To sell a home in Belgium you always need an energy performance certificate (EPC), an inspection of the electrical installation, a soil certificate and planning information. Flanders adds the asbestos certificate (asbestattest) for buildings built before 2001.
Give the municipality, describe the property and say when you want to sell: you get your score out of 100 and the list of what you are missing, with the official prices, how long each document is valid and what happens if one is missing.
Tell us where the property is and when you want to sell. We go through the mandatory documents one by one. At the end: your score out of 100 and the list of what you are missing, in the order you had best tackle it.
Step 1 of 5
The seller. The notary requests some of them (soil certificate, planning information), but the costs remain with the seller. Order the EPC before putting the property up for sale: the listing must already state its label.
Allow a few weeks. In Flanders the soil certificate arrives within 14 days if OVAM holds no data on the plot, within 60 days otherwise. Planning information depends on the municipality, and some are running late.
In Wallonia a new EPB certificate model has applied since 1 September 2026; older certificates remain valid until they expire. In Flanders the soil certificate has cost €73.05 since 1 January 2026, and every co-ownership must hold an asbestos certificate for the common parts by 31 December 2026.
The full list, as the tool goes through it. The documents that depend on the property (year of construction, works, oil tank, label, tenant) are listed separately.
EPC certificateRequired
Required from the moment the property is put up for sale, issued by an accredited energy expert. For a sale it must date from 2019 or later. Valid 10 years. The listing must state the score or label. Without an EPC the fine ranges from €500 to €5,000.
Electrical installation inspectionRequired
Required if the installation has not been declared compliant since 1 October 1981. A body accredited by the FPS Economy carries out the inspection, and the report goes to the buyer at the deed. If the report is negative, the buyer has 18 months to bring the installation up to standard.
Soil certificate (bodemattest)Required
Required when the sale agreement is signed, for a house as well as a flat. Issued by OVAM, usually requested by the notary. Price since 1 January 2026: €73.05 for a whole plot. Valid for a single transfer.
Asbestos certificate (asbestattest)Required
Required since 23 November 2022 for a building built before 2001, at the latest when the sale agreement is signed. A certified expert carries out the inventory and OVAM issues the certificate (€59 fee, plus the expert's price). Usually valid 10 years. Without it, the buyer can ask for the sale to be annulled.
Planning information (vastgoedinformatie)Required
Required: permits, any planning breaches, pre-emption rights, subdivision rules. Requested through the Vastgoedinformatieplatform and completed by the municipality, which sets the price. No more than one year old at the sale. The listing must include certain statements, without abbreviations online.
Flood risk informationRequired
The listing and the deed must state the flood score of the plot and, where relevant, of the building. It can be read free of charge on the official map of flood-prone areas.
Cadastral dataRequired
The seller must have a cadastral extract: plot number, area, cadastral income.
Protected heritageGood to know
If the property is protected or listed in the heritage inventory, the seller must say so. The Onroerend Erfgoed inventory can be checked online free of charge.
Depending on the property
Post-intervention file (DIU / PID)Required
Required if construction started after 1 May 2001 or if a contractor has done works since. It describes the building for future works and stays with it for its whole life. If missing, the seller has it drawn up at their own cost by a safety coordinator or an architect before the deed.
Renovation obligation statementRequired
With label E or F, the listing, the sale agreement and the deed must state that the buyer will have to reach label D within six years.
Heating oil tankGood to know
There is no certificate specific to the sale, but show the latest inspection certificates. An underground tank is inspected every five years.
EPB certificateRequired
Required before the property is put up for sale, issued by an accredited assessor and handed to the buyer before the sale agreement is signed. Valid 10 years. The listing must state the class and consumption. Fines: €1,000 without a certificate, €500 for an incomplete listing, €500 if the buyer does not receive it.
Electrical installation inspectionRequired
Required if the installation has not been declared compliant since 1 October 1981. A body accredited by the FPS Economy carries out the inspection, and the report goes to the buyer at the deed. If the report is negative, the buyer has 18 months to bring the installation up to standard.
Soil database extract (BDES)Required
Required for every sale in Wallonia. Issued online by the Walloon Public Service. Price: €30 for the first extract, €10 for each additional plot. Valid one year for a deed, unless the database changes.
Planning informationRequired
The sale agreement and the deed must include the property's planning information: zoning, permits since 1977, breaches and natural risks such as flooding. The municipality issues it and sets the price; the notary often requests it.
Depending on the property
Post-intervention file (DIU / PID)Required
Required if construction started after 1 May 2001 or if a contractor has done works since. It describes the building for future works and stays with it for its whole life. If missing, the seller has it drawn up at their own cost by a safety coordinator or an architect before the deed.
Heating oil tankGood to know
From 3,000 litres, the tank is declared to the municipality and inspected by an accredited technician. In practice the notary asks for the declaration and the latest inspection certificate.
EPB certificateRequired
Required before any home of 18 m² or more is put on the market, issued by an accredited assessor. The class must appear in the listing. Valid 10 years. Brussels Environment's indicative prices: at least €210 for a 90 m² flat, €370 for a 200 m² house. Fine from €50 to €62,500.
Electrical installation inspectionRequired
Required if the installation has not been declared compliant since 1 October 1981. A body accredited by the FPS Economy carries out the inspection, and the report goes to the buyer at the deed. If the report is negative, the buyer has 18 months to bring the installation up to standard.
Soil certificateRequired
Required before the sale, from the sale agreement or offer. Issued by Brussels Environment. Base price: €48. Valid one year and for a single sale. Without it, a court can cancel the sale.
Planning informationRequired
Essential for any deed of sale (article 275 of the CoBAT). Requested from the municipality, which sets the price: €103.70 in the City of Brussels. Delays can be long: ask early.
Depending on the property
Post-intervention file (DIU / PID)Required
Required if construction started after 1 May 2001 or if a contractor has done works since. It describes the building for future works and stays with it for its whole life. If missing, the seller has it drawn up at their own cost by a safety coordinator or an architect before the deed.
Tenant's right of first refusalRequired
Since 6 January 2024, if the home is let under a main residence lease of 9 years or more, you must first offer the sale to the tenant by registered letter, with the price. The tenant has 30 days to reply.
Heating oil tankGood to know
An underground tank, or an above-ground tank of 3,000 litres or more, must be declared. In practice the notary asks for the inspection certificate: have it ready.
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Sources: vlaanderen.be, OVAM, energie.wallonie.be, wallonie.be (BDES, CoDT), Brussels Environment, City of Brussels, FPS Economy, be.brussels. Checked on 24 September 2026.