My lease is verbal and the landlord denies it: what to do?
Rachid, a tenant in Liege, recounts how his landlord denied the existence of their verbal lease. Evidence gathered, procedure and outcome.
- 01 The situation
- 02 The evidence
- 03 The procedure
- 04 The judgment
- 05 Lessons learned
March 2025 — the situation
I am Rachid, 44, a bus driver in Liege. In April 2022 I found a 1-bedroom flat in the Outremeuse neighbourhood through an acquaintance. The landlord, Mr Peeters, proposed a simple arrangement: EUR 550 per month, bank transfer, no written lease. “Less paperwork for everyone.”
I accepted. A monumental mistake. For 3 years I lived there without any problems. I paid my rent by bank transfer every month, I was domiciled at the address, my water and electricity bills were in my name. No dispute, no missed payment.
On 10 March 2025 Mr Peeters rang my doorbell. He announced he wanted the flat back for “renovations” and asked me to leave within 15 days. When I reminded him that I had a lease (verbal), he denied everything: “There is no lease. You occupy the premises free of charge.”
He claimed I was an occupant free of charge, not a tenant. If that were true, I would have virtually no rights. Panic took hold.
A landlord can never put you out themselves, whether there is a written lease or not. Only a justice of the peace can order an eviction. If the landlord threatens to change the locks or cut off water, call the police: it is a criminal offence.
March 2025 — building the case
On 12 March I went to the legal aid bureau in Liege. The duty lawyer reassured me: a verbal lease is legally valid in Belgium. The problem is not the validity of the lease, it is proving its existence.
Within 48 hours I compiled my file:
- Bank statements: 36 monthly transfers of EUR 550 to Mr Peeters, with the reference “rent March”, “rent April”, etc. This is the key piece of evidence.
- Domiciliation certificate: issued by the municipality of Liege, confirming I have been domiciled at this address since April 2022.
- Energy bills: Engie and SWDE in my name, at this address, for 3 years.
- Testimonies: the downstairs neighbour and the ground-floor shopkeeper confirmed in writing that I have lived there since 2022 and that Mr Peeters presents himself as “my landlord”.
- Mail received: letters from the health insurance, the FPS Finance, the bank, all addressed to this address.
If you have a verbal lease, always include “rent + month + year” in the transfer reference. It is the strongest evidence of the existence of a lease contract. A transfer without a reference could be interpreted as a gift or a repayment.
April 2025 — the procedure
On 25 March I sent a formal notice by registered letter to Mr Peeters. I stated that the verbal lease existed, that my 36 transfers with the reference “rent” proved it, and that I would not leave without legal proceedings.
Mr Peeters did not respond.
On 10 April my lawyer (legal aid, therefore free) applied to the justice of the peace of Liege. The application requested:
- Recognition of the existence of the verbal lease since April 2022
- Application of the residential lease rules (notice, protection)
- An order for Mr Peeters to register the lease
The hearing took place on 8 May. Mr Peeters, represented by a lawyer, maintained I was an occupant free of charge. His lawyer argued there was no written lease and the transfers were “contributions to charges”.
May 2025 — the judgment
On 22 May the justice of the peace delivered the judgment. He found the verbal lease existed based on a body of converging evidence:
- The 36 monthly transfers with the reference “rent” were incompatible with free-of-charge occupation
- The domiciliation and energy bills confirmed stable and continuous occupation
- The neighbour testimonies were consistent and credible
- Mr Peeters had produced no evidence of the gratuitous nature of the occupation
The judge classified the relationship as a residential lease subject to Walloon legislation. Consequences:
- The lease was recognised from April 2022
- Mr Peeters must observe a 6-month notice period to end the lease
- Mr Peeters was ordered to pay the procedure costs
Factual summary: 10 weeks from formal notice to judgment. EUR 0 in costs for me (legal aid). Lease recognised. 6-month notice obtained instead of the 15 days the landlord demanded. I stay in my home.
What I learned
Three lessons I will never tire of repeating:
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Never accept a lease without a written document. This is lesson number one. A written lease agreement protects both parties. Without a written document, you are at the mercy of a landlord who can deny the contract. Drafting a lease is free and takes 30 minutes.
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If you already have a verbal lease, secure your evidence. “Rent” references on every transfer, domiciliation at the address, bills in your name. Each month that passes with this evidence strengthens your position. Also ask the landlord to regularise the situation in writing — send the request by email to keep a trail.
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Free legal aid can save you. Without the lawyer from the legal aid bureau, I would never have dared to challenge Mr Peeters. The procedure cost me EUR 0 and allowed me to have 3 years of lease recognised. Find out more at your local justice centre.
Other real-life cases: The landlord asks me to pay the property tax and The landlord wants me to leave so they can sell.
- “**A verbal lease is legally valid in Belgium.** The law does not require a written document for the contract to be valid. Writing is required for proof, but an oral lease exists and produces its effects. The landlord who denies it must prove it before a judge.
- “**Gather all evidence of occupation.** Bank transfers, domiciliation, energy bills, mail received at the address, neighbour testimonies. Each element in isolation is weak, but their accumulation creates a body of presumptions that the judge takes into account.
- “**Never leave under pressure.** A landlord cannot evict you themselves. Only a justice of the peace can order an eviction. If the landlord changes the locks or threatens you, call the police immediately.
Week-by-week timeline
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. A lease is a consensual contract: it is formed by the mere exchange of consent. Writing is not required for the validity of the contract, but for proof. In the absence of a written document, the tenant can prove the existence of the lease through a body of evidence (payments, domiciliation, testimonies).
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The tenant can gather: bank statements showing regular transfers to the landlord with the reference 'rent', a domiciliation certificate from the municipality, energy bills in their name, mail received at the address, neighbour testimonies confirming occupation. The judge assesses all these elements together.
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No. Even without a written lease, the tenant benefits from the protection of the home (Article 15 of the Constitution). Only a justice of the peace can order an eviction, after adversarial proceedings. A landlord who changes the locks or cuts off utilities faces criminal prosecution.
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Lease registration is a fiscal obligation of the landlord. An unregistered lease deprives the landlord of certain advantages (particularly in case of sale). For the tenant, the absence of registration is actually favourable: they can terminate at any time without notice or compensation.
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