Termination of the rental agreement
When you want to end the tenancy agreement of your house or apartment, you will have to keep a few rules in mind. In the tenancy agreement the notice period is usually mentioned. Usually this is 2 months. Your termination must be send by registered post or by writ. The exact rights and obligations concerning the termination of the tenancy agreement are mentioned in the tenancy agreement and the attached general provisions. Furthermore, there are few things after terminating the rent that a tenant will have to keep in mind. During the check out of your house or apartment, a few things will have to be taken care of.
1. At the termination of the tenancy agreement, the tenant will leave the object in good condition and completely emptied of any moveable objects, as far as the object belongs to the tenant.
2. The tenant isn't allowed to give any keys to the next tenant, of front doors or room doors . The keys and any copies will need to be handed over to the landlord during the check-out. When the tenant fails to do this, the landlord will have the right, without a formal notice, to give himself access to the object and he can hold the tenant responsible for any possible costs.
3. The tenant must allow the landlord to inspect the object on leaving the object. The tenant musk make an appointment for the check-out with the landlord, at least 1 week before leaving. The object must be clean (including the communal areas) and empty. After the tenancy agreement has ended, the keys of the object must be handed over to the landlord immediately. When the keys are not handed over, the tenancy agreement will not have ended and the tenant will obliged to keep paying the rent.
4. When the tenancy agreement has ended, the following matters will have to be taken care of:
- Any holes in the wall will need to be invisibly filled, that is to say, in the same color as the surrounding walls. Holes in tiles will need to be filled as well, again in the same color as the tiles and wallpaper will need to be fixed if necessary.
- Damages to radiator taps, radiators or the boiler will need to be repaired.
- Household garbage and any furniture will have to be removed (as far as the furniture doesn’t form part of the object).
- Stove will need to be cleaned; fridge will need to be defrosted ad cleaned. The taps will need to work well and the toilets, sinks, baths will need to work well and need to be clean.
- Broken windows and mirrors will need to be replaced.
- Windows and windowsills will need to be cleaned on the inside and on the outside and any damages need to be repaired.
- Closets that have been removed must be put back.
- The walls will no be ready to be papered (id necessary)
- Stickers, posters and stick on hooks will need to be removed.
- All doors, kitchen, sanitary fittings and tile work will need to clean.
- The doors and frames will need to be left in the same conditions as the tenancy contract started, without damages.
- The tenant will need to make sure that woodwork, stairs, paintwork etc. in the stairwell and hallways aren’t damaged by the moving of big pieces of furniture.
- All switches and sockets will need to be left undamaged and unpainted. Any electrical installations or wiring fitted by the tenant (wiring across the floor or floorboards) will need to be removed.
- All ceilings will need to be left in the original color or in a color that is easy to paint.
- The floor-covering (stone floors as well) will need to be removed. This only applies if the house has been rented out without floorcovering. When floor covering is not mentioned in the tenancy agreement, the floors will have to be left bare, even and clean (without glue).
- Wall and ceiling covering like, tiles, vinyl, wall paints, plaster etc. will need to be removed. This only applies when the products above have been putt here by the tenant.
- When a different doorbell has been placed, it will need to be replaced by the original doorbell.
- The house/apartment and storage will need to be empty and clean, and when furnished, the curtains and net curtains will need to be dry-cleaned.
- All the equipment and provisions belonging to the house/apartment will need to be present and if necessary will need to be connected.
- The garden will need to be well kept..
- All the locks and hinges present in the house/apartment will need to be functioning well..
- The keys of any inside doors or closet will need to be left inside the doors.
- Any missing or damaged mirrors and windows will need to be present or repaired.
- Any rails from curtains or blinds will need to be removed. This only applies when the house/apartment has been rented out bare and no soft-furniture is mentioned in the contract.
- Any provisions added on the outside of the house/apartment, like hatches, fences, , clothes-lines etc. will need to be removed.
- Communal areas, like hallways, stairwells, elevators and the central hallway which you might have damaged or soiled during your move, will need to be cleaned or repaired.
- Any furniture which has been rented with the house/apartment will need to be left clean and in good condition.
5. When the tenant fails to fulfill these obligations, the landlord is allowed, to have the object cleaned and if necessary repaired, without formal notice. The costs for the cleaning and repairs will be the responsibility of the tenant.
6. During the check out of the object a check out form will be drawn up, stating the conditions of the object as well as any defects. When no check out form is drawn up, the object is supposed to be left in the same condition as when the tenant first moved in.
7. The tenant is obligated to hand over the following bills:
o A bill from the yearly service to the central heating system.
o A bill from the maintenance of the chimneys (if present)
o A bill from the yearly service to any water heaters.
The above mentioned equipment will need to have been serviced at least 3 months before the termination of the tenancy agreement.