House rules template

What the house rules cover

House rules set out how tenants live together in the building and who looks after the shared areas. The template has nine sections:

• duty of care, such as reporting damage and closing the front door and cellar windows
• noise with midday and night quiet and a limit for playing music
• cleaning the stairwell and shared areas, waste separation, snow and ice
• airing against mould, in detail in the heating and ventilation guide
• bicycles, motorbikes and e-scooters
• pets in the shared areas
• smoking on balconies and terraces
• barbecues on the balcony and in the yard
• other points such as letterbox, doorbell name and washing machines at night

How the house rules become binding

Attach the house rules to the rental agreement and have them signed too. They then form part of the agreement, and a breach is a breach of duty you can send a warning about. The easiest way is to do it when you sign, with the rental agreement template.

For existing tenancies, new rules only apply if they do not place a significant burden on your tenants or if they agree. So you cannot simply add a new duty such as cleaning the stairs.

Quiet hours

Night quiet from 10 pm to 6 am applies everywhere. Midday quiet is not required by law nationwide, but many municipalities and house rules provide for it. The template sets 1 pm to 3 pm and all day on Sundays and public holidays as quiet times.

Playing music is allowed outside quiet hours. You decide how many hours a day; the template suggests two. A complete ban on playing music does not hold up in court.

If a tenant repeatedly ignores the quiet hours, send a warning letter for noise.

Stairwell and winter service

The template has the tenants take turns with both: the stairwell, unless a company has been hired for the cleaning, and the winter service according to a rota you put up. From the number of households, the template works out how often each one is due for the stairwell and how many winter call-outs fall to them.

If you hire a company, you can pass the costs on to the tenants as service charges if the rental agreement provides for it. The allocation key calculator shows how they are split across the flats. Who has to clear and grit when is also set by your municipality's bylaws.

Checking that snow has been cleared and grit spread stays with you, even if your tenants take on the winter service. The landlord duties checklist shows which other duties come up regularly for the building.

Smoking, barbecues, pets and e-scooters

• Smoking on the balcony is allowed with consideration. A blanket ban through house rules generally does not hold; if neighbours are seriously disturbed, you can make a rule.
• The template bans charcoal or gas barbecues on balconies because of fire risk and smoke. Electric grills are allowed with consideration, barbecues in the yard or garden by arrangement.
• Pets must not be left unattended in the stairwell or outdoor areas. Whether a tenant may keep a dog or cat is a matter for the rental agreement.
• Motorbikes, scooters and e-scooters do not belong in the flat, stairwell or cellar because of fuel and batteries. Bicycles go in the designated areas.

How to go about it

1. Enter the building's address and the number of households.
2. Set how many hours a day music may be played. The template uses two.
3. Check the preview on the right. Every entry shows up in the text immediately.
4. Enter your email address. CIRO sends you the PDF to attach to the rental agreement or post in the building.