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ONGOING SCAM? RENTAL HOUSE SURVEYS
DEAR FELLOW HOUSE RENTERS especially in the Tervuren region
Has anybody had bad experiences with ingoing and outgoing surveys for houses for rent in the Tervuren region (and maybe outside as well) especially with IFAC? It seems like NO expats renting from them ever get their deposit back. It also seems nobody else seem to care to get their deposits back. I want to check if this is true because some things we are being charged for like toilet brush holders that was there at the ingoing survey for 40 Euros! And apparently they can charge you costs for something forgotten like a waffle maker you have accidentally left behind. The procedure of how the costs of damages are not transparent, but it seems to always exceed the amount of the paid deposits. Btw they apparently would even charge you for bulbs that do not work. Does any expat out there have more knowledge about this matter? Could it be a systematic scam???
I'm happy that Kasseistamper has had good experience when he has rented, but I suspect he (she?) will be in a minority. I have rented twice in Belgium and both times the property was left in better condition that when I arrived.
The first one, I had the heating system go wrong in the first week. Called the relocation company who informed me that I was responsible for any repair of the thirty year old system that did not require complete replacement of the heating system. Of course, it will continue to be repaired forever, by trusting tenants that cannot read the contract and who trust the relocation agent who is on a backhander from the landlord.
Moving out of an improved property, the landlady dragged the expert around the place pointing to invisible faults and insisted that I had agreed to paint a room which I did not. At one point she got on her hands and knees to sniff the toilet floor. Cut a long story short, she ended up keeping half our deposit.
The last one....Got one month rent free in return for painting the place, which I did. So, much better condition than when I moved in. Having been warned by the neighbour that she would try and keep as much deposit as possible, I deliberately hid the quite badly damaged garage door by leaving it open.
The idea was that if she was fair, I would own up to the garage door. She could find nothing in the house to charge for, all good. Well, it would have been had she not decided she wanted 450 Euro to deal with some grass poking through the clinkers.
This after receiving her rent on the dot for 5 years.
So, I never did tell her about the door........ :-)
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