The energy certificate (PEB / EPC): mandatory in every listing

It is the first thing that blocks a letting, and the easiest to fix. An energy performance certificate is mandatory to rent out a home in Belgium, and its data must appear in the advertisement itself: not at the viewing, not at signature, from the moment you advertise.

A point of vocabulary that genuinely matters: it is called a certificat PEB (energy performance of buildings) in Brussels and Wallonia, and an EPC (energieprestatiecertificaat) in Flanders. These are three distinct regimes, born of one European directive but transposed separately. The obligations, the required statements and the penalties are not identical.

Compatri does not rent out homes: this guide helps you understand your obligations and find the right people to talk to.

1. What is it, concretely?

A document drawn up by an accredited professional after visiting the property, describing its theoretical energy performance: insulation, window frames, heating system, hot water production, ventilation, any renewable generation.

It results in:

• a numerical indicator of primary energy consumption, expressed in kWh per m² per year;
• an energy class (or label), on a scale from A+ to F in Flanders and down to G in Brussels and Wallonia;
• often, recommendations for improvement works.

Important: the certificate is theoretical. It rates the building, not the habits of its occupants. A well-rated home occupied by someone who heats to 24 °C will consume more than an average home occupied frugally. It is not a forecast bill; it is the building's energy identity card.

2. Who issues it, what it costs, how long it lasts

Who. An assessor accredited by the Region in which the property is located. An assessor accredited in Wallonia cannot certify a property in Flanders. Each Region publishes the list of its accredited professionals on its official site: that is where you look.

How much. The price is free, unregulated. It depends on the Region, on the size and complexity of the property, and on the assessor. As an order of magnitude, expect a few hundred euros for a flat or an average house. Ask for two or three quotes. Prepare your documents (plans, insulation invoices, works certificates, boiler servicing): without evidence, the assessor must assume the least favourable hypotheses, and your class will suffer. A well-prepared file can be worth a whole class.

How long. The certificate is valid for 10 years (the rule stated by both Brussels and Flanders; the expiry date is printed on every certificate). It is also worth redoing, in your own interest, after significant works: insulating the roof and replacing the windows without updating the certificate means paying for the works and still displaying the bad label.

3. The mandatory statements in the listing

This is where landlords are most often caught out. Every advertisement (online listing, window card, board on the façade, leaflet) must state the property's energy data.

Depending on the Region:

• In Flanders: the certificate is the EPC. The advertisement must state the home's energy performance, with the energy score or the EPC label (A+ to F); the official Flemish site details the statements per medium. A copy of the EPC is attached to the lease. A useful exception: letting a holiday home under a lease of less than 2 months does not require an EPC. And an energy standard takes effect on 1 January 2030: at least label D for terraced houses and flats (C from 2035), label E for detached and semi-detached houses (D from 2035, C from 2040). If you let in Flanders, plan the works now.
• In Brussels: the PEB certificate must exist before the property is put on the market. The listing must state at least the energy class and the consumption in kWh/m²/year; Brussels Environment publishes an info sheet on the other statements. A free copy goes to interested candidates, and to the tenant at the latest when the lease is signed. The certificate model in use since 2024 also shows the regional targets: 275 kWh/m²/year by 2033 and 150 kWh/m²/year by 2045.
• In Wallonia: the advertisement must show the certificate's unique code, the label, the specific primary energy consumption (Espec, in kWh/m².year) and the total primary energy consumption (Etotale, in kWh/year). On a detailed online listing page, all four are required, with the label in graphic form close to the price. The certificate is given to the tenant before the lease is signed. SPW Énergie is the competent authority.

Do not retype the figures from memory, and never from an expired certificate: copy them exactly from the document currently in force.

4. Penalties

They exist in all three Regions, and target two distinct behaviours: not holding a certificate, and not publishing its statements.

At the time of writing, the official sites state: in Flanders, a fine of 500 to 5,000 euros without a valid EPC; in Wallonia, 1,000 euros without a certificate when letting, 500 euros if the statements are missing from the advertisement and 500 euros if the certificate is not handed over; in Brussels, administrative fines of 50 to 62,500 euros depending on the breach. These amounts change: check them at the source before relying on them.

Two things to remember above all: checks also cover online listings, which are public and easy to verify; and the fine is not the only risk. A tenant who was never handed the certificate holds an argument in any dispute, and a missing certificate signals a negligence that will weigh heavily if the property's fitness is later challenged.

5. The energy rating is not a mere formality

Treat it as an asset, not a tax.

• It drives how fast you let. At equal rent, a decent class lets faster: the tenant reasons in total cost, rent + energy. Factor it in when you set the rent.
• It weighs on what you can index. Several Regions have tied rent indexation to the energy class, with rules that have evolved and differ between Regions. Read our guide to rent indexation before indexing.
• It directs your works. The certificate's recommendations tell you where the invested euro pays most. Often that is the roof, then the windows, then the heating system.

6. Before you publish: order the certificate early

The certificate must exist before the first advertisement: Brussels requires it before the property goes on the market, and Wallonia fines its absence as soon as the property is let. So order it before you draft the listing: the lead time (booking, visit, drafting) runs into days, sometimes weeks in high season. Then see our guides to letting your property, choosing your tenant and drafting the main-residence lease, to which the certificate is attached.

Some listing sites check this themselves. On Domilinko, a Belgian peer-to-peer rental site with no intermediary, for long-term rentals as well as short stays with online booking, listings show a verified EPC/PEB certificate and the owner's verified identity. That does not relieve you of copying your certificate's exact statements into every advertisement yourself.

The required statements, procedures and penalties are a regional matter and are regularly amended. This guide is up to date as of September 2026: before publishing, check the obligations in force with the competent authority.

Official sources

• Energy performance certificate (EPC) for sale or rent of a dwelling (Flanders.be): the EPC in Flanders, exceptions and fines
• Minimale vereisten (Woningpas, in Dutch): roof insulation, double glazing and the 2030 energy standard in Flanders
• Le certificat PEB d'un logement (Brussels Environment, in French): obligations, validity and fines in Brussels
• Vente et location : mentions dans les publicités (SPW Énergie, in French): the statements required in Wallonia, medium by medium
• Certificat PEB : quoi ? quand ? comment ? (SPW Énergie, in French): when the certificate is required in Wallonia, and the fines