The heating doesn't work and the landlord won't respond
Samira, a tenant in Saint-Gilles, recounts how she survived 3 weeks without heating in the Brussels winter. Formal notice, emergency repair and recourse.
- 01 The breakdown
- 02 The silence
- 03 The emergency repair
- 04 The resolution
- 05 Lessons learned
January 2026 — the breakdown
I am Samira, 31, a care assistant. I live in a 1-bedroom flat in Saint-Gilles with my son Adam, 4. Rent: EUR 750 including charges. Standard residential lease for the past 2 years. My landlord, Mr Delcourt, owns the 6-unit building and manages it alone.
On 8 January 2026 the gas boiler stopped. No hot water, no heating. Outside temperature: -2 degrees. I discovered the problem coming home from my night shift at 7 am. Adam was sleeping under 3 blankets; the indoor temperature had already dropped to 14 degrees.
I called Mr Delcourt immediately. Voicemail. I left a detailed message and sent a text. No response during the day.
A home without heating in winter, with a young child, constitutes a health emergency. Humidity and cold increase the risk of respiratory illness. Do not wait weeks before acting: your family’s health takes priority over procedures.
January 2026 — the silence
On 10 January, still no response from Mr Delcourt. I called twice more. The third time he finally answered: “I’m travelling, I’ll deal with it when I get back next week.” Next week. At -2 degrees. With a 4-year-old child.
On 12 January I sent a formal notice by registered letter:
- Report of the boiler breakdown since 8 January
- Reminder of the landlord’s obligation to ensure heating (Article 1720 of the Civil Code)
- Request for a heating engineer within 48 hours
- Statement that failing this, I would call a professional at his expense
In parallel, I bought a portable electric heater for Adam’s room. Cost: EUR 45. The January electricity bill would rocket, but I had no choice.
On 19 January, 11 days without heating and 7 days after the registered letter: still nothing. No call, no heating engineer, no sign of life. Indoor temperature oscillated between 11 and 13 degrees. Adam had developed a persistent cold.
January 2026 — the emergency repair
On 20 January I called a certified heating engineer in Brussels. He came the same day. Diagnosis: faulty gas valve and broken circulator. The boiler was 18 years old and had clearly not been serviced for several years.
Repair completed on 22 January. Cost: EUR 680 (parts + labour). The engineer issued a detailed invoice and a technical report noting the lack of maintenance.
On 25 January I sent Mr Delcourt by registered letter:
- The EUR 680 invoice with a request for reimbursement within 10 days
- The engineer’s technical report
- A copy of my formal notice of 12 January that went unanswered
- A request for a rent reduction of EUR 350 (half a month) for the 22 days without heating
Always ask the heating engineer for a written report, not just an invoice. The report notes the boiler’s condition, the lack of maintenance and the nature of the breakdown. It is decisive evidence if the landlord disputes the reimbursement.
Late January 2026 — the resolution
Mr Delcourt returned from his trip on 27 January. He called me on the 28th, visibly embarrassed. He had not received the 12 January registered letter as he was abroad, but he had received the one dated 25 January with the invoice.
Faced with the engineer’s report noting the lack of maintenance, he did not contest. On 30 January he transferred:
- EUR 680 reimbursement for the repair
- EUR 350 reduction on the February rent
He also arranged for a heating engineer to carry out a full service of the building’s boiler, as the law requires annually in Brussels.
Factual summary: 22 days without heating. EUR 680 advanced then fully reimbursed. EUR 350 rent reduction obtained. EUR 45 for the portable heater at my expense (not claimed). Most importantly: the boiler works, Adam is better, and Mr Delcourt has arranged an annual maintenance contract with a certified engineer.
What I learned
Three lessons for any tenant facing an absent landlord in an emergency:
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Do not wait more than 72 hours. My first mistake was waiting 12 days before calling a heating engineer. With a young child and sub-zero temperatures, I should have acted from the 3rd day without a response. The formal notice legally protects your decision to intervene.
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Keep all evidence. Photos of the indoor thermometer, texts sent, registered letters, heating engineer’s invoice, Adam’s medical certificate. This file enabled me to obtain the reimbursement and rent reduction without going to the justice of the peace.
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Check the boiler maintenance before signing. Since then, I ask every landlord for the annual boiler maintenance certificate before signing the lease agreement. In Brussels, annual maintenance is compulsory. A landlord who cannot produce this certificate is a red flag.
Other real-life cases: My tenant asks for expensive repairs: must I agree? and The landlord won’t give me a rent receipt.
- “**Send a registered letter from the 3rd day without a response.** A phone call or text message is not enough. A registered letter creates legal proof of the report. Without it, the landlord can always claim they were not aware.
- “**In an emergency, call a heating engineer yourself.** If the landlord remains unreachable after a formal notice and the situation is urgent (young child, freezing temperatures), you can have the repair done at their expense. Keep the quote, the invoice and the photos.
- “**Request a rent reduction for the period of disturbance.** The landlord is obliged to provide a habitable property. The absence of heating in winter constitutes a disturbance of enjoyment that justifies a proportional rent reduction.
Week-by-week timeline
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. The landlord is required to maintain the property in good repair throughout the lease (Article 1720 of the Civil Code). Heating is part of the essential equipment. In the Brussels Region, the Brussels Housing Code imposes minimum comfort standards, including heating.
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Yes, in an emergency and after a formal notice has gone unanswered. The tenant can call a professional and request reimbursement from the landlord. They must keep the quote, the invoice and proof of the prior formal notice. Courts accept this approach in cases of manifest failure by the landlord.
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The tenant cannot unilaterally reduce their rent. They must first request an amicable reduction from the landlord, or apply to the justice of the peace. In practice, most landlords accept a reduction for the period of disturbance rather than risk proceedings.
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The tenant can contact the Regional Housing Inspection Service (DIRL) in Brussels, which can inspect the property and compel the landlord to carry out repairs. In case of a health risk, the CPAS can also intervene for temporary rehousing.
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