer a plug-and-play experience with one contract covering all housing expenses, including utilities, wifi, cleaning, housing insurance, and municipal taxes. We also provide a high level of service that compares to a hotel experience, with a buddy system in place to help new residents settle into their new community as quickly as possible.
Fair and transparent pricing
Housing should be available and affordable for everyone. That’s why we practice fair and transparent pricing, compliant with local regulations on rent, service costs, and amenities. We never hide fees and disclose all pricing components upfront. We also base energy costs on actual consumption and provide real-time feedback to residents through smart-metering, allowing them to adjust their behavior and avoid high costs. Our dedication to fair pricing helps create a diverse community that includes individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds, aligning with our overarching objective of fostering a more just and equitable society.
Strong leadership
The leadership team at The Citylifer is a cornerstone of our commitment to ESG values. Our management is driven to set a positive example and they take a proactive approach towards our environmental and social goals. They provide training and awareness programs to make employees aware of the importance of ESG and how this translates into our daily operations. In turn, through interaction with residents, our employees promote our ESG policies and practices and create a culture of responsibility among residents
Compliance with regulations
The Citylifer ensures that all project developments adhere to the industry standards in construction, such as NEN standards, and comply with the relevant local and national regulations. Our rent prices also comply with the point system (“Woningwaarderingsstelsel, in short WWS) applicable in The Netherlands. Additionally, service costs and additional amenities are priced in accordance to national regulations set forth by Huurcommissie. Compliance with regulations is important to our residents’ safety, while it simultaneously matches our core values.
Reporting and disclosure
We believe that transparency is key to building trust with our stakeholders. We provide annual reports that disclose information on our environmental and social impact. For each building development, we report our carbon footprint and CO2 reduction. During the operation of our buildings, we publish an annual sustainability report that includes data on energy consumption and water use. We also publish a corporate social responsibility report of each building that includes the mental health scores and customer satisfaction ratings.
Reviews
From the people
“I have been living for more than 2 years in one of the apartments. They have been there for us from the beginning, helping us with any issue and being responsive in case of maintenance needs. They also have organized multiple social events for the tenants and sent us gifts. Best rental agency ever!”
– Margherita
– Margherita
“The Citylifer aims to communicate all steps of the process in a simple and efficient manner. From the very first communications we as tenants felt appreciated and well guided through the whole process. All employees are very kind and supportive. No hour-long phone calls or pending emails- The Citylifer responded within seconds to all calls and were happy to help at any given point in time. They made such a complicated and long process as renting an apartment very simple and fast.”
– Jesse
– Jesse
“From the start of the renting process, it was always very easy to communicate with The Citylifer. Whenever an issue takes place, they do their best to be able to help as soon as possible. They are very friendly and kind people. You just need to take your suitcase with you and you can move into their apartments right away which makes it easier especially for expats I think.”
– Öykü
– Öykü
