The tenant disputes the exit inventory
Francoise, a landlord in Liege, recounts how her tenant contested EUR 4,800 of damage at the exit. Expert assessment, normal wear and resolution.
- 01 The report
- 02 The dispute
- 03 The expert assessment
- 04 The agreement
- 05 Lessons learned
June 2025 — the exit report
I have rented out a 3-bedroom flat near Guillemins station in Liege since 2019. My tenant, Damien, 38, an IT professional, had been living there with his partner for 6 years. A generally correct tenant, rent always on time, but with two young children the flat had seen some wear.
On 30 June, the day of the exit inventory, I toured the flat with Damien and my checklist. The findings were clear:
- Living room parquet: deep scratches across 8 m2 (toys, chairs without pads)
- Children’s bedroom walls: marker drawings, stickers, tape marks on the paint
- Bathroom door: 10 cm hole in the panel
- Kitchen worktop: saucepan burn mark, 30 cm discolouration
My estimate: EUR 4,800 for restoration, based on quotes from local tradespeople. Damien refused to sign. “It’s normal wear, we lived here for 6 years.”
Do not confuse disagreement over the amount with disagreement over the facts. If the tenant acknowledges the damage but disputes the price, negotiation is possible. If they deny the damage, the entry inventory becomes the only reference.
July 2025 — the dispute
On 2 July Damien sent me a long email. His argument: after 6 years of occupation, a degree of wear is normal and cannot be charged to the tenant. He cited wear-and-tear grids found online and estimated his share should be EUR 1,200 at most.
He was not entirely wrong. Normal wear exists and the landlord cannot demand a brand-new flat after 6 years. But marker drawings on walls and a hole in a door are not wear.
On 8 July I sent him a formal notice by registered letter with a detailed costing, item by item, with comparative entry/exit photos from our inventory report.
On 18 July, after a phone exchange, I proposed a solution: an independent expert chosen by mutual agreement, whose report would be binding on both parties. Damien accepted. We chose a certified building expert in Liege.
August 2025 — the amicable expert assessment
On 1 August the expert visited the property for 2 hours. He methodically compared the entry inventory (carried out by a professional in 2019, with high-resolution photos) and the current condition.
His report, delivered on 12 August, clearly distinguished:
Normal wear (not chargeable to the tenant):
- Yellowing of white paint: normal after 6 years
- Slight wear on parquet varnish in high-traffic areas: normal
Damage (chargeable to the tenant):
- Deep parquet scratches (toys, chairs): EUR 1,400 for sanding and varnishing
- Children’s bedroom walls (marker, stickers): EUR 600 for preparation and 2 coats of paint
- Bathroom door hole: EUR 350 (panel replacement)
- Worktop burn: EUR 850 (partial replacement)
Expert total: EUR 3,200, versus my initial EUR 4,800. The difference was explained by deductions for wear on certain items and lower market prices than my initial quotes.
Without the HD photos from the entry inventory, the expert would not have been able to determine the origin of the parquet scratches. It was this document that proved the parquet was in perfect condition at entry.
August 2025 — the agreement
On 20 August Damien and I signed an agreement based on the report: EUR 3,200 deducted from the rental deposit of EUR 2,550 (3 months), the balance of EUR 650 paid by Damien in 2 instalments.
Factual summary: 7 weeks to resolution. EUR 3,200 obtained out of EUR 4,800 claimed — 67%. EUR 350 in expert costs shared 50/50. No court, no solicitor fees, no additional months of waiting.
What I learned
Three lessons I now pass on to every landlord who asks my advice:
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A professional entry inventory is an investment, not an expense. My EUR 250 in 2019 allowed me to recover EUR 3,200 in 2025. Without those photos, the dispute would have been nearly impossible to settle without a judge.
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Apply a wear-and-tear grid from the start. State in the lease that wear will be calculated using a linear grid (e.g. paint depreciated over 7 years). This avoids subjective debates at exit. A well-drafted lease agreement includes this type of clause.
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An amicable expert assessment is always faster and cheaper than court. The justice of the peace in Liege has an average waiting time of 5 months. My amicable assessment took 3 weeks.
Find more real-life cases in our landlord cases section and discover how a thorough inventory can protect you.
- “**Invest in a professional entry inventory.** The EUR 150-300 for a certified expert at entry saves you thousands of euros in disputes at exit. It is your key piece of evidence in any litigation.
- “**Distinguish normal wear from damage from the outset.** A scratched parquet floor after 8 years of tenancy is wear. A parquet floor burned by cigarette butts is damage. The judge makes this distinction, and so should you.
- “**Propose an amicable expert before going to court.** An expert chosen by mutual agreement costs EUR 300-500 and decides within 2 weeks. The justice of the peace takes 4 to 8 months.
Week-by-week timeline
Frequently asked questions
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Normal wear results from everyday use of the property: slight yellowing of walls, wear on a parquet floor varnish, marks on door handles. Damage is abnormal harm: a hole in a wall, a burned carpet, a broken window. Only damage is chargeable to the tenant.
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The tenant is not obliged to sign, but their refusal does not block the procedure. Call on a certified expert to carry out a contradictory inventory. If the tenant does not attend, the expert prepares the report alone, which will be enforceable before the judge.
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In an amicable expert assessment, costs are generally shared 50/50. If the justice of the peace appoints a judicial expert, the costs (EUR 500-1,500) are advanced by the claimant and then allocated according to the final decision.
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Under Belgian common law, contractual liability claims are time-barred after 10 years. But in practice, the longer you wait, the harder evidence is to establish. Act within 30 days of the exit.
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