Founder · Specialist in direct landlord-to-tenant rentals
Espero AKPOLI is an entrepreneur and the founder of Domilinko, the platform that connects landlords and tenants across Belgium. He works to make renting legible on both sides: letting tenants build a strong, reusable file, and letting landlords choose on dated evidence rather than guesswork. Through the blog, he shares clear, jargon-free information on the lease, the rental deposit, the energy certificate, the property inspection and everyone's rights — always distinguishing the rules of Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders.
Without a detailed entry inventory, a deduction from the deposit is almost impossible to justify. What it must contain, why it must be joint, when to call in an expert, and where the line runs between fair wear and tear and tenant damage.
Major upkeep on the landlord, day-to-day upkeep on the tenant — and between them a line that can be drawn precisely. Boiler, seals, cistern, window panes: clear-cut examples, and what normal wear and tear really means.
No benefit claimants, no foreigners, couples without children: those refusals are unlawful in Belgium. Protected grounds, indirect discrimination, situation testing, the shifted burden of proof — and what a landlord may legitimately assess.
Simple or joint-and-several surety, the scope of the undertaking, its duration, the documents required — and the alternatives when nobody can stand guarantor for you.
Mandatory registration, fire safety, planning permission, co-ownership rules, tax, night caps: tourist accommodation is regulated, and the rules change by Region and even by municipality. What to check before the first night.
Two systems, two logics, two risks. What can be passed on to the tenant, what stays with the landlord, the annual reconciliation, the supporting documents you can demand — and why individual meters settle half the disputes.
What you may legitimately assess (solvency, income stability, references), what you may not ask for, why refusing someone on benefits is unlawful, and how to document a refusal so you can defend it.
A regime of its own, different in all three Regions: a term aligned with the academic year, a framed early exit, subletting, kot versus studio, and what a parental guarantor actually signs.
The exact formula, the health index, the anniversary date, the fact that nothing is automatic and retroactivity is capped — plus the warning that matters: the Regions have tied indexation to energy performance.
What the certificate is, who issues it, what it costs, how long it lasts, and above all: the mandatory statements in the ad. They differ between Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders — where it is called EPC.
A landlord cannot end a nine-year lease whenever he likes. Personal occupation, major works, notice without grounds: three doors, three deadlines, three costs — and a heavy sanction if the stated ground never materialises.
One joint lease or individual leases, joint-and-several liability, a flatshare pact, domicile, charges: what sharing really commits you to, and how it differs by Region.
Three months' notice, sometimes an indemnity, and a starting date almost everyone gets wrong. The rules differ in Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders: here is how to leave without paying an extra month.
Who must register, within what deadline, how (MyRent), what to attach — and above all what happens if you skip it. Spoiler: the big loser is the landlord.
Twenty minutes of viewing decide two years of your life. Damp, windows, EPC, heating, meters, noise: what to look at, what to ask, and the warning signs of a rental scam.
Positioning against the local market, measuring the effect of the energy rating on rental value, distinguishing rent, charge provisions and flat fees — and working out what a month of vacancy really costs.
Two or three months' rent? It depends on your Region and on the form you choose. Where the money must sit, how it is released, and why the inventory decides everything.
Nine-year leases, short leases, tacit renewal, notice periods, indemnities, mandatory clauses: what to know before signing — and why the answer depends on the Region the property sits in.
Energy certificate, housing quality standards, smoke detectors, a written and registered lease, an inventory of fixtures: everything you must have in order before publishing an ad in Belgium — and how to write a listing that attracts good candidates.
Which documents to gather, what a landlord may lawfully ask for, what they may not demand, and how to present your income so your application survives the first cut.