Glossary: Brussels lease terms in three languages
The words you will meet in leases, letters and official pages, in French, Dutch and English.
Terms
| English | Français | Nederlands | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main-residence lease | Bail de résidence principale | Huurovereenkomst voor hoofdverblijfplaats | A lease of a home where the tenant has their main residence; the protective rules of the Brussels Housing Code apply. |
| Short lease | Bail de courte durée | Kortlopende huurovereenkomst | A main-residence lease of three years at most, which can be extended once. |
| Triennial period | Triennat | Driejarige periode | Each three-year period of a nine-year lease; some notices can only end the lease at the end of one. |
| Indexation | Indexation | Indexering | The yearly adjustment of the rent to the health index, on the landlord’s written request. |
| Health index | Indice santé | Gezondheidsindex | The price index Statbel publishes every month, used to index rents. |
| Correction factor | Facteur de correction | Correctiefactor | A coefficient that limits indexation for leases in force before 14 October 2022 on homes rated PEB E, F or G. |
| PEB certificate | Certificat PEB | EPB-certificaat | The home’s energy performance certificate, with its class (A++ to G) and consumption. |
| Registration | Enregistrement | Registratie | A free, compulsory formality for the landlord, on Irisrent and MyRent, within two months of signature. |
| Rental guarantee | Garantie locative | Huurwaarborg | Money that covers the tenant’s obligations; at most two months’ rent for leases since 1 November 2024, never in cash. |
| Provisions | Provisions | Voorschotten | Monthly payments towards charges, settled by the annual statement. |
| Lump sum | Forfait | Forfait | A fixed amount for charges, with no annual statement. |
| Charges statement | Décompte des charges | Kostenafrekening | A yearly document that compares the provisions paid with the actual costs, with the supporting documents. |
| Inventory | État des lieux | Plaatsbeschrijving | A detailed record of the home’s condition at entry and exit, drawn up together and signed. |
| Notice | Congé | Opzegging | The act by which the landlord or the tenant ends the lease. |
| Notice period | Préavis | Opzeggingstermijn | The time between receipt of the notice and the end of the lease. |
| Counter-notice | Contre-préavis | Tegenopzegging | A one-month notice by which the tenant leaves earlier after the landlord has given notice. |
| Presumed receipt | Réception présumée | Vermoede ontvangst | The day a notice counts as received: bailiff service, presentation of the registered letter, or the second day after an ordinary letter is posted. |
| Property manager (IPI/BIV-accredited) | Régisseur (agréé IPI) | Vastgoedbeheerder (erkend door het BIV) | An accredited professional who manages property on behalf of owners. |
| Social rental agency (AIS/SVK) | Agence immobilière sociale (AIS) | Sociaal verhuurkantoor (SVK) | An organisation that manages homes to let them to households on modest incomes. |
| Justice of the peace | Juge de paix | Vrederechter | The judge who hears disputes between landlord and tenant. |