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Shortly after a death

Shortly after bereavement, it's probably mostly about grieving. Logical, since you have just lost a loved one. Nevertheless, you should not forget to take care of a number of things. For example, shortly after the death you have to file a death certificate, arrange for the funeral and handle banking matters. Here is how to do this.

Declaration of death

Before you can file a death certificate, you need a death certificate. This certificate is issued by the doctor who certified the death. A hospital doctor can issue this certificate, but this also applies to the family doctor.

Death certificate

Once you have reported the death to the municipality, they process the death in the basic registration of persons. A certificate of death is drawn up for this purpose. This official document confirms the death. You can ask the municipality for a copy. This is definitely advisable, because you will need the death certificate to arrange various things at a later stage, such as canceling subscriptions.

Arranging the funeral

Have you arranged the above items? Then move on to arranging the funeral. You can do this yourself or outsource (part of) it to a funeral director. You must determine whether the person will be buried or cremated. Burial and cremation, by the way, may never take place within 36 hours of death and no later than 6 working days after death. It is possible to have a funeral take place earlier or later, but only with the mayor's permission.

Take care of banking matters

After death, it is important to have the deceased person's bank account(s) blocked. You do this by reporting the death by phone or online. By blocking the bank account, you prevent money from still being withdrawn from the account. A direct debit is an exception to this. The bank will contact you at a later stage to deal with further banking matters. This gives you time to process the loss of a loved one first.

Frequently asked questions about what to arrange after a death

**What should I arrange shortly after the death of a loved one?

Shortly after the death of a loved one, you should at least file a declaration of death. For this you need a declaration of death. With this declaration the municipality can draw up a death certificate. You also need to arrange the funeral and handle banking matters.

**What do I need to give notice of death?

When a person dies, you have to cancel contracts, subscriptions, memberships and insurances. You do not have to cancel health insurance yourself, because the municipality takes care of this.

What is automatically stopped after death?

After a death, health insurance and care allowance, pension and benefits and municipal taxes are stopped automatically. This is because the municipality passes the death on to the Tax Office, the UWV and the Social Insurance Bank.

**What do I do with a passport or identity card after death?

Return the passport and/or identity card to the civil affairs department of the municipality where the person lived. Do this only after all administrative matters have been taken care of, as you may need a copy of the ID.

**Must I apply for a certificate of inheritance?

If you are listed as an heir in a deceased person's will, you must apply for a certificate of inheritance. You need this certificate to arrange various matters, such as unblocking the bank account. To draw up a certificate of inheritance, go to the notary.

Disagree with lease termination?

Has a landlord sent you a registered letter to terminate the lease, but you disagree? Then you can object. A landlord is not allowed to terminate a rental agreement just like that. If it is an open-ended contract, he may only do so if he has a legal reason to do so. Anyone wishing to object to the termination of a rental agreement should send the landlord a registered letter. In it, make it clear that you are protesting the termination. In many cases, the landlord may not terminate the lease if you object to the termination. In that case, he needs court permission to terminate the lease.

Frequently asked questions about terminating a lease

**In what cases may a landlord terminate the lease?

A landlord may terminate a lease only if he has a legal reason to do so. Payment arrears or nuisance are examples of this. Also if he urgently needs the property for his own use, a valid municipal zoning plan or there is a conflict with the tenant the landlord may terminate a lease.

**What should I consider when terminating my lease?

As a tenant, you must at least take into account the notice period included in the lease. This is at least 1 month and a maximum of 3 months. Furthermore, you must always terminate a rental contract by registered letter.

Can I terminate a lease in the interim?

Tenants are often allowed to terminate a rental agreement prematurely. If you are renting an independent dwelling for a fixed period of more than 2 years or renting a non-independent dwelling (room) for a fixed period of more than 5 years, you can only terminate the contract if the landlord agrees.

**Is there a legal cooling-off period for rental contracts?

There is no legal cooling-off period for a rental contract. This means that you cannot simply abandon a rental agreement once you have signed it. When there is a case of mistake or deceit, however, this is possible.

**May I terminate a temporary lease?

A landlord may not terminate a temporary lease, but a tenant may. The notice period depends on when you pay. Most tenants pay every month, so there is also a 1-month notice period.

**What is the notice period in the case of a lease?

The notice period of a lease depends on when you pay. For tenants who pay monthly, the notice period is 1 month. If you pay rent per 3 months or more, there is a maximum notice period of 3 months.