Housing

General rules concerning accommodation at the university.
The University's technical services manage a few houses on campus. These houses are divided into rooms, apartments and lodgings. They are intended for researchers visiting the University.

All accommodation is fully furnished: bedding, kitchen furniture (no microwave oven or dishwasher). They are connected to the Internet by cable (there is no wi-fi) (if the cable is missing, contact your IT support). Rental includes utilities and taxes (with the exception of local cleaning taxes).

UNamur accommodation includes (2024 rates):

• rooms with kitchenette and refrigerator (shared bathroom and toilet): €483/month.
• rooms with kitchenette and refrigerator (with private bathroom and toilet): €483/month.
• apartments (room with private bathroom and toilet): 737€/month.
• one-room apartments: 896€/month.
• two-room apartments: 1069€/month.

It's up to your apprenticeship master in Namur to book your accommodation. He usually needs to know what type of accommodation you want (depending on the budget available!).

Application form via Noe Logement

A few days before your arrival, he will receive the key and will only know your address then. If you need to know your address long before your arrival (for a visa application, for example), you can mention the general address of the University (Rue de Bruxelles 61 - 5000 Namur).

When your stay is very short, you can try renting an airbnb. What's more, landlords often ask for three years' rent (or at least one year's). The best website for looking for accommodation outside university housing is www.immoweb.be

Note that in Belgium, as a general rule, even-numbered buildings are on one side of the street and odd-numbered buildings are on the other. If you rent accommodation from UNamur, you can find it by typing "UNamur - Residence" in the search field on the following map. All residences will then appear on the left-hand side of the map. Simply select your address to bring up your building.

This is a document signed by a person authorized to represent the University and the tenant. It is given to you with the keys. You must complete it, sign it and return it to Technical Services (Mr. Charles Debois or Ms. Florence Collot). Accommodation at the University is very flexible and less expensive than elsewhere.

In the event that you do not live in University of Namur accommodation. A rental contract is a document signed by a landlord and a tenant. Rental agreements can take many different forms. However, what is extremely important in this contract is to be clear about the terms agreed by both parties. Below you'll find a series of facts to agree on when entering into a lease agreement.

Note that there are different types of lease in Belgium:

• Short-term lease of up to 3 years.
• Long-term lease of 9 years or more: this type of lease is the most advantageous as it can be terminated at any time with 3 months' notice. However, if you leave within the first 3 years, you will have to pay compensation of 1, 2 or 3 months, depending on when you break the contract.
• Life lease, which is concluded for the lifetime of the tenant.

Here are the main points you need to pay attention to in the contract:

• the names and addresses must be provided by both parties, in order to have access to each of them;
• information on the rented property must include the address and all other relevant details of the tenancy;
• the duration of the tenancy includes the period for which the property is rented;
• the rent is fixed in the contract and must be stated as a fixed amount, as well as the conditions for annual adjustment...;
• deposits and fees must also be indicated, as you are usually required to pay a deposit for the lease (legally equivalent to two months' rent), which will be returned to you at the end of the lease;
• rental conditions refer to the condition of the property at the time the lease is signed;
• responsibilities for repairs and maintenance must be defined in the contract, as it must be clear which party will be responsible for these activities;
• restrictions for both parties must be defined in the contract. For example, the conditions under which the landlord is allowed to enter the accommodation must be specified, while the tenant must be limited in the number of people accommodated and may have restrictions imposed on pets, depending on the landlord's wishes;
• the grounds for termination are established for when the fixed-term lease will end, whether early termination or termination on expiry.

It is strongly recommended to draw up an inventory of necessary repairs before the day the keys are handed over. Don't hesitate to ask the landlord to add any damage (however minor) to the document, otherwise the landlord may ask you to repair it (or pay for the repairs) when you leave the property. This document is drawn up in two originals, one for each party, signed by both parties on each page.

All rental contracts specify that you must take out a fire and water damage insurance policy. You must contact an insurance company (some banks also offer insurance policies). See the "Family insurance" page for a list of insurance companies.

Except for housing that includes gas or electricity, you need to contract with a gas and/or electricity supplier. Depending on the nature and duration of your stay, the suppliers' offers and your environmental sensitivity (green or not), you have the choice between certain companies. To clarify your choice: http://comparateur-energie.be.

The same applies to water, but depending on where you live, you may not be able to choose your supplier. In Namur, SWDE (www.swde.be) is the water supplier. For other towns, ask your landlord.

A copy of your registered rental contract may be requested when you take certain steps: family entry and installation, extension of stay.

If you rent accommodation from a private landlord, he is responsible for registering your rental contract and providing you with a copy. The landlord has two months to register the contract once all parties have signed it. It's free for you.

If you're staying in university accommodation, you'll have to do the process yourself. There are two possibilities:

• By logging on to MyRent. To do this, you need an eid or bank card reader and your residence permit.
• By requesting a form at 02-577.51.10. You will be asked for your NISS (Belgian national number) to verify your identity and address.
• Or by filling in the online form: https://eservices.minfin.fgov.be/webForm/public/fin/fin.jsf

If the duration of your stay exceeds 6 months, we recommend registering your contract. Further information is available here: https://finances.belgium.be/fr/particuliers/habitation/location/enregistrement_bail

Current regulations in Namur.
Belgium practices waste sorting.

In Namur, four types of waste are collected door-to-door, with specific bags for each:

• paper and cardboard (no bag needed, just compact them in a cardboard packaging);
• plastic bottles, cans, metal cans, beverage cartons : blue bags (PMC);
  PMC bag
• organic materials (food, green waste, soiled paper, paper towels and napkins, disposables): white bags;
• other non-recyclable household waste: yellow bags.

Other materials:

• glass: in specific containers (there are two in front of the Faculté de Gestion - Rempart de la Vierge). You must separate: colored and transparent.
• batteries: you can drop them off at the UNamur staff store (Economat - main building - level -1).

You can request detailed lists with rules and withdraw the calendar at the commune or at this address.

The document is in French. Illustrated examples on pages 5 to 7. Waste collection calendar on page 4 (for university housing, read the table "Namur, old urban center").

To avoid any risk of administrative problems, we strongly recommend that you do not move until you have completed your registration with the communal administration and, above all, until the police officer (known as the "agent du quartier") has come to check that the address you have given is indeed your place of residence as declared.

Each time you move, you must notify your new address to:

• University Pay Office.
• Commune.
• Bank.
• Health insurance company.
• Other companies you come into contact with.

To make sure your mail follows you to your new address, the Post Office organizes a specific service: Do My Move.