Demand Letter Pack

Belgium · Rental deposit

Your landlord in Belgium will not release your deposit: ask in writing

In Belgium most rental deposits are held in a blocked account in the tenant's name. The bank releases the money only on a written agreement made no earlier than the end of the lease, or on a court decision. So the first step is a formal letter asking the landlord to sign the release by a set date. If the landlord holds the money instead, the letter asks for it back.

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The questions, and the documents that come with the letters (checklist, timeline, next steps and memo), are in English. The letters can be written in Dutch, French, German or English.

Other languages: Nederlands, Français, Deutsch

The rules your letter follows

Taken from the official sources listed below. Interest rates change from time to time; these are the current ones.

Final deadline in the letter
15 days
You can choose up to 30 days. While the Brussels landlord's own release period is running, the date falls after it.
How a blocked deposit is released
Agreement or court decision
A written agreement drawn up no earlier than the end of the lease, or a copy of a court decision.
Statutory release period
2 months in Brussels
After the keys are handed back, subject to any dispute procedure. Applies in the Brussels-Capital Region to leases concluded or renewed since the reform of the Brussels Housing Code took effect. The letter states it. For Flanders and Wallonia it cites no period.
Interest at the legal rate
4.5%
Until 31 December 2026. On a sum of money owed, from the day of the notice of default.
Limitation period
10 years
The general period for personal claims. Your own letter does not interrupt it.
Court
Justice of the peace
Whatever the amount, and only the one for the place where the property is. You do not need a lawyer.
How to send it
Registered post
Aangetekende zending met ontvangstbewijs (envoi recommandé avec accusé de réception). Send it by email too.

Why the landlord's signature matters

Most deposits are held in a blocked account in the tenant's name, or are covered by a bank guarantee (bankwaarborg / garantie bancaire). Either way, the bank releases the money only on a written agreement drawn up no earlier than the end of the lease, or on a copy of a court decision. So the letter asks the landlord to sign the release, for the amount you claim, by a set date.

If the landlord or an agent holds the money, the letter asks for it to be repaid and, if you choose, for interest at the legal rate from the notice of default.

What the letter does

It names the property, the start and end of the lease, the deposit and how it was provided. It says when you handed back the property and the keys, and what the move-out inspection (plaatsbeschrijving / état des lieux) showed, if there was one. It disputes, on the facts, the deductions you disagree with. Deductions must relate to damage beyond normal wear and tear, or to sums you actually owe, and be supported by the inspection and invoices.

It gives a final date and also acts as a notice of default. In Brussels, for a lease concluded or renewed since the reform of the Brussels Housing Code took effect, it states that the deposit must be released within 2 months after the keys are handed back. While that period is running, the letter only asks, with a date after the period ends, and the final notice in the Complete pack is the notice of default. For a property in Flanders or Wallonia, it cites no statutory release period.

If the landlord still does not cooperate

Lease disputes go to the justice of the peace (vrederechter / juge de paix) whatever the amount, and only to the one for the place where the property is. That court can order the release. You can appear without a lawyer. You do not pay the court registration fee when you file. The judge's final decision orders the party that owes it, normally the losing party, to pay it. The escalation memo in the Complete pack explains the route.

Where the rules come from

What is in the envelope

Word and PDF files you can edit before you send anything.

  1. 01

    Demand letter

    The formal letter, in the language you choose, with your amount and payment details. The deadline, and any interest and costs, follow the local rules.

  2. 02

    Evidence checklist

    What to keep and what to enclose, checked against the files you uploaded.

  3. 03

    Timeline

    Your dispute date by date, including the dates still to come.

  4. 04

    Next steps

    How to send the letter so you can prove it arrived, and what to do with each kind of reply.

  5. 05

    Final notice of defaultComplete

    A shorter second letter with a last deadline, for when the first one passes.

  6. 06

    Escalation memoComplete

    Court, collection agencies and lawyers: what each route involves. It describes the options; it does not choose one for you.

How it works

  1. Today

    You answer the questions. It takes about ten minutes, and your answers are saved as you go.

  2. Today

    You check the summary and pay. A few minutes later your documents are ready, in Word and PDF.

  3. When you are ready

    You sign the letter and send it yourself, so it comes from you.

Questions

How long does my landlord have to release the deposit?

In the Brussels-Capital Region, for leases concluded or renewed since the reform of the Brussels Housing Code took effect, the landlord has 2 months after the keys are handed back, subject to any dispute procedure. The letter states that period and sets its date after it. Elsewhere, the letter cites no statutory period and gives the landlord its own final deadline: 15 days by default, or up to 30 days if you choose.

My landlord will not sign the release form.

The bank needs a written agreement or a court decision. If the landlord has not signed by the date in the letter, the justice of the peace for the place where the property is can order the release.

Can my landlord keep money for cleaning?

The letter does not claim that cleaning costs can never be deducted. It lists the deductions you dispute and why, so the landlord can answer each one.

How long can I wait?

The general limitation period is 10 years. Your own letter does not interrupt it.

Can I have the letter written in English?

Yes. Dutch is the default; you can choose French, German or English instead, for example the language your landlord reads most easily.

P.S.

Your documents are written by an AI system and checked automatically against your answers and the local rules. No lawyer reviews them. They are document drafts and general information, not legal advice. Your answers are deleted 30 days after delivery, or sooner if you ask.

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Also for BelgiumUnpaid invoice in Belgium: a formal notice of default