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Etat de lieux cost
Hello,
Question regarding billing and cost of etat de lieux.
Just rented my apartment via an agency. Stipulated in the contract that cost of etat de lieux is shared between myself and tenant.
I received a bill for €315 and tenant received a second bill for €240. Is it normal to issue 2 bills like this when the cost is divided? Is the total charge not a bit exorbitant? I cant see the content until I pay so have no idea what is recorded (its a furnished apartment).
Thanks for any views.
No way an etat des lieux should cost that much. Tell the agency that you won't pay and that you're firing them immediately. Then go and see your tennant and do an etat "amiable" between yourselves. Photograph every room, and have a brief description. That's all you need. Both of you date and sign the resulting document.
Next time - ask your agent what they are charging you BEFORE they do anything. Unfortunately, if this is the way they've started ..............
You cannot refuse to pay. It doesn't work that way in Belgium.
By all means go to the agency and ask for an explanation and justification and sack them if they refuse to lower their price but, if they take you to court, you will lose. There is a signed contract and, unless you can show that they didn't do the work or are otherwise in breach of the terms of the contract, you are stuck.
Rental agencies have in general a commission equivalent to one month of rental as fee for their work.
I imagine that was discussed before you signed to hire them.
As far as the cost of the "etat de lieux", you should heve been asking for the fee but they should have told you also
