Rights & Duties of the Landlord

When a landlord signs a rental agreement, they have certain rights:

• The landlord has the right to fix the amount of rent at the beginning of the tenancy and to ask for proof of the financial solvency of the tenant, as well as a security deposit.
  
  
• The landlord is allowed to carry out maintenance and repair in the property, as long as the disruption does not last longer than forty days, and does not render the property uninhabitable.

Similarly however, they have certain duties:

• Landlords must guarantee the tenant a property in good condition, as well as provide any furnishings detailed on the rental contract. The landlord is also responsible for any hidden defects or damage to the property, even if they themselves were not aware of them. The housing must be handed over in good condition and the rights of the tenant are to be respected.
  
  
• If an appliance or piece of furniture should break through no fault of the tenant, the landlord is required to replace or repair the item at their own cost. The landlord must undertake any major repairs, as well as repairs for damages which were caused by an act of god, wear and tear, or construction defects.
  
  
• If the rental property is situated in a building which is jointly owned, the landlord must supply the tenant with a copy of the rules concerning the building as a whole.
  
  
• The landlord is not allowed to enter the property to check its condition. Neither are they allowed to force the tenant to carry out repairs. The landlord can only intervene if the tenant's actions threaten to harm the rest of the building or the neighbours.
  
  
• If the landlord wants to sell the property, or use it for themselves or a close family member, the tenant must be given six months' notice. There are no definite rules regarding landlord visits if they wish to sell or re-rent the property; the tenant has to allow visits under these circumstances, and the landlord has to respect the tenant's rights.
  
  
• The landlord must reimburse the deposit within two months of the end of the tenancy.