Residential lease in Belgium: complete guide 2026

Duration of a residential lease

The standard duration is 9 years. It is called a 3-6-9 lease because the landlord can choose to terminate it at the end of the 3rd, 6th or 9th year, subject to conditions.

Three main duration types exist:

• 9-year lease (or 3-6-9): this is the standard lease in Belgium.
• Short-term lease (less than 3 years): governed by specific rules.
• Long-term lease (more than 9 years): less common, offering greater stability for the tenant.

The 3-6-9 lease: how does it work?

The 3-6-9 lease has a fixed duration of 9 years, but with 3-year periods that allow the landlord to terminate the contract under strict conditions:

• End of the 1st period (year 3).
• End of the 2nd period (year 6).
• Natural end (year 9).

The tenant can terminate the lease at any time with 3 months’ notice. This deliberate imbalance protects the tenant and offers great flexibility.

Mandatory clauses in the lease

A residential lease must contain the following information:

• Full identity of the landlord and the tenant.
• Address and description of the property.
• Monthly rent excluding and including charges.
• Lease duration and start date.
• Payment terms.
• Amount of the rental deposit (maximum 3 months’ rent).
• Annual indexation clause.
• Termination conditions.
• Mandatory annexes (EPC certificate, property inventory, regional annex).

These clauses are mandatory regardless of the property type: apartment or house.

Rent and indexation

The rent is freely agreed between the parties, but Wallonia and Brussels have published indicative rent grids that provide a price range per area and property type.

Rent may be indexed once a year, on the anniversary date of the lease. The indexation is calculated based on the health index published by Statbel. Since 2023, a poor EPC rating can limit or prohibit indexation.

Rental deposit for a residential lease

The rental deposit protects the landlord against unpaid rent and damage. The amount is capped:

• 2 months’ rent if the deposit is placed in a blocked account in the tenant’s name.
• 3 months’ rent if the deposit is constituted through an interest-free bank loan.

The deposit is returned to the tenant at the end of the lease, subject to a satisfactory exit property inspection.

Notice and termination

Early termination of the lease follows precise rules. The notice period varies depending on which party terminates and the reason given.

Termination by the tenant

The tenant can terminate at any time with 3 months’ notice. If they leave before the end of the 3rd year, compensation is due:

Termination by the landlord

The landlord can only terminate the contract in specific cases:

End of the lease at expiry

The lease naturally ends after 9 years. If neither party gives notice of their intention to terminate, the lease is tacitly renewed for a further period of 3 years.

Disputes and justice of the peace

In case of disagreement, the justice of the peace is the competent magistrate for residential lease disputes. They rule on matters including:

• Unpaid rent.
• Indexation disputes.
• Damage and exit property inspections.
• Eviction requests.

Before any court proceedings, an attempt at amicable conciliation is mandatory.

Regional rules

Each Belgian region applies its own legal framework:

The mandatory annexes, rent grids and indexation rules differ slightly from one region to another.

Drafting a residential lease

To draft a compliant lease, two options are available:

Download a PDF template

Our PDF lease templates are free and compliant with Belgian legislation. They cover all three regions.

Create a personalised lease online

Our online lease generator produces a 100% compliant contract in less than 10 minutes. It automatically adapts the clauses to your region, the mandatory annexes, the indexation rules and the maximum rental deposit.

You can then sign it electronically and register it with the FPS Finance.