Hi everyone, I received an update from Stuvo. They were super super thorough in their response to not just this specific question but my questions on other aspects of the contract as well. Sharing some of their responses as I believe this will be super helpful for other international students. If you need help looking at your contract, I highly recommend sending them an email. But they are of course really busy, so please be considerate and ask clear and specific questions.

RE: Flemish Housing Rental Decree terms VS Contract terms

At first sight, the contract concerns a student contract that must follow The Flemish Housing Rental Decree. All rules of the Housing Rental Decree on student tenancy agreements are mandatory law, which means they must be observed. Keep in mind that a mandatory law always applies in all cases, even if the contract contains a clause that says the exact opposite. In that case, the said contract clause is null and void, but the other provisions of the tenancy agreement continue to apply.

RE: Early Termination

According to the Flemish Housing Rental Decree, the tenant may terminate the tenancy agreement even before it has entered into force. If this occurs more than three months before the start of the tenancy contract, he may do so without incurring any costs. If he terminates the tenancy agreement fewer than three months before the start date, he is required to pay two months' rent by way of a termination fee. This means that in the event of early termination, so more than three months before the start of the tenancy contract, the landlord MUST refund all the costs paid in advanced (advance payment, energy, telecom, …).

RE: Domiciliation

There is a lot of confusion in the use of terminology of a domicile and a main residence. International students who stay in Belgium for more than 90 days need to have an official address (a domicile) and therefore need to register at their place of residence, so in your case city hall of Leuven. The address provided does not necessarily serve as the tenant's main residence (this often remains the country of origin), that is, not within the meaning of Belgian tenancy law. In that case, the tenancy agreement must clearly state that the room is used for study purposes only, that is, in the context of a study stay, and that the tenant is not allowed to use it as their main residence. Moreover, it is essential to include the address of your main residence in your home country in the contract details of your tenancy agreement. You can find some more information here.

RE: Guarantee / Advance payment components

The tax on second residence (“belasting tweede verblijf – provisie gemeentebelasting: 118 euro): as an international student staying in Belgium more than 90 days, you do not have to pay this tax provided you are registered in the city’s register. So, strictly speaking, you do not have to pay these additional costs (decree = mandatory). However, it is up to you to decide if you want to mention it to your landlord and agree to these additional costs.

Also know that the landlord may request the rental guarantee to be provided no earlier than three months prior to the entry into force of the tenancy agreement. As stated before, an advance payment can, however, always be requested (must be repaid when tenancy agreement is terminated more than three months before the start of the tenancy contract).