Buying a home with label E or F? You must renovate to D within six years
Since 2023, buyers of a Flemish house or apartment with EPC label E or F must bring it to at least label D within six years of the deed.
Flanders · Subject to change
Sources checked on · next check by . Check the source before you act.
The obligation applies to anyone who acquires a house or apartment by notarial deed since 2023, including through a gift or a building right, and also to holiday homes. If the EPC label is E or F, the home must reach at least label D within six years of the deed.
You prove it with a new EPC from a recognised energy expert, which is registered automatically. Some transfers are exempt, for example an inheritance (the heir takes over any deadline still running), a protected heritage building, or dividing property after a divorce.
The rules have changed: in December 2025 the Flemish Government approved six years instead of five, also for deadlines already running. It has also announced that the stricter labels planned for purchases from 2028 will be dropped, but that is not yet final law. Check the official page before you buy. The Energiehuis gives free advice on which works to do first.
Details
| Impact | Indirect · This saves no energy by itself: it is a rule, a service, a contract, or a health or safety item. How we rate impact |
|---|---|
| Estimated saving | Not quantified; the saving depends on the home and the works chosen to reach label D. (confidence: low) |
| Who acts | You (owner) |
| Needs landlord's agreement | No |
| Type | Rules explained |
Do this together with
Sources
- Renovatieverplichting voor residentiële gebouwen (in Dutch) · Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (official source) · checked on
- Mijn VerbouwBegeleiding voor eigenaars (in Dutch) · Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (official source) · checked on