Housing In Brussels

How to find a house ?​

• By the word of mouth
• Read the advertisements in newspapers like Le Soir, Deze Week in Brussel, Vlan Plus
• Go to an agency
• Look around in the neighborhood where you would like to live

what must be written in de Adv.

• Description of the real state
• name and address of the landlord
• Energy consumption of the house EPC
• shared or privet meters for Gas, Electricity & water
• monthly rent
• additional charges

Checkout the accomodation

1. the entrance door​

2. the mailbox​

3. the bell​

4. the hall​​

5. natural lighting​

6. the windows: frames and windowpane​

7. humidity: cracks in the wall

8. private or shared​

9. boiler​

10. the toilet​

11. the taps, washbasin

1. if central heating: private/shared​

2. gas/electricity: the installation​

3. does the chimney draw well

4. (faulty) wiring​ - electricity

5. counter​

6. safety fuse​

7. switches and sockets

Tenancy agreement - huurovereenkomst

Oral

Written

Considered as a

contract of 9 years

Short term

3 years

Long term

9 years

What must be written in your lease!

•Description of the place

  (house, appartment, room,…)

•The address of the accomodation

•The identity of the tenant and

   the landlord

•The rent to be payed and the bills included in the rent (charges)

Guarantee

•The minimum amount of the guarantee is TWICE the price of the rent

•How ? On a blocked account at a bank of your choice

Go to

•your OCMW/CPAS

•Convivial

•Fonds du Logement des Familles de

  la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale

more info in Ducht

Rent priece

• In Belgium its free market
• the landlord decides how much is the monthly rent 
• The government of Brussels has developed an online tool, where you can check if you pay a fair rent or not.
• However, this tool is not a legal reference to claim against your landlord. 

Your advised rent

• go to this website in Dutch or french
  • NL: https://huurprijzen.brussels/ 
  • FR: https://loyers.brussels/
• calculate the advised rent for:

1. Your house or apartment and compare it to what you are paying right now. Do you pay less or more, what do you think about it.

Do You need help: Watch this Video

Sopping the contract

Giving notice and leaving before a contract expires

Short tearm contract

a contract of 6 months of less can not be stoped

•  3  months notice
• One month indemnity/ recompense
• if the landlord who stoped the contract; then must be for personnal use

Giving notice and leaving before a contract expires

Long tearm contract

Long tearm contract

Giving notice and leaving before a contract expires

Moving ?
What do you have to do?

1. Inform your new municipality within 8 working days (Service des étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingen)
2. Put your name on the doorbell
3. The local policeman will visit your house to see if you are actually living there

4. inform:

• The social housing society

• Your bank,

• insurance

• Work

Rent indexation

What is rent indexation?

Every year, on the date on which the contract entered into force, the rent for your accommodation may be adjusted to the cost of living.

On this website You can calculate the New rent

Rent indexation

On this website You can calculate the New rent

calculate the rent for the following house

1. Rent when contract was signed: 500 euro
2. Year and month when contract started/signed: Jan 2016
3. Year of indexation: 2019 and 2020
4. Main residence: Brussel

Problems with your landlord?

•   How to react?

  1.Inform your landlord

  2.In case he doesn’t react send a registered letter

  3.No solution? Ask help and legal advice to specialised services

  4.Go to the a lower

Questions? send them to your teacher