Opzeggingsvergoeding huurcontract 3-6-9

[dynx]

Hi,

I'm stopping the 'huurcontract' 3-6-9 within the third year, therefore i must pay the 'opzeggingsvergoeding'. Now - in my 'huurcontract' there's:
"De huurder krijgt de mogelijkheid deze overeenkomst vroegtijdig te beeindiigen mits een opzeggingstermijn van drie maand te respecteren en het betalen van een schadevergoeding gelijk aan twee maanden huur."
According to the 'Huurweet':
§ 5. De huurder kan de huurovereenkomst op ieder tijdstip beëindigen met inachtneming van een opzeggingstermijn van drie maanden.
Indien de huurder de huurovereenkomst evenwel beëindigt tijdens de eerste driejarige periode, heeft de verhuurder recht op een vergoeding. Die vergoeding is gelijk aan drie maanden, twee maanden of één maand huur naargelang de huurovereenkomst een einde neemt gedurende het eerste, het tweede of het derde jaar.

So - how much do i have to pay: 2 month rent or one month rent? Which one comes on top?

Thanks in advance

[Didymus]

The "huurwet" is compelling law. As a result, clauses in your contract which are contradicting the law are void. If you'll be vacating the place in the third year of your nine year contract, only one month of compensation is owed (plus the three months notice, of course), but only if your contract is registered. You can check this with the registration service (=registratiekantoor) responsible for your area.

Furthermore, if the contract is not registered, you can freely choose the notice period (1 day, 2 weeks, 1 month, etc.)

[dynx]

Thank You for the quick answer

Just as i thought actually. The contract is registered - we did everything by the book.
Any idea how i should talk to the real estate agency now? Is there anything i can bring that will close the discussion in my favour?

[Blaatpraat]

You don't need to mention the compensation when you send the letter to stop your contract.
It's the landlord that will need to ask for it.
Only in the case that he asks for 2 months instead of 1, you'll need to take action (send him a registered mail by post that the law defines that it is only 1 month in that case).


Oh, and you don't need to talk to the real estate. Only to the landlord.

[dynx]

The landlord gave the house to the real estate agency for management. I did receive a letter from them which states:
"... Conform artikel D van uw bijzondere huurvoorwaarden dient u een schadevergoeding van twee maand huur te betalen...."
I should mention that in the 'Opzeg huuroverenkomst' which i delivered to the agency i did add this:
"... De opzegtermijn bedraagt 3 maanden met een schadevergoeding van 1 maand huur – opzegging gebeurt in het derde jaar van de overeenkomst (conform artikel 3 par. 5 van de wet) en neemt een aanvang op ……………….....…………(datum) en eindigt op ………………….....…………(datum)."
So now - either they did not read it at all, or they disregarded it. Anyway, i do need to do something. Will the letter be enough?

[Blaatpraat]

You reply to that letter that you do not agree with the compensation of 2 months, because the law dictates clearly that is only 1 month.
Also the word "schadevergoeding" isn't correctly used here, who is saying that you have damaged the property?
The correct word is "wederverhuringsvergoeding", which is a totally different thing. A real estate agent should know that...

Unless... something just came up to my mind:
Did you rent the property as a person (not as a firm), and did you live there (and not as a second place to go on holidays)?
If that's not the case, the rental agency could be right, because the rental law only applies to contracts for living.

[dynx]

Ooo, good to know Ok, I'll do it via the letter than. The house was rented for a person (not a firm) and it was our main home (standard rent for my family to live in).
I'll post the answer from the agency when i get it.

Thanks a lot guys, Didymus, Blaatpraat,
Much appreciated.

[Blaatpraat]

No problem.

Also: please use a registered letter, so you know that the other person has received the letter (by online tracking).
If this moves to a trial, with a registred letter you've got proof that is more valuable than a regular letter.