Annexes common to all 3 regions

EPC certificate: mandatory for any property put up for rent. Handed to the tenant before the lease signing date. Valid for 10 years.

Move-in inventory: adversarial, signed by both parties. Determines the conditions for returning the deposit at the end of the lease. Carried out when the tenant effectively takes possession of the property.

Recoverable charges statement: explicit list of charges payable by the tenant (water, shared electricity). Prevents disputes during the annual settlement.

Explanatory lease annex: a regional plain-language document explaining rights and obligations. Mandatory in Brussels since 2018, recommended everywhere.

Wallonia-specific annexes

In Wallonia, the specific rules stemming from the decree of 15 March 2018 require:

  • Explanatory annex mandatory (official Walloon version).
  • Notification of indexation rules and EPC caps.
  • Supporting document for the charges calculation method.
  • For a short-term lease: explicit mention of the temporary nature.

For details on the Walloon lease, see our page on the Wallonia lease.

Brussels-specific annexes

The Brussels-Capital Region (ordinance of 27 July 2017) requires:

  • Official Brussels explanatory annex (bilingual FR-NL).
  • Housing standards compliance certificate.
  • Co-ownership rules if the building is a collective dwelling.
  • EPC supporting documents + possible electrical compliance certificate.

Brussels is the most demanding region when it comes to annexes. A lease without these documents can be challenged within 6 months. See our page on the Brussels lease.

Flanders-specific annexes

The Woninghuurdecreet (9 November 2018) requires:

  • Woninghuurwijzer (Flemish rental guide).
  • EPC certificate + Flemish-specific certification.
  • Technical compliance certificates.
  • Additional documents depending on the municipality.

Flemish rules are regularly updated.

Annexes by lease type

  • Student lease: enrolment certificate, proof of studies, shared housing rules if applicable.
  • Shared housing lease: co-tenancy agreement recommended (joint liability clause, room allocation, common rules).
  • Commercial lease: additional technical survey, reinforced inventory, administrative permits if the activity is regulated.
  • Primary residence lease: all generic documents + tenant’s primary residence certificate.

Lease amendments

A lease amendment modifies the original contract without terminating it. Common cases: change of co-tenant, rent renegotiation, change of duration, addition of clauses. The amendment must be signed by both parties and appended to the original lease.

Annexes checklist

Before signing, gather:

  1. Up-to-date EPC certificate.
  2. Electrical compliance certificate (Brussels, Wallonia depending on the property’s age).
  3. Co-ownership rules (if applicable).
  4. Regional explanatory annex.
  5. List of recoverable charges.
  6. Meter readings (water, gas, electricity).
  7. Furniture inventory (if furnished).

This checklist prevents 90% of disputes related to missing annexes. For a lease with all annexes generated automatically, use our online lease creator.

Practical notes

  • Annexes must be up to date at the time of signing. An EPC older than 10 years is no longer valid.
  • Each annex is numbered and signed together with the lease.
  • A copy of the annexes is given to each party.
  • A forgotten annex at signing can be regularised, but rarely retroactively in case of a dispute.
  • The signed move-in inventory serves as the reference for the move-out inventory at the end of the lease.