At a glance
- In Brussels a tenant on a 9-year lease can leave with 3 months' notice; a fee applies only in the first three years.
- Split your belongings early: ship, sell or give away, clear.
- Book the clearance a few days before the move-out inspection, not on the same morning.
- Report your departure at the commune; you receive a model 8 certificate.
- You can be abroad already: the clearance can run with the keys and photos.
Step 1: give notice on your lease
The first date to fix is the end of your lease, because everything else is planned backwards from it. In Brussels, a tenant on a standard 9-year lease can end it at any time with three months' notice. In the first three years a fee is due on top: three, two or one month's rent depending on the year. After year three, three months' notice is enough. Short leases have their own rules, and Flanders and Wallonia have their own versions of the law, so read your contract or ask your agency.
Send the notice in writing, keep proof that it was received, and ask the landlord or agency right away for a date for the move-out inspection. That appointment is your real deadline.
Step 2: decide what you ship, sell, give away and clear
International moves are priced by volume, so most expats ship far less than they own. Walk through the home room by room and split everything into four groups: what goes in the shipment or your luggage, what you sell, what you give away, and what is left.
Selling and giving away take longer than people expect: buyers cancel, collections are postponed. Start a month before you leave and set a hard stop date. Whatever has not gone by then becomes part of the clearance. That is the moment a full contents clearance saves you, because it takes the rest in one go, sorted for reuse and recycling.
Step 3: book the clearance before the move-out inspection
Book the clearance two to five days before the move-out inspection, after the movers have collected your shipment. Then there is room for a cleaner if your lease asks for a professionally cleaned home, and for a last walk-through with your own photos.
Send us photos of every room, the cellar storage and the balcony, and tell us the address and the date. You get a fixed price in advance. In an apartment building, inform the syndic about the lift; in a busy street, request a loading bay from the commune. How that works per city is in the parking permit guide, and what a flat clearance involves is on apartment clearance.
Step 4: the move-out inspection and your deposit
At the move-out inspection (état des lieux de sortie in French, plaatsbeschrijving bij uittrede in Dutch) the landlord or an independent expert compares the home with the check-in report. Missing items, damage and things left behind are noted. The rental deposit is released once both sides agree on the outcome.
An empty, swept home makes that comparison simple. Leftover furniture, a full cellar box or bags on the balcony are exactly the points that cause discussion. What the landlord may expect is explained in the broom-clean handover.
Step 5: report your departure at the commune
Before you leave, report your departure abroad at the population office of your commune or city. In the City of Brussels this is done at the latest the day before you leave, at the administrative centre, a liaison office or by email, with your identity card or residence permit and a departure form. You receive a certificate of removal from the national register, the model 8, free of charge.
Other communes follow the same principle with their own appointment system: Ghent, Leuven and Antwerp all explain the procedure for international residents on their websites. Keep the model 8: you will need it to register abroad and at a Belgian embassy or consulate.
Can the clearance happen after you have left?
Yes. Many expats leave before the flat is empty: the job starts on the other side of the world the next Monday. If the photos are clear and someone can hand over the keys, the clearance can run without you. That someone can be your agency, a colleague, a neighbour or the landlord.
Agree in writing what has to go and what stays, for example the furniture that belongs to a furnished rental. Ask for photos of the empty home at the end, so you can see the result from wherever you are.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book the clearance?
As soon as you know the date of the move-out inspection. A clearance in the normal schedule costs less than an urgent one squeezed in at the last moment.
Do you take furniture that belongs to a furnished rental?
Only what you tell us to take. Furniture that belongs to the landlord stays. Mark it clearly or list it, so nothing that is not yours leaves the flat.
Can you collect my things for shipping abroad?
No, we clear and dispose; we are not an international removal company. Book the shipment with a removal firm and plan our clearance after their collection.
Will you buy my furniture before I leave?
No, we are a paid clearance service and do not buy goods. Sell what you want to sell beforehand; we take what is left.
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