When you choose to rent out your house or apartment, you're obviously interested in a tenant who behaves properly and takes good care of things. You can never be sure, but you can take precautions and use common sense.
Many landlords have a preference for renting to companies, embassies, organisations and expats. My experience also tells me that in the vast majority of cases it's a great idea. However, there are some things you need to be aware of, because it's not all plain sailing.
I'm often asked if you can override the general provisions of the Rent Act if a company signs the lease. The short and simple answer is no. A company has the same power to challenge rent levels and time limits as a private individual, but whether they use this power to the same extent, I won't say.
In my daily life, I work with many relocation agencies (representing the company and the tenant), embassies and organisations such as WHO, UN, UNICEF, etc. and in most cases they are good, well-trained and decent tenants. They pay on time and generally take care of things. However, there will always be some cultural differences to be aware of when renting to foreigners - whether it's through a company or not.
Some examples of the above that I have personally experienced include:
Lack of ventilation leads to condensation and potentially mould. When the climate is cold, it's natural to keep windows and doors closed, but to avoid mould etc. daily ventilation is important.
Cooking with strong spices that can potentially be a nuisance to other residents.
Lack of maintenance of white goods
It is therefore important that the lease is drafted correctly and with a number of preventative phrases and it is equally important to carry out a moving inspection where the condition of the lease is well documented, both in writing and with
Pictures.
At the end of the day, it's all about trust and gut feeling, and with experience you learn to find the right match between tenant and landlord. Because if the landlord is from Mars and the tenant is from Venus, nationality, finances and what's on the business card are secondary.
