Leaving a shared home can feel like a big process, but it becomes much smoother when you know exactly what to expect. Below is a clear, step-by-step overview to ensure a seamless transition for both you and the community.
Step 1: Submit Your Official Notice 📋
Step 1: Submit Your Official Notice 📋
You must submit your official notice through the Coloc Housing app:
Contracts → Submit your notice → Sign now
Important: Until this step is completed and signed, your move-out request won’t be acknowledged.
📅 Choose your Official move-out date.
Remember to calculate it based on the 2-month notice, starting from the 1st day of the following month.
Example: If you submit your notice on October 25, your notice starts on November 1, and your official move-out date is January 1.
⚠️ Tip: August, September and January are more challenging months for finding replacements. Take this into account when choosing your move-out date.
🚚 Choose your Preferred move-out date.
If you wish to leave earlier than the official date, that’s possible - as long as you find a replacement and they complete onboarding for that date. You can at any time edit your preferred move-out date on the App by going to contracts -> contract timeline -> availability date: edit
⚠️ If no replacement is found in time, your official notice date still applies, and you’ll remain responsible for rent and utilities for up to 6months after that date (we usually only ask for 1 months extra rent).
💳 Fill in your bank details.
This allows us to refund your deposit at the end of the move-out process.
🖋️ Read and sign the Notice document.
If everything looks correct, sign it to make your notice official. Once you’ve submitted your official two-month notice, the notice period is in effect.
I wish to extend my notice
I wish to extend my notice
If you wish to extend your stay beyond the two months, the only option is to cancel your notice and resubmit it with a new move-out date (keeping the 2-month notice rule in mind).
Menu -> Contract->(small window above contract timeline) -> Cancel notice
Once cancelled, you will receive an automatic email confirming your notice is cancelled. You can at anytime submit it again, while respecting the 2months notice delay. The default rental contract is for 3 or 9 years, and unless you’ve given notice, you can continue staying for as long as your contract allows.
⚠️ However, if a new tenant has already onboarded for your bedroom, you won’t be able to cancel your notice. In that case, reach out to Coloc Housing directly to discuss other possible options.
Step 2: Find a Replacement 👩🦰
Step 2: Find a Replacement 👩🦰
You are responsible for actively searching for a replacement. We call this "Sufficient Effort". That means:
Posting your bedroom online (see FAQ Facebook Post Guide)
Responding to applicants
Arranging an (e-)meeting with potential applicants before the vote.
👉 A quick reminder:
Coloc Housing isn’t a student housing company. While students aren’t strictly excluded, they’re often not the best fit because:
Registration at the address is mandatory, and many students prefer to remain registered elsewhere.
Short stays (e.g. Erasmus) disrupt house stability and community life.
What if I don't find a replacement 🤔?
What if I don't find a replacement 🤔?
In Belgium, the government requires shared housing contracts to include a clause about tenant responsibility when moving out. That’s why you’ll find this clause (Clause 4.2) in your agreement — it’s there to make sure transitions are fair for everyone involved.
📜 What Does the Contract Say (Clause 4.2)?
"If no new Tenant is proposed or if no new tenant is accepted by the Landlord and the remaining Tenants for legitimate and reasonable grounds or if the request to appoint the new tenant is rejected by the court, the Landlord will be able to claim from the departing tenant for six months after he has lost his status as Tenant, payment of the rent."
Interpretation:
You’re released from rent obligations once a new tenant signs the assignment agreement.
If you don’t find a replacement, you must show sufficient effort by the end of your notice period. Coloc Housing will determine if it’s enough. While we’ve never had to charge a departing tenant in the past 6 years, it’s still your responsibility to make the effort.
Only in rare cases where no replacement is found do we apply our safeguard: a maximum of one month’s rent, as long as you’ve made an active effort to help.
Step 3: Approval and Onboarding 👌
Step 3: Approval and Onboarding 👌
Before your replacement becomes official, two steps are required:
Voting: Your housemates must vote to approve the new person. (Only active tenants can vote - those who’ve already given notice can’t.)
Onboarding: Once approved, the new tenant signs the contract, pays, and completes onboarding.
🕒 Close to Deadline: How Coloc Housing Supports
The roommates remain responsible for finding and interviewing potential replacements. Everything stays the same, except that once we are within two weeks of the notice date, Coloc can directly accept a candidate.
Understanding the voting process 📋
Understanding the voting process 📋
At Coloc Housing, we believe it’s important that roomies help choose who they’ll live and share experiences with.
How Does the Selection Process Work?
A candidate applies for a bedroom.
If they like the candidate(s), the roomies invite them for a virtual or in person visit. The roomies should ensure a non-discriminatory selection process.
Current roomies (except those moving out) are invited via email and dashboard notification to vote yes or no. ⚠️ please remember to vote, this is important to help your roomie moving out
-> Between notice and the final 2 weeks: An absolute majority is required (more than half must vote yes for approval).
-> In the last 2 weeks: A simple majority rules. Every 7 days, votes are counted based on the majority at that time.
If accepted, the candidate receives the contract and must sign and pay the deposit within 24 hours. The candidate will only be accepted if they can provide a proof of solvency to Coloc. Once we receive the deposit proof, we activate the contract.
Coloc Buddy Voting Privileges 👩🦰
Coloc Buddy Voting Privileges 👩🦰
The Coloc Buddy has a few extra options:
Directly approve a candidate (contract sent immediately or queued if needed).
Reactivate a previously canceled candidate (votes reset and candidate notified).
Pause new applications for up to 5 days if a candidate is already under contract.
Step 4: Schedule an Inspection 🔎
Step 4: Schedule an Inspection 🔎
Two to three weeks before your move-out date, the inspection company will email you to schedule your inspections. Make sure your place is clean and damage-free before the visit. You can find more info below.
Preparing your bedroom for the inspection 🧹
Preparing your bedroom for the inspection 🧹
To make sure your move-out inspection goes smoothly, it’s important to prepare your bedroom properly before the inspector arrives. Here’s what to do:
✔️ 1. Clean your bedroom thoroughly
Make sure the space is clean and tidy. This includes:
Dusting all surfaces
Vacuuming and/or mopping the floor
Wiping down furniture, windowsills, and shelves
Removing any stains if possible, including bedsheets
✔️ 2. Remove all personal belongings
Your bedroom must be completely empty for the inspection (as much as possible).
Take out clothes, decorations, storage boxes, and anything else that belongs to you.
✔️ 3. Check for damages
Look around your bedroom for anything that may need repairing:
Wall marks
Broken furniture
Burn or water marks
Loose fixtures
If you can fix minor issues before the inspection, it may help reduce deductions from your deposit.
Reviewing the inspection report 🧐
Reviewing the inspection report 🧐
After your inspection, you will receive an inspection report. This document compares the condition of your place when you moved in with its current state at move-out. If the inspector notes damage beyond normal use, the repair or replacement costs will be deducted from your deposit.
Common examples include:
Holes in the wall
Broken or missing furniture
Stained or damaged bedsheets
Missing keys or items that were originally provided
If your bedroom is lacking in cleanliness, the inspector can charge you with a 100€ “cleaning fee” that can be refunded to you once you fix the issues he listed.
Step 5: Deregister Your Residency 🏠
Step 5: Deregister Your Residency 🏠
After leaving, make sure to update or cancel your registration at your local commune.
✔️ Why this matters
Your address registration is tied to local communal services (municipal tax, utilities, local elections, etc.).
Proper deregistration ensures you are no longer registered at your former address, avoiding potential legal or tax complications.
The confirmation email/letter ensures you have proof of the change - keep it safe
Moving within Belgium 🚗
Moving within Belgium 🚗
If you’re changing your address but staying in Belgium, you’ll need to register your new address with your local commune. Here’s what to do:
Steps:
Make an appointment at your local city hall / commune. Ask for a “adreswijziging / changement d’adresse”.
Attend the appointment and bring the necessary documents (ID, old/ new address proof, etc.).
Once your change of address is processed, you will receive an email or letter confirming your deregistration/registration.
Update your details wherever necessary (bank, insurance, utilities, etc.).
City Hall Contact Numbers:
Antwerp (Stad Antwerpen): +32 3 22 11 111
Bruges (Stad Brugge): +32 50 44 81 11
Ghent (Stad Gent): +32 9 266 53 00
Kortrijk (Stad Kortrijk): +32 56 27 77 11
Mechelen (Stad Mechelen): +32 15 29 10 11
Leuven (Stad Leuven): +32 16 27 93 11
Brussels (Ville de Bruxelles / Stad Brussel): +32 2 279 24 11
Liège (Ville de Liège): +32 4 221 65 11
(Please verify these numbers for your specific commune as they may change.)
Leaving Belgium 🛫
Leaving Belgium 🛫
If you’re moving abroad and need to deregister from Belgium, follow these steps:
Make an appointment in-person at your local commune’s population register office.
Ask for “afschrijving naar het buitenland / radiation du registre de la population.”
Bring your ID and necessary documents
After processing, you will receive an email or letter confirming your deregistration abroad.
Step 6: Deposit Refund 💰
Step 6: Deposit Refund 💰
Your deposit refund is processed within three weeks after your move-out date.
If there’s a delay, please contact Finance via the Support button → “Rents and deposit.”
🔄 How the Refund Process Works
🔄 How the Refund Process Works
Your move-out inspection is signed
After your inspection, the report is completed and signed. This document confirms the condition of your bedroom at the time you leave.Deductions are calculated (if applicable)
If the inspection report notes any repairs, cleaning fees, or unpaid rent, these amounts will be deducted from your deposit.
If everything is in good condition and fully paid, no deductions will be made.⚠️ Why this process can take some time:
The new roommate has up to 2 weeks after moving in to make any remarks about the bedroom. If issues are raised, such as repairs or cleaning needs, we first have to address them, obtain and pay the invoices, and only then can the corresponding charges be applied to the departing tenant. Additionally, the refund is processed only once both the departing and new roommates have paid their rent.
Your deposit is processed and transferred
Once everything is checked and approved, your deposit - either the full amount or the remaining balance after deductions - is processed by Coloc Housing and sent to the bank account you provided when submitting your notice.
By following these steps, you’ll make your departure as simple and transparent as possible for everyone involved. Staying organized and communicating clearly ensures a positive handover - and helps the next person settle in just as smoothly as you did. If you have any questions along the way, we’re always here to help!