Need advice on ending KU Leuven student lease after graduation
My daughter is a KU Leuven student and is finishing her Master’s in July 2026. Her graduation ceremony is on July 2, 2026.
On April 25, 2026, she informed her landlord in writing that she planned to leave her student studio on July 7, 2026, because her studies are ending. After that, they started looking for a replacement tenant and did not ask for any KU Leuven proof at that time, so she assumed she could provide the relevant document once it became officially available.
Now the landlord says this does not fall under Article 64 §1, 2° of the Flemish Housing Rental Decree because she had not yet officially completed her studies or deregistered when she gave notice. They are therefore claiming a penalty equal to two months’ rent.
I’m trying to understand whether that interpretation is correct.
A few questions:
- Does graduation / completion of studies count as “termination of studies” under Article 64 §1, 2°?
- Can a student give notice before the official graduation date if it is already clear that the studies are ending, and then provide proof later when it becomes available?
- What document is normally accepted as proof for this, graduation confirmation, degree completion, or deregistration?
- If notice is given before graduation and proof is provided later, is that notice still valid?
- In this kind of situation, should the result be a 2-month notice period rather than a separate 2-month penalty?
If anyone has dealt with something similar, or knows how this is usually interpreted by the courts, I’d really appreciate your input.