Commercial leasing is our craft: we advise and fully unburden tenants, landlords, and transferors and transferees of businesses in Belgium, with personal, clear and reliable legal advice.
Drafting and reviewing documents
We review and draft documents such as a lease agreement, inventory of fixtures, renewal request, lease transfer, sale of a business, notice of termination, formal notice, addendum, etc. We protect your interests and safeguard the legal soundness of your arrangements.
Tailored legal advice and services
We provide you with targeted legal advice before, during and after the commercial lease. We inform you about your rights, obligations and options for action. We also guide you through the transfer of a business. Where necessary, we mediate in conflicts and negotiate to prevent and resolve disputes.
Assistance in court proceedings
We guide you through court proceedings from start to finish. We bring your case before the court, draft submissions, plead, lodge appeals and proceed to the (enforced) execution of judgments.
Accessible
Easy to reach by telephone and e-mail. You will receive a first response to your question within one working day.
Tailor-made
We start from your specific situation and provide advice tailored to your concrete problem.
Honest
We give honest advice, without pretence. If we think something has no chance of success, we say so.
Expertise
We focus on commercial lease legislation, so that we can offer you high-quality legal services. We know our craft, but also our limits.
Pragmatic
Everything revolves around finding an effective solution. We do not blindly launch into legal proceedings, but we do pull out all the stops when necessary.
Lawyers
We are lawyers, and that benefits you. We litigate before the courts, professional privilege protects your file, and we can negotiate confidentially.
Tenants of commercial premises
We make sure tenants can build their business without legal surprises. Among other things, we see to it that the premises are delivered correctly and that quiet enjoyment is guaranteed, we ensure that the lease renewal is handled correctly and protect you against arbitrariness upon termination of the contract. So that you can do business with confidence and legal certainty.
Landlords of commercial premises
We protect the interests of landlords from the start to the end of the commercial lease. Among other things, we ensure vigorous follow-up of indexation and payment arrears, act decisively in the event of breach of contract and, if necessary, proceed to judicial eviction. Always with an eye for your return and the maximum protection of your property.
Real estate companies
We take the burden off companies in managing their real estate portfolio. We provide legally watertight contracts and proactive follow-up, from indexation and debt collection to lease renewal, dispute management and contract termination, always focusing on return, legal certainty and sustainable lease relationships.
Transferors and transferees of businesses
We guide transferors and transferees through the transfer of a business: the transfer agreement, the lease transfer and the arrangements with the landlord. We watch over a watertight arrangement and a smooth transition, so that the business changes hands without legal complications — with legal certainty for both parties.
Retail chains and franchises
Chains and franchises often lease many premises at once. We streamline their lease portfolio with uniform contracts, advise on head leases and subleases between franchisor and franchisee, and monitor deadlines and renewals across all locations.
Breweries and beverage wholesalers
Breweries and beverage wholesalers often sublet premises to hospitality operators, linked to a purchase obligation. We advise on all questions concerning the structuring, follow-up and dispute resolution of such arrangements and related legal instruments (loan, suretyship, commercial lease, concession, loan for use, sale, etc.).
We listen to your concerns
We receive you in Bruges, Knokke-Heist or Roeselare, visit you on site, or schedule a video call. We discuss your question and make a first assessment. If this suffices, we round off here. If further assistance is needed, we make clear basic arrangements about the cooperation and fees.
We take your case in hand
We get to work on your issue and work hard behind the scenes on an answer or solution. We handle your file carefully and discreetly, whether it is a one-off question or a long-term cooperation. We keep in touch periodically.
We evaluate and close your file
Once we have reached a satisfactory solution, we close your file. We keep your file open if future follow-up or action is required. We greatly appreciate your feedback.
Introductory consultation
We get to know each other during an initial consultation, in person or by video call. Is your question resolved after this first consultation, or do you take the problem further yourself? Then you pay a one-off fixed price. No surprises: you know exactly what it costs beforehand.
Principle:
time-based
As a rule, we bill on an hourly basis, for example for advisory work or court proceedings. The advantage is that you only pay for work done, tailored to your problem. We give you a periodic financial update. Before we start on your case, we make clear fee arrangements.
Exception:
fixed fee
In certain cases we can work on a fixed-fee basis. Fixed fees are possible for clearly defined assignments with a workload that can be estimated reliably, such as drafting a standard commercial lease document.
Handelshuurloket is a passionate team of Belgian lawyers specialising in commercial leases, based in Bruges and active throughout Belgium.
One specialisation, no sidelines: you get lawyers who work on commercial leases every single day. We assist you with the leasing, letting and transfer of commercial premises.
Let’s discuss your question
8000 Bruges
8300 Knokke-HeistWijnendalestraat 177
8800 Roeselare
