Renting out real estate is a popular way to earn passive income. However, to avoid large fines from the tax inspectorate and protect your property, it is important to formalize the procedure strictly in accordance with the law.

Lawyer and head of the Dobrush district legal consultation office Victoria Romanchikova explained how to rent out housing properly without legal risks.

The basis of the transaction: why an official contract is needed?

The main rule for legally renting out real estate is concluding a lease agreement for residential premises in the private housing stock. Without this document, any verbal agreements have no legal force.

“This is an official agreement under which the owner undertakes to provide housing to another citizen for residence, and the tenant undertakes to pay the established fee for it in a timely manner,” explains Victoria Romanchikova.

According to Article 51 of the Housing Code of the Republic of Belarus, the document must necessarily specify the essential terms:

• Subject of the contract: a clear description of the property (an entire residential house, a specific apartment, or a separate living room).
• Term: the period for which the property is rented out (if it is defined).
• Financial side: the exact amount of the rent and a fixed date by which the tenant is obliged to pay.
• Payment of utility bills: the procedure and deadlines for reimbursing expenses for housing and communal services and electricity (if this obligation is imposed on the tenant).

For the convenience of citizens, Belarus has legislatively approved a standard form for such a contract, to which additional clauses can be added if necessary (for example, rules for living with pets).

Step-by-step procedure: where and how to register documents

The lease agreement, as well as any additional agreements to it (for example, on changing the price), must be drawn up in triplicate (for the owner, the tenant, and the registering authority).

The document acquires legal force only from the moment of its official registration.

Where to register the contract? The owner and the tenant must apply together to one of the following authorities at the location of the housing:

• Settlement and Reference Center (RSC) or Housing Maintenance Department (ZhEU);
• Local executive committee (village council or district administration).

Important: The registration application must be signed not only by the owner himself, but also by all other participants in the shared ownership of the apartment, if any.

The administrative procedure for registering the contract is completely free. The maximum processing time for documents is 2 business days from the date the application is submitted.

The expert recommends handing over the keys and letting tenants in on the basis of a bilateral acceptance-and-transfer deed for possession and use, which can record the current condition of the renovation and household appliances.