In Belgium

The justice of the peace (juge de paix / vrederechter) is the court of first instance for all rental disputes in Belgium. Every judicial canton has its own justice of the peace, and cases are heard by the judge of the canton where the property is located.

The justice of the peace has exclusive jurisdiction for: rent arrears, lease termination, eviction, deposit disputes, maintenance obligations, inventory disputes, and rent indexation issues.

How it works

Filing. Either party can file a case by citation (served by bailiff, 150-300 EUR) or by voluntary appearance (both parties agree to appear, much cheaper).

Conciliation. Before judging, the justice of the peace systematically proposes conciliation. If the parties agree, a conciliation report is drawn up with the force of a judgment.

Judgment. If conciliation fails, hearings are relatively informal — parties can represent themselves. The judge renders a decision typically within 1 to 3 months.

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Good to know
Belgian rental disputes cannot be heard by a higher court directly. The justice of the peace is the mandatory first instance. Appeals go to the tribunal de premiere instance for claims above 2,000 EUR.

Practical example

A tenant in Ixelles has not paid rent for 3 months. The landlord sends a formal notice (no response), then files a citation. At the hearing, the judge proposes conciliation: the tenant agrees to a payment plan. This is recorded in a conciliation report. If the tenant fails to respect the plan, the landlord can enforce it immediately via a bailiff.