Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home. We outline some of the pitfalls and 'must-knows' in a new series of relocation articles.

In Brussels, good quality rental housing is relatively abundant and good value compared with most other major European cities.

However, when setting your housing budget, it should be remembered that proximity to international schools and communities is important and that these areas always carry a premium.

Despite the good market conditions, finding the right property is not as easy as you might think — and signing the 'right' lease is yet another matter.

I will now outline the main reasons for this and also highlight some of the common pitfalls.

Finding a home

In Belgium, no central listing service exists, such as you find in North America. In the Brussels region alone, there are hundreds of estate agents.

In addition, many properties are advertised 'privately', either via local press, a website or still commonly via the traditional black and orange 'te huur/à louer' notice propped in the front window.

A property search therefore requires a lot of knowledge and even more time, which few of us have these days.

The second hurdle is choosing the right property once you have viewed those on your shortlist.

The common pitfalls apply to most countries — check for local building projects, flight paths, the commute to work/school (don't do a trial run in July or August), parking and why the last tenant left.

Negotiating the terms with the landlord is the next hurdle — with any luck you will find a common language, if not you will need to find assistance.

Lease contracts
In your lease, you need to ensure that any agreed repairs or changes are documented in writing as an addendum to the lease.

The repairs (unless critical) do not need to be done by the landlord, according to lease law.

Once the conditions have been agreed upon, negotiations will take place to determine the rental cost.

Remember that your rent can be indexed to inflation annually, unless otherwise agreed in writing. There is often room for negotiation in today's market — it's always worth a try.

Numerous types of rental contracts are possible. The most common is the nine-year lease, or OP (Office des Propriétaires) lease, which is the only one encoded in Belgian law.

This lease is generally the most advantageous and protective to both parties and offers the most flexible terms. The lease may, in fact, be terminated at any time.

During the first three years, you will be required to pay a penalty of three, two or one month's rent, depending on whether the lease is terminated in the first, second or third year of the lease. Come the fourth year, there is no penalty.

Fixed-term leases exist, but they are inflexible and may need to be paid out fully in the case of early termination.

A diplomatic clause can sometimes be negotiated, allowing a break before the end of the lease with a defined penalty.

Damages / repairs

Another common misconception is that the 'Expert's Entry Survey' will put things right. This is not so.

The survey simply serves to document the state of the property. It is then used on departure when it is compared to the 'outbound' survey, also written by the expert, from which the 'damages' are then deduced and calculated.

We warn our clients that it is only upon departure that the true character of the landlord shines through.

Compared with other countries, Belgium's lease law is very protective of the landlord's rights and the return of a rental property can be a costly affair if you are not forewarned.

For this reason, we place great emphasis on careful preparation of the property prior to the exit survey. The tenant is required to return the property in the same condition in which it was received.

Compensation will be determined for all items that have not reached their full amortisation period.

For example, new paint is amortised over six years, leaving earlier means a portion of the paint cost will be charged to you.

Many costs can be avoided by careful preparation of the house, such as de-scaling taps, trimming hedges, replacing filters and professional cleaning.

Relocation companies commonly assist with this task, not only to reduce unnecessary costs, but also to reduce the stress and burden of the expat, whose mind is often already in the next destination.

Updated 2008

Kay Hall works for Map Relocations

[Copyright Expatica updated 2008]

Subject: Moving to Belgium