and work contracts in Leuven, at a fixed fee1
We advise KU Leuven staff, imec researchers, students and small Flemish firms. In English, or in Dutch if you prefer.
1 Prices on this site exclude 21% VAT. Hourly work only starts after a written estimate.
one office by
the Diestsepoort
Pand means premises. Pleit is what a lawyer does in court. Most files on our desks sit somewhere between the two: a lease, the deposit after it, a contract with an employer, an invoice nobody pays.
You send the draft, we send back written notes within 3 working days: what to strike, what to ask for, what is normal in Leuven and what is not.
€235Two months' rent at most, on a blocked account in your name.
Since 1 January 2019 the Flemish Housing Rental Decree sets the rules for most Leuven leases. A landlord may ask for a deposit of two months' rent, and it goes to a blocked account the bank opens in the tenant's name. Neither side can take the money out alone. At the end it is released with both signatures, or by a judge.
When a landlord stops answering after you hand back the keys, the first step is a formal notice letter. Quite often it is also the last one.
The opening of a typical deposit notice, with names and numbers left out. It goes out in Dutch to a Flemish landlord and in English when the landlord is not Flemish. You get a copy of whatever we send.
What the letter fee coversDear [landlord],
Our client returned the keys on [date]. The exit inventory was signed by both parties and records no damage beyond normal wear.
Under article 37 of the Flemish Housing Rental Decree, the deposit of €1.340 held on blocked account [number] must now be released. We ask you to sign the enclosed release form within 15 days of this letter.
Without a reply, we will ask the justice of the peace in Leuven to order the release, with costs.
R. Claeys, advocaat
You hand back the keys. Sign the exit inventory only if it matches what you see.
We read both inventories and the bank certificate, then send the notice.
The deadline in the letter. Many landlords sign the release form before it runs out. The bank will not pay without both names, and they know it.
A request to the justice of the peace in Leuven. Hourly, with an estimate you see first.
The bank pays out within a few working days of receiving the signed form. Interest earned on the blocked account goes to the tenant.
Step 1 of 2
What is it about?
Where are you now?
Two people. Nobody else touches it.
I studied law in Leuven and opened this office in 2019. I take leases and employment work, and help clients with unpaid claims. I say no to the rest early, so you don't pay me to find out it isn't mine. We have helped clients recover refunds and return of funds from brokers and other financial intermediaries.
I do intake, the documents list and the calendar. If something is missing from your file, I'm the one who emails you about it. Usually twice.
Ground floor of a 1920s terraced house. There is a doorbell, no reception desk.
| Period | Wait for a first meeting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| October to June | about 3 working days | Normal pace. |
| July to mid August | about 5 working days | One of us is on leave. The office stays open. |
| Late August to end of September | up to 8 working days | Student leases start and every deposit from June comes back at once. If your move‑in date is close, say so in the form and Hanne will look for a gap. |
Hanne replies within one working day with a time for the first meeting, or with a short no if the matter is outside what we do.
+32 16 20 20 66
[email protected]
Jean-Baptiste van Monsstraat 23, 3000 Leuven
Invoices are payable within 14 days, by bank transfer only.
Your request is with Hanne. Expect a reply within one working day.
