Private residence accommodations: future tenant of a kot

Future tenant of a kot, studio or apartment in Liège

In Liège, a student room is commonly called a "kot.”

The particularities of a kot

Depending on the situation, the room may be:

• furnished or not
• equipped with a private shower/bathroom or shared with several rooms
• equipped with a private kitchen or shared with several rooms
• ...

The rent is often in the range of 250 to 300 Euros per month and can include all costs, some of them or...only the rent. It is therefore necessary to pay special attention to the real cost that will be claimed. In general, the owner requests that you provide a safety deposit equivalent to 2 months of rent.

Other types of property may also be rented in order to, for example, live in groups of two or more...  (studios, apartments, houses).

The "accommodations" database

The Accommodation Service of ULiège has a department which deals specifically with information on accommodations through private owners. The service can provide advice and help in the search process of an accommodation.

The almost permanent contract with quite a few owners also ensures the maintenance of a student accommodation database on the web. Many ads are updated at each request of the owner concerned.

The published ads often provide for a duration of 12 months. Nevertheless, there are occasionally accommodations which are still available during the academic year. In this case, it is very possible that the owner will accept a short rental period up through June, for example.

Useful information

The student accommodation database

Map of the neighbourhoods of Liège

A few very important points

• Carefully read the lease contract and its duration (10 months, 12 months).
• Ask the owner to add a clause in the event of a breach of contract during the year.
• Verify the conditions associated with the deposit of the rental guarantee.
• If the costs are not included in the rental price, these amounts need to be clearly indicated. Attention: the amount provided is very often a provision on the actual expenses. There is, then, a regularization at the end of the stay during the meter reading...
• Be attentive to the general state of the premises and to the presence of security equipment (traces of moisture, light, smoke detectors, etc.).
• Ask for guarantees on the compliance of installation of heating devices, gas water heaters, etc. (See recommendations on carbon monoxide).
• Never sign a document without having fully read it or, better yet if possible, having given it to a qualified individual (for example, Infor-Logement, a service of the Centre J, located at Boulevard d'Avroy, 5 in 4000 Liège. Tel:  +32 (0)4 223 00 00).

Students who wish to "sublet" their kot

Students wishing to sublet their kot for a period of the year - for a departure with Erasmus, for example - may inform the Accommodation Service in order to be put in contact with a new applicant. Students looking for accommodations are many!