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Problem Landlord Advice

Last activity 18 February 2021 by KIV 1109

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Rameko

So since we moved in in January we have had serious issues with out landlord making trouble for us. When we arrived she would not come to meet us and we had to get an Air BNB and wait two days til she came with the keys to let us in. We did manage to have her move the lease start date to accommodate this.

On moving in we noticed that if you have the cooker on at the same time as any other appliance, turning on a 3rd appliance will blow the fuse. I contacted the landlord about this. I then got a phone call from her sister saying that she was the actual landlord and that she wanted to see rent in her account first. As I told her on the phone the rent had already been paid she told me that she did not trust foreigners (we are Irish) and that she would wait to check her account.

She told me an electrician would arrive the next Friday. He did not, he came the following Monday with no notice. I do not think he was an electrician, he arrived with a screwdriver and a pliers and nothing else, he didn't look at any of the electronics instead just turning on and off the cooker, cleaning it a bit, and then leaving. I got an email from the first landlord a few hours later saying that we just couldn't have too many things on at once.

We now feel that this is definitely not a safe place to stay and want to leave but know that the landlord will try screw us as much as possible in breaking the lease.

Is there any body in Brussels that helps tenants against bad landlords? If legal advice is the best course can anyone recommend a good English speaking lawyer that could help us and advise for free to start?

fernandoks

Do already have the deposit in the Block account? Does your contract have any type of fine? If not, I would recommend find another place, and probably with a real estate between you and the Land Lord. 

Probably you got some crazy one, I have a direct contract, but my Land Lord is very nice.

Here is the information in the Gov web site.
www . belgium.be / fr/logement / problemes_de_logement/problemes_de_voisinage

It is in French (you will not find any updated information in the English version)
You can contract the CHAMBRE D'ARBITRAGE & DE MEDIATION
www . arbitrage-mediation.be / info-jur.htm

KIV 1109

Hi, quick question: how did you solve the problem? I will probably have to go to court with my landlord. The biggest issue is that when someone would calculate the legal expenses for going to court, she/he feels discouraged. The whole system is made in a way to work better for the landlords which is quite surprising. With so many expats, there must be circumstances in which the expat-tennants would feel protected.

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