Frequently Asked Questions
Damaged
What happens when damage has been detected?
What happens when damage has been detected?
As soon as we discover that damage has occurred to the house or that something has been lost, we will discuss this immediately with the landlord and tenant. Loftly mainly checks the “big” cases, where the landlord can supply an inventory list with us. Since we always withhold a deposit until the final inspection has taken place, we can recover damages from the tenant if necessary. It is also useful as a landlord to check whether your belongings are insured during the rental of your home.
Stuff
What kind of stuff do I need to remove and what can we leave in the apartment?
What kind of stuff do I need to remove and what can we leave in the apartment?
This is mainly relevant for private landlords who have recently occupied the property. Too much stuff can ensure that the house looks messy or attracts more dust. Precious items and items with emotional value are often removed or stored in a closet or room that can be locked. A tenant does need closet space, so the wardrobe needs to have storage / storage space.
Technical management
What does technical management mean?
What does technical management mean?
Technical management is, as the name suggests, the management of technical maintenance in and around the house. Think for example of solving leaks or repairing central heating boilers, locks or windows. We can approach several regular partners what saves the landlord a lot of time. Loftly also coordinates the process of carrying out work with the tenant.
We offer optional technical management for 3% extra per month.
Defect
What should I do if a defect in the home arises during the rental?
What should I do if a defect in the home arises during the rental?
If a defect arises, you as a tenant have to contact the landlord or Loftly at all times (depending on who is specified as the managing party in the contract). In addition, the nature of the defect determines who is responsible for the costs, this is legally and sometimes also contractually arranged. If the lessor is responsible, the lessor or Loftly will solve the problem as soon as possible.
Rent
How is the rent collected and paid?
How is the rent collected and paid?
If you choose Loftly for management of the whole rental including management then we take care of the collection of the rent. Loftly pays you on the first day of the next month. The fee that you owe us will be settled monthly with the rent and you will receive a detailed payment of this. If you choose a one-off mediation without management at Loftly, only the first payment will go through us and you will be responsible for collecting the rent.
Tax benefit
Is there a tax benefit when you are using Loftly services?
Is there a tax benefit when you are using Loftly services?
If you rent out a second home and are taxed according to box 3 then the condition is that you are not allowed to provide active labor for the rental income to be received. The tax authorities are very strict in this and the smallest actions can already be regarded as active labor. By working with Loftly you give active work, as it were, out of your hands and that ensures that you do not have to worry about whether your rental income remains untaxed. Costs incurred are not deductible in box 3.
If you are taxed according to box 1, the costs you pay for our service are deductible from the 70% of the rental income.
Short stay rules
What are the rules regarding short-stay rentals?
What are the rules regarding short-stay rentals?
Temporary rental has been possible since 2016 with more flexible rules. Since early 2018 it is not possible in Rotterdam to rent your home through Airbnb or similar websites for more than 60 nights. On the other hand, it is possible to draw up unlimited contracts (at least a month) with tenants as long as the stay has a residential character. Renting out for a few nights via Airbnb is only possible 60 nights a year. In this situation you keep the possibility to use the apartment again or to rent it out again in the near future.
Registration
Can I register myself at the apartments?
Can I register myself at the apartments?
With the majority of the apartments, it is possible to register. If the house is a private individual, this is often not possible unless the landlord is no longer registered here. If registration is possible, this is marked as a service at the apartments profile.
Cleaning
What exactly is covered by cleaning?
What exactly is covered by cleaning?
As soon as a tenant checked out, we ensure that the apartment looks completely in order again for home arrival or new viewings. We work with professional cleaners. If you have rented the house furnished, we also ensure that the bed linen and towels are washed. In addition, the cleaning team works with a checklist for tasks that they have to perform and you can update this checklist yourself if desired.
Criteria
What do I have to meet as a tenant to be eligible for an apartment?
What do I have to meet as a tenant to be eligible for an apartment?
As a tenant you must be able to prove that you can pay the rent monthly. If it is a short-stay apartment, it is also possible to pay the rent in one time. As an (international) student you can have your parents as guarantor. If you are working somewhere, an employer’s statement, a copy of your identity and three recent salary slips are important.
Short- vs longstay
What are the differences between short and long stay rentals?
What are the differences between short and long stay rentals?
Short-stay is a stay of at least one week and less than 6 months, long-stay is a stay of 6 months or longer. Short-stay homes are fully furnished more often than long-stay homes. At long-stay apartments, you often see that rental prices are excluding gas, water and electricity and in short-stay rentals this is often included. Short-stay rates are often more attractive for the lessor as the agreements are of a temporary nature and therefore more flexible, so you can ask for a higher rental price. With long-stay, tenants almost always want to register at the address and in short-stay this is not always the case.
Cancelation rent
When can I cancel the rent as a tenant?
When can I cancel the rent as a tenant?
The tenant can cancel a temporary contract prematurely, the lessor does not. The minimum notice period for the tenant is one month. With a contract for an indefinite period of time, the tenant can terminate the rent in writing after one year, with due observance of one month. You can only terminate a contract by the first of the following month.
Airbnb
Can I also temporarily rent my property through Airbnb?
Can I also temporarily rent my property through Airbnb?
That’s certainly possible. If you are traveling for more than a month and for a maximum of two months then Airbnb is a possible channel that we can use. There are, however, a number of conditions before we start with this way of renting out. The minimum number of nights we use is 7. Unfortunately, we can’t help you if a number of short bookings have already been confirmed. Please contact us in advance to discuss the conditions.
Private house or investment
Can I rent my own house or investment?
Can I rent my own house or investment?
For convenience, assuming that there is still a mortgage on the house that you want to rent out, the first step is to make an appointment with the bank or mortgage provider. They will eventually have to give permission to you to rent the property. The money they have borrowed you is still in the home. On the other hand, banks do want to receive their interest every month and so they will consider whether and under which conditions the renting out of your house is possible.
When there is no mortgage on the house, you are simply free to do what you want and renting is no problem at all.
Loftly
What does Loftly do exactly?
What does Loftly do exactly?
Loftly is a short and long stay rental agency who is mainly active in the center of Rotterdam and the neighboring districts. We specialize in temporarily renting out living spaces to expats and international students. Our rental agreements are usually of a temporary nature with a minimum rental period of one month and a maximum period of two years. Rental for an indefinite period is also possible.
Loftly vs other rental agencies
What is the difference between Loftly and other rental agencies?
What is the difference between Loftly and other rental agencies?
Loftly combines the short and long stay rental effortlessly with each other. Most rental brokers offer their services from 6 months or a year and with us you can go for rental from one month. The minimum availability of a home must be 2 months.
Temporarily agreement
What is a temporarily agreement?
What is a temporarily agreement?
A temporary rental agreement differs from a contract for an indefinite period on a number of points. The main difference is that as a landlord you can terminate the rent according to the law on the end date stated in the agreement. The landlord must then confirm this in writing to the tenant at least 1 and no more than 3 months before the end of the tenancy. If this does not happen, the contract will automatically become indefinite.
Rental agreement indefinite
What is a rental agreement for indefinite period?
What is a rental agreement for indefinite period?
There is a lease for an indefinite period if no end date is included in the rental agreement. A tenancy agreement for an indefinite period can be canceled by the landlord if there is a legal ground for cancellation, for example, if the tenant has not acted as a good tenant. Think of considerable rent arrears or if the landlord can demonstrate that he urgently needs the rented home for his own use.
Insurance
Am I insured if I rent my home?
Am I insured if I rent my home?
Are you in possession of a house and do you want to rent it out? Then you must pass this on to your insurer and get permission from your mortgage provider. This also applies if you rent your home temporarily, because you go abroad, for example. In that case, some insurers will charge a higher premium for home insurance, because they assume that the risk of damage is higher when rented. There are insurers where you are automatically insured for private holiday rentals.
If you rent your house unfurnished you can often cancel your home insurance and take out a separate insurance policy. In some home insurance policies, however, you can simply set the value of household effects to zero, so that you do not pay more premium than necessary.
Screening
How do you screen the potential tenants?
How do you screen the potential tenants?
Most of our apartments are leased to internationally operating companies or expats. We have close contact with a number of companies, so when they rent the apartment from us we know that the rental is good. In these cases, the company also pays the rent and the company is liable for any damage.
Expats are examined by us for reliability. We ask at all times for a copy of the passport, copy bank card, employer’s statement and the three most recent payslips. Once we have received this, we will contact the company where they work to check that all information is correct.
There are many international students who are looking for (temporary) accommodation in Rotterdam. They often receive a scholarship with which they can also pay for living space. In almost all cases the parents still guarantee.
Rental house
Can I sublet my rental house?
Can I sublet my rental house?
The law says that you may not sublet your rental property unless the landlord expressly gives permission for this. Subletting means that you rent a home and then rent it to another person.
In addition to what is stated in the law, it is also important to know what is in the lease agreement that you have signed. Usually, such a rental agreement states that subletting is not permitted without written permission from the landlord. If you do this anyway, you will trade in violation of your rental agreement. There is then illegal subletting. The landlord can then ask the court to dissolve the rental contract with the result that the rental agreement ends immediately.
If you have a social housing, it is simply forbidden to rent it to another person. That is stated in the regulations of the housing association, and you can better comply with those rules. If you do not do that, you run the risk of being removed from your home. An expensive fine can also be imposed.
Fee
What are the costs of your service?
What are the costs of your service?
We charge a monthly fee on the rent. This depends on the period of rental. We work with a scale that is set up as follows:
Rentals less than a month (Airbnb) = 20% on the basic rent
Rentals 1 to 3 months = 15% including technical management, 12% exclusive technical management
Rentals 3 to 6 months = 12% including technical management, 9% exclusive technical management
Rentals longer than 6 months = 10% including technical management, 7% exclusive technical management
The above prices are all exclusive of VAT.