In Belgium

The lease register is managed by the Legal Security office of FPS Finance. Each registered lease receives a unique number and is stored in this register.

Registration in the register gives the lease a fixed date: the registration date is enforceable against third parties, including a potential buyer. This is essential protection for the tenant in case of property sale — the buyer is obliged to respect the registered lease.

Both landlord and tenant can consult their registered leases via MyMinfin (FPS Finance online portal). The tax administration also uses the register to verify consistency between declared leases and property income.

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Good to know
An unregistered lease is valid between the parties but not enforceable against third parties. In case of sale, the new owner might not be required to respect an unregistered lease.

Practical example

After registering his lease on MyMinfin, Pierre receives a registration number. Two years later, the owner sells the apartment. The notary checks the lease register: Pierre’s lease is registered with a fixed date. The buyer is informed and must respect the lease until its end.