Home Maintenance & Renovation

Renovation is popularly referred to as major maintenance (groot onderhoud). However, legally speaking renovation and maintenance are not the same and this difference may have major consequences for lessees and lessors of all kinds of real estate. The term renovation is only applicable if work is carried out to improve the enjoyment under a lease, for instance, by insulating or double glazing a house. This will improve living comfort. Renovation also takes place when old store premises are demolished and replaced by new ones. However, if the lessor replaces a defective single pane with double glazing, this will be considered as maintenance. The work is (primarily) carried out to correct a defect and not to improve the living comfort of the lessee.