Move-in inspection checklist

Is an inspection report mandatory?

Yes, in every region. Landlord and tenant must draw up a detailed report together, both present or represented, at the start of the lease. In Brussels and Flanders they share its cost. In Wallonia, an expert they choose together is paid half each, and one chosen by a single party is paid by that party. The German-speaking Community follows the Walloon decree.

When must it be drawn up?

While the property is still empty, or during the first month of occupation (in Flanders, the first month in which the tenant can use the property). If the two cannot agree, either can ask the justice of the peace to appoint an expert, whose report then binds both.

What if there is none?

The tenant is presumed to have received the property in the same state as it is in when they leave, unless the contrary is proved. In practice the landlord then has little to claim for damage, and the deposit is hard to keep back.

What should it contain?

The date, who drew it up, the lease it belongs to, and the state of every room and piece of equipment, with damage described precisely: where, how big, how many. Add the meter readings, the keys and remotes handed over, where the smoke detectors are, and the certificates handed over. In Brussels, the meter numbers and EAN codes are required as well. Both parties sign each copy after the words “read and approved”, and initial every page.

Is it registered?

Yes. It is annexed to the written lease and registered with it, free of charge for a home, within two months of signing. If it is drawn up later, it can be registered on its own with a copy of the registered lease.

What if the property changes during the lease?

After significant changes, such as a renovated kitchen, either party can ask for an addendum to the report, drawn up together and at shared cost like the report itself.

And when the tenant leaves?

Either party can ask for an exit report, drawn up together after the tenant has moved out and before the keys are handed back. Compared with the entry report, it shows the damage the tenant answers for: not what comes from age (normal wear) or force majeure. The deposit is then released by a written agreement of both parties, or by a court decision.

Are there official models?

Brussels and Wallonia each publish a model report, indicative rather than mandatory: Brussels, Wallonia. This checklist follows the same order: the general items, then room by room.