It is difficult not to drill any holes in a rental unit. But that inevitably deteriorates it. Can the owner then prohibit it or keep part of the deposit?
When renting a property, the question of the state in which it is returned can be a source of tension. Also good for the owner who hopes to recover it intact, only for the tenant who does not wish to see his deposit kept. And there can quickly be a disagreement on the question. The inventory of fixtures of entry and exit indeed leaves a part of interpretation.
The lease may, in certain cases, provide clarification, but cannot supplant the law. The owner of a renovated property questioned Capital on the possibility to include the ban on drilling the walls. In most rentals, it will be necessary to make a hole to fix furniture. But the vestiges of the operation are sometimes quite visible. We are then in a rather vague area of the law.
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The question of “normal” wear and tear
The latter considers that a tenant cannot be held responsible for “the state of wear or deterioration resulting from time or normal use of the materials and elements of equipment of which the accommodation is made”. For example, the patina of the floors, the wear of the pipes or the peeling of the paint are not his responsibility. Except that he made “abnormal” use of the property which led to premature wear and tear. It remains to be defined if it is “normal” to break through its walls for a tenant.
According to Delphine Herman, property hunter for Homelyoo, interviewed by Capital, if the holes are very numerous and “harm the aesthetics” of the housing, there may indeed be a levy on the deposit. Difficult on the other hand to prohibit the slightest blow of a drill. According to her, in practice, holes are tolerated that are properly filled with a suitable product, or even pegged. The owner could therefore specify this point in the lease. Another compromise solution for the tenant who has drilled many holes is to leave the furniture fixed in this way. As this is a gray area, it is better for both parties to find common ground than to risk conflict.