13 articles tagged
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.