Termination of a short-term lease in Delft
In Delft, where the rental market is under pressure due to TU Delft and many students, a short-term lease often ends automatically on the agreed end date, as intended in article 7:232 DCC. If the tenant wishes to terminate earlier, this must be done in writing, observing the notice period under article 7:271 paragraph 1 DCC, unless the parties have agreed otherwise. Landlords in Delft may not unilaterally terminate without judicial review, especially not for temporary student rental properties in areas such as the city centre or Poptahof.
Procedure for automatic termination in Delft
The landlord must inform the tenant in writing at least one month before expiry about the termination. If this does not happen, the tenant in Delft may claim continuation of the tenancy under normal conditions. Local disputes about this often end up with the Rent Tribunal in The Hague, which handles many cases from Delft due to the high student rental pressure. In practice in Delft, we see that late notifications lead to extended rental periods.
Rights in case of unlawful termination in Delft
If a landlord in Delft attempts to evict the property before the end date without a valid reason, this violates article 7:231 DCC. Tenants can claim damages via the subdistrict court in The Hague or involve the Rent Tribunal. Important for Delft: check whether the temporary letting complies with the statutory conditions for student or expat rentals, otherwise full rent protection applies. Recent examples from Delft case law, such as cases at the District Court of The Hague, show that judges declare contracts invalid in cases of abuse, with retroactive effect to regular tenancy and fines for landlords.