Rental contract, keys and deposit: the chicken or the egg?

Binding from the moment of signature

A validly concluded rental agreement is a reciprocal agreement: both parties have obligations as soon as the contract is signed (Article 5.69 of the Civil Code). The mere fact that the property is not yet available to you does not suffice to conclude that there is no contractual relationship.

In Flanders, the Flemish Housing Rental Decree applies to residential rentals. Furthermore, a rental agreement itself may contain a clause that expressly stipulates which regime applies. Therefore, thoroughly reviewing the contract remains the first step.

The landlord must make the property available in good condition, which in principle also includes the handover of the keys (Article 1720 of the former Civil Code). However, many contracts stipulate that the keys are only handed over after the rental deposit has been paid. If such a clause exists, the landlord can invoke it, and the tenant is obligated to pay first.

If the rental agreement does not contain specific agreements regarding the handover of the keys, the landlord is generally not permitted to simply retain the keys. If they do so, they run the risk of a judge ruling that they are in breach of their obligations and may lose their right to rent for the period during which the keys were not returned. Furthermore, the landlord may be required to pay damages, or the agreement may be terminated to their detriment.

What can you do as a landlord?

Staan er geen duidelijke afspraken in het contract over de sleuteloverdracht, vraag dan als verhuurder enkele dagen voor de overdracht van de sleutels of de huurwaarborg al werd betaald. Is dat niet het geval, dan kan je aandringen op betaling. Helpt dat niet, geef de sleutels toch af. Stuur vervolgens een aangetekende brief waarin je de huurder aanmaant om de huurwaarborg te betalen. Blijft betaling dan uit, dan kan je als verhuurder naar de vrederechter stappen en de ontbinding van de huurovereenkomst vorderen.

Onthoud: voor verhuurders is het dus essentieel om duidelijke afsIf the contract doesn't clearly state the key handover, ask the landlord a few days before the keys are handed over whether the deposit has been paid. If not, you can insist on payment. If that doesn't work, hand over the keys anyway. Then send a registered letter urging the tenant to pay the deposit. If payment isn't received, you can go to the Justice of the Peace and demand the termination of the lease.

Remember: it's essential for landlords to include clear agreements about the key handover in the lease to prevent discussions and disputes.praken over de sleuteloverdracht in het huurcontract op te nemen, zodat discussies en geschillen worden voorkomen.

Wat als het fout loopt?What if something goes wrong?

If you're considering terminating the agreement, the fastest and cheapest solution remains to terminate it amicably. If such an agreement between the parties is not possible, you can, as mentioned above, ask the court to dissolve the lease due to breach of contract. Depending on the terms of the agreement, the court can declare the termination against one or both parties. If both parties fail to fulfill their contractual obligations, for example, by retaining keys or failing to pay the security deposit, this can constitute a mutual breach of contract. In this case, the court can decide to compensate each other for damages.

In any case, it's clear: a valid lease is legally binding unless it is properly terminated. Therefore, always carefully read what it says about key transfer and the rental deposit. This way, you can avoid disputes and disappointments before the move-in begins.