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Must I renovate my home by law (Belgium)?

Short answer

In Flanders a home with EPC label E or F must reach at least label D within 6 years of the deed. The earlier planned step to label C for purchases from 1 January 2028 is being abolished, according to the Flemish government (coalition agreement 2024–2029). Check the current rule before you buy.

Flemish renovation obligation timeline: When buying a home with EPC label E or F: purchases from 2023 must reach at least label D within 6 years. The planned tightening path from 2028 (label C, later B and A) is being abolished, according to the Flemish government.
Flemish renovation obligation timeline — When buying a home with EPC label E or F: purchases from 2023 must reach at least label D within 6 years. The planned tightening path from 2028 (label C, later B and A) is being abolished, according to the Flemish government. (The text inside the figure is in Dutch.)

Explanation

The renovation obligation applies on a transfer of full ownership, such as a purchase or gift, and when a building right or long lease is granted. The situation on the date of the deed counts. An inheritance is not covered. Wallonia plans a renovation obligation on purchase from 2028 (draft plan, December 2025), but on 24 October 2026 it has not yet been introduced. Brussels has laid down minimum performance and an EPB certificate for all homes; according to specialist sources the core rules apply from 1 July 2028.

Rules of thumb

  • Flanders: label E/F → at least label D within 6 years. [SW-S77]
  • Flanders: the planned tightening path (label C for purchases from 1 January 2028, later labels B and A) is being abolished, according to the Flemish government (coalition agreement 2024–2029). [SW-S77]

Pitfalls

  • This is not legal advice; check the current rules with the region before you buy. [SW-S77]
  • The abolition of the tightening path has been announced. On 24 October 2026 no published amending decree was found; until then the step to label C is still in the regulations. [SW-S77, SW-S81]

By region

Flanders
Renovation obligation for purchases from 2023 (label E/F to at least D). The deadline went from 5 to 6 years; this was finally approved on 12 December 2025. Non-compliance leads to a fine of 500 to 5,000 euros, and the obligation remains. [SW-S77]
Wallonia
No renovation obligation on purchase is in force yet. Under a draft plan of the Walloon government (December 2025), anyone buying from 2028 would have to reach label D within 5 years of the deed (stricter labels later). The plan still has to be validated by Europe and turned into regulations; the dates are not final. A new Walloon support scheme with loans for homes with label G, F or E does run from 1 October 2026. [SW-S82, SW-S80]
Brussels
The revised CoBrACE (adopted on 7 March 2024) and the implementing decrees of 3 July 2025 introduce minimum performance and an EPB certificate for all homes. A ministerial decree of 19 February 2026 (Belgian Official Gazette, 9 March 2026) set the entry into force. According to specialist sources the core rules apply from 1 July 2028 and every home must have an EPB certificate by 1 July 2033 at the latest; the decree text itself was not read, and the certificate page of Brussels Environment still mentions 2030. Brussels Environment mentions PEB 275 by 2033 and PEB 150 by 2045; other sources mention 1 January 2046 or 2048, so that end date is uncertain. [SW-S78, SW-S83, SW-S85, SW-S86, SW-S84, SW-S79]
Netherlands
No comparable renovation obligation for owner-occupied homes in these sources; a label is required on sale and rental. [SW-S51]

Search terms

These search terms are in Dutch; only terms that also find a topic in English are links.

renovatieplicht EPC label D woning kopen Vlaanderen

Read also

General information, not personal advice. Check the source and reference date.

Not legal advice. Rules differ by country and region; consult the competent authority.

Sources

  1. SW-S51 Energielabel woningen — RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland) (Reference date 2026-09-27)
  2. SW-S77 Renovatieverplichting voor residentiële gebouwen — Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  3. SW-S78 Réglementation PEB coordonnée (CoBrACE) — Leefmilieu Brussel (environnement.brussels) (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  4. SW-S79 Fin programmée des passoires énergétiques — Leefmilieu Brussel (environnement.brussels) (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  5. SW-S80 Rénovation énergétique : les grandes lignes du futur régime de soutien sont connues — Wallonie.be (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  6. SW-S81 Recente wijziging van de renovatieplicht in Vlaanderen: meer ademruimte door verlenging termijn en afschaffing verstrengingspad — Monard Law via legalnews.be (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  7. SW-S82 Rénovation du bâti wallon : un cadre global pour atteindre la PEB A en 2050 — Wallonie.be (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  8. SW-S83 Législation non coordonnée de la réglementation PEB — Leefmilieu Brussel (environnement.brussels) (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  9. SW-S84 Le certificat PEB d'un logement en Région bruxelloise — Leefmilieu Brussel (environnement.brussels) (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  10. SW-S85 PEB à Bruxelles : la réforme entre en vigueur — PIM (pim.be, vastgoedvakpers) (Reference date 2026-10-24)
  11. SW-S86 PEB Bruxelles : chaque bâtiment devra disposer d'un certificat de performance énergétique d'ici le 1er juillet 2033 — Andersen via Lexgo (Reference date 2026-10-24)

Reference date: 2026-10-24 · Translated with AI from the Dutch original.