Starting Jan. 1, 2024, landlords can assign rental properties to parents or children

Source: Mr. Kris Roufs, Kerckhoffs Advocaten

In an effort to strengthen the protection of family ties and balance the interests of tenants and landlords, the legislature has announced that a new ground for termination will soon be introduced in rental law - "blood or kin". This new ground for termination will allow landlords to terminate a lease if they wish to assign the property to blood relatives or relatives.

Currently, landlords can only terminate a residential lease based on specific grounds, such as non-payment, serious nuisance or urgent own use. The new ground for termination "blood or relatives" adds a new dimension to these existing grounds.

Under the proposed change in the law, landlords can terminate a lease in certain situations if they wish to assign the property to their blood relatives or relatives. This may occur, for example, when a landlord wants to offer his home to his parents and children. The new ground for termination gives landlords the flexibility to keep or pass on their property within the family circle.

However, this option must be stipulated in the lease agreement. It is wise to include this by way of a standard clause.