[svandamme]

Jim, that's the whole point.. he cannot get rent increases legally. That's the point where i just set him straight on.
even more : in march he'll be forced to agree to a rent decrease due to deflation...i'll make sure his tenants get the standardized letter from me, when i'm busy moving my sister to the social flat. Along with information how they can undo the rent increase he tried with my sister just now... retroactively ...

The only way you can increase the rent in Belgium are

1 index jumps (inflation/deflation, set by the state index)

2 rent contracts are 369, so 9 years, with possibility to increase on the 3rd year, and the 6th year
But that increase has to be either agreed upon
or set by Judge Julie

The requirement is then, that he has to be able to proove a 20% increase in the value of the property (not including inflation, but actual improvements to the property)
He would have to invest a hellofalot more then he did just now to warrant such an increase

And the Judges generally do not favor the landlords in such cases. Especially not in cases where the property is a house , split up in appartments that really do not represent the top end of the market, with tenants typically not lower financial class..
That she works in a social workplace due to her mental disadvantage would only work against the landlord.

To put it in perspective, she payed 369 now
he wanted 420
she makes, on a good month, 950 or something, and on a bad month (factory not having work, often a week a month of commercial unemployement) she might get 850.
Then there's utilities, food, cloting, medical... and she's not what we would call rich
I managed to keep her debt free so far, 369 is doable, but 420 is pushing things over the edge for her..