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Renting in Wallonia: the minimum quality rules and how to ask for an inspection

Every rented home in Wallonia must meet minimum quality rules, including a heating point, ventilation, no serious damp or mould, and safe gas and electricity. Tenants can ask for an inspection; small homes and kots also need a permis de location.

Wallonia · Subject to change

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Rights & rulesLevel 1 · HabitCost: FreeA few hours

Every home let in Wallonia must meet a set of minimum quality criteria. Among other things, the structure must be sound, and there must be no water coming in, no rising damp and no condensation caused by the building or by poor ventilation, nor mould covering more than 1 m² in a living room, bedroom or bathroom. Living rooms, bedrooms and wet rooms need a working extraction system or a permanent opening to the outside. At least one day room needs a fixed heating point, or what is needed to install one. The gas and electricity installations must be safe, and the landlord must supply conformity certificates from an approved body. Every habitable room needs daylight through a window, the home must meet minimum surface and ceiling heights, and the landlord has to fit smoke detectors. The criteria do not require insulation.

If a home falls short, the tenant, the owner or the mayor can ask in writing for an inspection. The request goes to the commune if it has its own inspectors, otherwise to the Service Salubrité of SPW Logement. Tenant and landlord are told in advance, and the visit takes place in their presence. The report lists any shortcomings and is sent to the tenant, the owner and the mayor, who then decides within three months, for example to order works or ban occupancy.

Small homes of 28 m² or less, student rooms (kots) and collective housing also need a permis de location (the Walloon rental permit) from the commune. An approved inspector visits the home and checks, among other things, salubrity, size, privacy, fire safety and compliance with the PEB certificate rules. The permit is valid for five years. There are exceptions, for example for a few homes in the building where the landlord lives, and renting without a required permit can lead to penalties.

Details

ImpactIndirect · 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 savingNot an energy saving; it explains the minimum quality a rented home must offer. (confidence: high)
Who actsLandlord
Needs landlord's agreementNo
TypeRules explained

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Sources

  1. La qualité des logements en Wallonie (in French) · SPW Logement (Service public de Wallonie) (official source) · checked on
    Backs: minimum criteria for every rented home - sound structure; no infiltration, rising damp or condensation caused by the building or poor ventilation, no mould over 1 m² in a habitable or sanitary room; extraction or permanent opening in habitable and wet rooms; fixed heating point or means to install one in a day room; safe electricity and gas with conformity certificates supplied by the landlord; natural light; minimum surfaces and heights; smoke detectors installed by the landlord; no insulation requirement; written request by tenant, owner or mayor to the commune or the SPW Logement Service Salubrité; visit announced and held in both parties' presence; report to tenant, owner and mayor; mayor decides within three months
    Where: brochure June 2025, criteria on pages 4–15 and the inspection procedure on pages 16–17 and 19
  2. Obtenir un permis de location (petits logements, kots et logements collectifs) (in French) · Service public de Wallonie (wallonie.be) (official source) · checked on
    Backs: permit needed for collective housing, small homes of 28 m² or less and student housing; issued by the commune after a visit by an approved inspector; checks salubrity, surface, privacy, fire safety, planning rules and the PEB certificate rules; valid five years; exceptions such as a few homes in the building where the landlord lives; penalties for renting without one
    Where: démarche n° 2537, sections 'En bref' and 'En détail'
  3. ENERGIEPRÄMIEN: Prämiensystem für energetische Umbaumaßnahmen bei Arbeiten durch Unternehmer oder bei Selbstausführung (in German) · Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens (official source) · checked on
    Backs: since 2020 the German-speaking Community is responsible for housing
    Where: page 2, introduction
  4. Eine Wohnung (ver)mieten (in German) · Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens (Ostbelgien Live) (official source) · checked on
    Backs: the German-speaking Community has its own pages on rental law, the rental permit and housing quality
    Where: Wohnen menu, entries 'Mietrecht', 'Mietgenehmigung' and 'Wohnverträglichkeit'

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