FAQ: I want to Rent
Can I terminate my rental agreement early?
It’s possible to leave your apartment earlier than expected. As long as you follow some easy rules, it’s very simple to end the contract. Both the tenant and the landlord must adhere to the specified notice period, which can be found in the signed rental agreement. You can then cancel the rent in writing a registered letter. You do not have to give a reason why you want to leave the house. Whether the contract is terminated by the tenant or the landlord; the property must be delivered to the landlord in a clean and good condition.
Can my landlord enter the property without my permission?
The landlord retains the right of access to the property. He or she may only not enter unannounced. The owner must always knock or ring the doorbell and wait until it is opened. Despite the landlord’s right of ownership, the tenant’s privacy must be respected.
Can a landlord terminate a lease?
The notice period for the landlord is at least 3 months. For each year that you live in the house, there will be an additional month. Up to a total maximum notice period of 6 months. In case of malpractice, the landlord is allowed to terminate the rent. Malpractice means that you do not behave like a good tenant. For example, because you are in arrears or because you cause serious nuisance. In this case, your landlord can terminate the rent.
Can a landlord make a tenant pay for repairs?
The maintenance of your rental property is divided between the tenant and the landlord. The landlord takes care of the major maintenance. The tenant take care of the small and daily maintenance of the rented accommodation themselves. So, small repairs are for the account of the tenant. Major repairs and maintenance are for the account of the landlord. The tenant must give the landlord access to the rental property so that the landlord can carry out the maintenance or repair. In case of problems with maintenance or defects of your social housing, please contact your landlord first. Are you unable to come to an agreement together? Then you can do several things. Such as temporarily failing to pay the rent or applying for a rent reduction from the Rent Commission. Are you renting accommodation in the private sector? Then in most cases you will have to go to court.
Can my landlord limit my (overnight) guests?
Landlords cannot unreasonably prohibit guests from entering the rental property or charge a fee for having guests over. However, you can put specific terms in your lease that relate to tenants’ guests and their rights. Having an unwanted or long-term guest is not uncommon in rentals, so you should consider details such as how long the guest is allowed to stay and when this guests turns into a tenant. Sometimes, landlords specify that after a certain number of consecutive overnight stays, the guest becomes a tenant and must be added to the lease.
Is my landlord responsible for mold?
A common complaint is that landlords say that “you’ve got that” with older houses. They also often refer to the ventilation behavior of the tenants. The whole fungus-in-rental problem can therefore cause a lot of frustration among tenants. If it is established that there is a defect, a lessor must remedy the defect, unless it concerns a minor repair for the account of the lessee. For example, if it concerns a small amount of mold in the bathroom that a tenant can easily treat with a not very expensive can of mold spray, then that is such a small repair. Of course this is for further discussion with the landlord. When is the mold in your house serious enough not to have to deal with it yourself? Fortunately, the Rent Commission provides some guidance. In its defect book it states: mould > 0.25 m2 = a serious defect.
Incidentally, a landlord only has to repair defects if the tenant asks for this. Complain, preferably in writing, to the landlord about the fungus and set a deadline within which you want the problem solved. That deadline must be reasonable, so not ‘tomorrow’.