{"id":600,"date":"2026-10-25T13:44:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T12:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/knowledge-base\/property-condition-flemish-housing-code\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T14:30:53","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T13:30:53","slug":"property-condition-flemish-housing-code","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/property-condition-flemish-housing-code\/","title":{"rendered":"The property ownership condition in the Flemish Housing Code explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-artikelkop bb-artikelkop--beeld\" id=\"artikelkop\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-ak-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-codex.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 SOCIAL HOUSING<\/p><h1>The property ownership condition in the Flemish Housing Code explained<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 6 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><\/p>\n<p>Anyone who rents or applies for a social housing unit must not own a home or building land, including abroad. This rule is called the property ownership condition and is laid down in the Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Flemish Housing Code) and its implementing decree. This article explains what the condition entails, which exceptions exist and what happens when a tenant conceals ownership.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><nav class=\"bb-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">The property ownership condition in the Flemish Housing Code explained<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/nav><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kolommen\" id=\"inhoud\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><div class=\"bb-kolommen__grid\"><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--hoofd\"><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wat-de-voorwaarde-inhoudt\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What the property ownership condition entails<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>Social housing is intended for those who cannot provide a home for themselves. Flemish regulations therefore make it a condition that the candidate tenant and the tenant do not own a home or a plot intended for housing construction. The condition applies at registration, at allocation and throughout the entire term of the lease. This also applies to tenants of a former social rental agency; see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/social-rental-agency-housing-company\/\">the property ownership condition at a social rental agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The rule is broadly worded. It applies to a home or building land that the tenant:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>holds in full ownership in its entirety;<\/li>\n<li>holds in its entirety in usufruct, long lease (erfpacht) or building right (opstal), or has granted in its entirety in long lease or building right;<\/li>\n<li>holds in Belgium or abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Anyone who is a managing director, director or shareholder of a company into which they have contributed such rights likewise does not satisfy the condition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Partial ownership: the rule changed in 2025.<\/strong> From 1 March 2017 to 30 September 2025, a share of a home or building land also counted, for example an inherited share together with brothers and sisters. The Council of State annulled that assimilation on 17 September 2024 (ruling no. 260.645) for breach of the principle of equality. Since 1 October 2025, a tenant or candidate tenant may own a share of a home or building land, for example from an inheritance or gift, and still rent social housing. Anyone who, in the three years before registration, deliberately gave away or sold a share in order to satisfy the condition remains excluded. For facts predating 1 October 2025, the old rule applies; on 26 March 2026 the Court of Cassation (Hof van Cassatie) still applied it strictly, including to a share of a plot in Morocco acquired without consideration. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/court-of-cassation-2026\/\">the ruling of the Court of Cassation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/council-of-state-2024-property-condition\/\">the new property ownership condition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"in-het-buitenland\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Why abroad is expressly mentioned<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The words &#8220;in Belgium or abroad&#8221; are not in the rule by chance. A tenant with a home in Belgium is easy to check through the land registry and the Crossroads Bank (Kruispuntbank). A tenant with a home, apartment or plot of land abroad, whether in Italy, Poland, Morocco or T\u00fcrkiye, appears in no Belgian register. The legislator has equated that situation: anyone who owns a home outside Belgium has just as little need of a social housing unit as anyone who owns a home in Belgium.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, ownership abroad is covered at registration only by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/sworn-declaration\/\">sworn declaration (verklaring op erewoord)<\/a>. What is not stated in it remains invisible as long as no one verifies it.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"uitzonderingen\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The exceptions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The regulations contain a limited number of exceptions, intended for situations where the ownership does not actually help the tenant to live there themselves. The most important:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Full ownership acquired without consideration.<\/strong> Anyone who inherits or is given an entire home or building land is given one year to dispose of the property. The housing company may extend that period if the tenant demonstrates that the property cannot be sold. Since 1 October 2025, an inherited or gifted share no longer has to be sold.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uninhabitable or unsuitable home.<\/strong> A home that has been declared uninhabitable or unsuitable and that the tenant does not live in is temporarily disregarded, provided the tenant disposes of the property or brings the home up to standard within one year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expropriation.<\/strong> A home included in an expropriation plan does not count.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Divorce.<\/strong> A home that the tenant owns together with an ex-partner and that the ex-partner occupies may, subject to conditions, be disregarded until the division is settled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The exceptions must be applied for and substantiated. A tenant who never reported an inheritance abroad cannot simply invoke the one-year period afterwards; the duty to report has then already been breached.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"meldplicht\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The tenant\u2019s duty to report<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The tenant must report any acquisition of a home or building land to the housing company spontaneously and without delay. That obligation was already laid down in Article 52 of the former Kaderbesluit Sociale Huur (Framework Decree on Social Rent) and was carried over into the Besluit Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Decree implementing the Flemish Housing Code). It also applies to ownership abroad.<\/p>\n<p>A tenant who does not report breaches the lease. The housing company may then terminate the lease and recover the social rent reduction. The social rent reduction is the difference between the social rent paid and the market value of the home; it quickly adds up to several thousand euros per year.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"controle\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>How the housing company verifies the condition<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>For ownership in Belgium, verification is largely automatic via the data of the FOD Financi\u00ebn (FPS Finance). For ownership abroad, no automatic source exists. The housing company can do three things:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>have the candidate tenant sign a sworn declaration, which also states that the declaration will be verified;<\/li>\n<li>in case of a concrete suspicion, have an investigation carried out in the country concerned, via a specialised agency;<\/li>\n<li>use the outcome of that investigation to hear the tenant, recover the reduction and, where necessary, bring the matter before the justice of the peace.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Since March 2021, Flemish housing companies can use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/framework-agreement\/\">Flemish framework agreement<\/a> for such investigations, under which Wonen in Vlaanderen reimburses the costs in full or for the most part. How an investigation works with us, from pre-check to report, is described on the page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-housing-companies\/\">for housing companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"rechter\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What the courts think of it<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/constitutional-court-2024\/\">Constitutional Court ruled on 18 January 2024<\/a> (ruling 8\/2024) that the property ownership condition is constitutional, even if the home is located abroad and was bought with an inheritance and a loan: anyone who owns real estate can in principle realise their right to housing themselves. The Belgian courts have assessed verification of the property ownership condition abroad on several occasions. The justice of the peace in Hamme ruled in 2019 that it is part of a housing company&#8217;s duty under the decree to guarantee that its homes go only to those entitled to them, and that investigation to that end is an essential instrument. The justice of the peace court of Antwerp went further in the Woonhaven case: a housing company is obliged to investigate ownership abroad. The defences based on privacy and anti-discrimination were rejected in those cases. Each ruling relates to a specific case and offers no guarantee for the outcome of another case. An overview is available in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/belgian-courts-foreign-property-investigation\/\">what the Belgian courts say<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/codex.vlaanderen.be\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vlaamse Codex Wonen of 2021 and Besluit Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Vlaamse Codex)<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/nl.const-court.be\/public\/n\/2024\/2024-008n.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitutional Court, ruling 8\/2024<\/a>; Council of State 17 September 2024, no. 260.645 (<a href=\"https:\/\/droitpauvrete.be\/nl\/rvs-20240917-tijdschrift-4-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">summary<\/a>); <a href=\"https:\/\/huurdersplatform.be\/actualiteit-hb\/eigendomsvoorwaarde-nieuwe-regels-vanaf-1-oktober-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vlaams Huurdersplatform (Flemish Tenants&#8217; Platform) on the rules from 1 October 2025<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/juportal.be\/content\/ECLI:BE:CASS:2026:ARR.20260326.1N.4\/NL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Court of Cassation 26 March 2026<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--zij\"><aside class=\"bb-kaart bb-ihk\" id=\"in-het-kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">Overview<\/p><h2 class=\"bb-ihk__kop\">In brief<\/h2><dl class=\"bb-ihk__lijst\"><div><dt>Lead time<\/dt><dd>usually 1\u20132 weeks<\/dd><\/div><\/dl><p class=\"bb-ihk__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop\" href=\"\/en\/request-a-pre-check\/\">Request a pre-check<\/a><\/p><ul class=\"bb-ihk__trust\"><li><span class=\"bb-icoon material-symbols-outlined\" aria-hidden=\"true\">check_circle<\/span><span>Carried out in accordance with the GDPR<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--panel bb-faq-sectie\" id=\"faq\" data-bg=\"panel\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-faq\"><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-0\" id=\"faq-faq-0-knop\">Does a share of a home abroad also count?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-0\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-0-knop\"><p>Not since 1 October 2025: an inherited share or any other share in a home or building land no longer excludes social housing, unless the share was deliberately transferred in the three years before registration. Between 1 March 2017 and 30 September 2025, a share did count; for that period the reduction can still be recovered, as the Court of Cassation confirmed on 26 March 2026.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-1\" id=\"faq-faq-1-knop\">What if the tenant says the home abroad is worth nothing?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-1-knop\" hidden><p>The value is irrelevant to the condition itself: owning a home or building land is sufficient. The value does play a role in the question of what amount can be recovered and whether a <a href=\"\/en\/services\/valuation\/\">valuation<\/a> is worthwhile.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-2\" id=\"faq-faq-2-knop\">May a housing company simply have an investigation carried out abroad?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-2-knop\" hidden><p>Yes, in case of a concrete suspicion in a case and within the rules of the GDPR. The courts have confirmed this in specific cases. Investigation based on origin alone is not permitted and we do not do it.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kaarten bb-kaarten--kb\" id=\"gerelateerd\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>See also<\/h2><div class=\"bb-grid-3\"><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/woonmaatschappijen-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For housing companies\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For housing companies<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for housing companies: does a social tenant own real estate abroad? Pre-check and reporting for your case.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-housing-companies\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/pre-check-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Pre-check\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Pre-check<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Pre-check: an initial investigation into real estate abroad in the name of the person concerned. Usually 1 to 2 weeks, quotation in advance.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/jurisprudentie-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Case law\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Case law<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Case law on foreign real estate owned by social tenants: Hamme 2019, Antwerp 2020, Woonhaven, Constitutional Court 2024 and Cassation 2026.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-cta bb-cta--beeld\" id=\"cta\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-cta-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/cta-band.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-cta__inhoud\"><h2 class=\"bb-cta__kop\">Discuss your case<\/h2><p class=\"bb-cta__tekst\">Do you have a question about real estate abroad? We are happy to discuss which service suits your case. You receive clarity in advance about the assignment, the lead time and the costs.<\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--invers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/contact\/\">Discuss your case<\/a><\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__contact\"><a href=\"tel:+31851110123\">+31 (0)85 111 01 23<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u00b7 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@bureaubuitenland.be\">info@bureaubuitenland.be<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1449,"parent":586,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-600","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail"],"bb_rendered":"<section class=\"bb-sectie bb-artikelkop bb-artikelkop--beeld\" id=\"artikelkop\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-ak-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-codex.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 SOCIAL HOUSING<\/p><h1>The property ownership condition in the Flemish Housing Code explained<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 6 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><p>Anyone who rents or applies for a social housing unit must not own a home or building land, including abroad. This rule is called the property ownership condition and is laid down in the Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Flemish Housing Code) and its implementing decree. This article explains what the condition entails, which exceptions exist and what happens when a tenant conceals ownership.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><nav class=\"bb-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">The property ownership condition in the Flemish Housing Code explained<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/nav><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kolommen\" id=\"inhoud\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><div class=\"bb-kolommen__grid\"><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--hoofd\"><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wat-de-voorwaarde-inhoudt\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What the property ownership condition entails<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>Social housing is intended for those who cannot provide a home for themselves. Flemish regulations therefore make it a condition that the candidate tenant and the tenant do not own a home or a plot intended for housing construction. The condition applies at registration, at allocation and throughout the entire term of the lease. This also applies to tenants of a former social rental agency; see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/social-rental-agency-housing-company\/\">the property ownership condition at a social rental agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The rule is broadly worded. It applies to a home or building land that the tenant:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>holds in full ownership in its entirety;<\/li>\n<li>holds in its entirety in usufruct, long lease (erfpacht) or building right (opstal), or has granted in its entirety in long lease or building right;<\/li>\n<li>holds in Belgium or abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Anyone who is a managing director, director or shareholder of a company into which they have contributed such rights likewise does not satisfy the condition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Partial ownership: the rule changed in 2025.<\/strong> From 1 March 2017 to 30 September 2025, a share of a home or building land also counted, for example an inherited share together with brothers and sisters. The Council of State annulled that assimilation on 17 September 2024 (ruling no. 260.645) for breach of the principle of equality. Since 1 October 2025, a tenant or candidate tenant may own a share of a home or building land, for example from an inheritance or gift, and still rent social housing. Anyone who, in the three years before registration, deliberately gave away or sold a share in order to satisfy the condition remains excluded. For facts predating 1 October 2025, the old rule applies; on 26 March 2026 the Court of Cassation (Hof van Cassatie) still applied it strictly, including to a share of a plot in Morocco acquired without consideration. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/court-of-cassation-2026\/\">the ruling of the Court of Cassation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/council-of-state-2024-property-condition\/\">the new property ownership condition<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"in-het-buitenland\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Why abroad is expressly mentioned<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The words \"in Belgium or abroad\" are not in the rule by chance. A tenant with a home in Belgium is easy to check through the land registry and the Crossroads Bank (Kruispuntbank). A tenant with a home, apartment or plot of land abroad, whether in Italy, Poland, Morocco or T\u00fcrkiye, appears in no Belgian register. The legislator has equated that situation: anyone who owns a home outside Belgium has just as little need of a social housing unit as anyone who owns a home in Belgium.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, ownership abroad is covered at registration only by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/sworn-declaration\/\">sworn declaration (verklaring op erewoord)<\/a>. What is not stated in it remains invisible as long as no one verifies it.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"uitzonderingen\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The exceptions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The regulations contain a limited number of exceptions, intended for situations where the ownership does not actually help the tenant to live there themselves. The most important:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Full ownership acquired without consideration.<\/strong> Anyone who inherits or is given an entire home or building land is given one year to dispose of the property. The housing company may extend that period if the tenant demonstrates that the property cannot be sold. Since 1 October 2025, an inherited or gifted share no longer has to be sold.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uninhabitable or unsuitable home.<\/strong> A home that has been declared uninhabitable or unsuitable and that the tenant does not live in is temporarily disregarded, provided the tenant disposes of the property or brings the home up to standard within one year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expropriation.<\/strong> A home included in an expropriation plan does not count.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Divorce.<\/strong> A home that the tenant owns together with an ex-partner and that the ex-partner occupies may, subject to conditions, be disregarded until the division is settled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The exceptions must be applied for and substantiated. A tenant who never reported an inheritance abroad cannot simply invoke the one-year period afterwards; the duty to report has then already been breached.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"meldplicht\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The tenant\u2019s duty to report<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The tenant must report any acquisition of a home or building land to the housing company spontaneously and without delay. That obligation was already laid down in Article 52 of the former Kaderbesluit Sociale Huur (Framework Decree on Social Rent) and was carried over into the Besluit Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Decree implementing the Flemish Housing Code). It also applies to ownership abroad.<\/p>\n<p>A tenant who does not report breaches the lease. The housing company may then terminate the lease and recover the social rent reduction. The social rent reduction is the difference between the social rent paid and the market value of the home; it quickly adds up to several thousand euros per year.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"controle\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>How the housing company verifies the condition<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>For ownership in Belgium, verification is largely automatic via the data of the FOD Financi\u00ebn (FPS Finance). For ownership abroad, no automatic source exists. The housing company can do three things:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>have the candidate tenant sign a sworn declaration, which also states that the declaration will be verified;<\/li>\n<li>in case of a concrete suspicion, have an investigation carried out in the country concerned, via a specialised agency;<\/li>\n<li>use the outcome of that investigation to hear the tenant, recover the reduction and, where necessary, bring the matter before the justice of the peace.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Since March 2021, Flemish housing companies can use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/framework-agreement\/\">Flemish framework agreement<\/a> for such investigations, under which Wonen in Vlaanderen reimburses the costs in full or for the most part. How an investigation works with us, from pre-check to report, is described on the page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-housing-companies\/\">for housing companies<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"rechter\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What the courts think of it<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/constitutional-court-2024\/\">Constitutional Court ruled on 18 January 2024<\/a> (ruling 8\/2024) that the property ownership condition is constitutional, even if the home is located abroad and was bought with an inheritance and a loan: anyone who owns real estate can in principle realise their right to housing themselves. The Belgian courts have assessed verification of the property ownership condition abroad on several occasions. The justice of the peace in Hamme ruled in 2019 that it is part of a housing company's duty under the decree to guarantee that its homes go only to those entitled to them, and that investigation to that end is an essential instrument. The justice of the peace court of Antwerp went further in the Woonhaven case: a housing company is obliged to investigate ownership abroad. The defences based on privacy and anti-discrimination were rejected in those cases. Each ruling relates to a specific case and offers no guarantee for the outcome of another case. An overview is available in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/belgian-courts-foreign-property-investigation\/\">what the Belgian courts say<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/codex.vlaanderen.be\/\">Vlaamse Codex Wonen of 2021 and Besluit Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Vlaamse Codex)<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/nl.const-court.be\/public\/n\/2024\/2024-008n.pdf\">Constitutional Court, ruling 8\/2024<\/a>; Council of State 17 September 2024, no. 260.645 (<a href=\"https:\/\/droitpauvrete.be\/nl\/rvs-20240917-tijdschrift-4-2024\/\">summary<\/a>); <a href=\"https:\/\/huurdersplatform.be\/actualiteit-hb\/eigendomsvoorwaarde-nieuwe-regels-vanaf-1-oktober-2025\/\">Vlaams Huurdersplatform (Flemish Tenants' Platform) on the rules from 1 October 2025<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/juportal.be\/content\/ECLI:BE:CASS:2026:ARR.20260326.1N.4\/NL\">Court of Cassation 26 March 2026<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--zij\"><aside class=\"bb-kaart bb-ihk\" id=\"in-het-kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">Overview<\/p><h2 class=\"bb-ihk__kop\">In brief<\/h2><dl class=\"bb-ihk__lijst\"><div><dt>Lead time<\/dt><dd>usually 1\u20132 weeks<\/dd><\/div><\/dl><p class=\"bb-ihk__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop\" href=\"\/en\/request-a-pre-check\/\">Request a pre-check<\/a><\/p><ul class=\"bb-ihk__trust\"><li><span class=\"bb-icoon material-symbols-outlined\" aria-hidden=\"true\">check_circle<\/span><span>Carried out in accordance with the GDPR<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--panel bb-faq-sectie\" id=\"faq\" data-bg=\"panel\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-faq\"><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-0\" id=\"faq-faq-0-knop\">Does a share of a home abroad also count?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-0\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-0-knop\"><p>Not since 1 October 2025: an inherited share or any other share in a home or building land no longer excludes social housing, unless the share was deliberately transferred in the three years before registration. Between 1 March 2017 and 30 September 2025, a share did count; for that period the reduction can still be recovered, as the Court of Cassation confirmed on 26 March 2026.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-1\" id=\"faq-faq-1-knop\">What if the tenant says the home abroad is worth nothing?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-1-knop\" hidden><p>The value is irrelevant to the condition itself: owning a home or building land is sufficient. The value does play a role in the question of what amount can be recovered and whether a <a href=\"\/en\/services\/valuation\/\">valuation<\/a> is worthwhile.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-2\" id=\"faq-faq-2-knop\">May a housing company simply have an investigation carried out abroad?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-2-knop\" hidden><p>Yes, in case of a concrete suspicion in a case and within the rules of the GDPR. The courts have confirmed this in specific cases. Investigation based on origin alone is not permitted and we do not do it.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kaarten bb-kaarten--kb\" id=\"gerelateerd\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>See also<\/h2><div class=\"bb-grid-3\"><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/woonmaatschappijen-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For housing companies\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For housing companies<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for housing companies: does a social tenant own real estate abroad? Pre-check and reporting for your case.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-housing-companies\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/pre-check-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Pre-check\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Pre-check<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Pre-check: an initial investigation into real estate abroad in the name of the person concerned. Usually 1 to 2 weeks, quotation in advance.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/jurisprudentie-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Case law\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Case law<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Case law on foreign real estate owned by social tenants: Hamme 2019, Antwerp 2020, Woonhaven, Constitutional Court 2024 and Cassation 2026.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-cta bb-cta--beeld\" id=\"cta\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-cta-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/cta-band.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-cta__inhoud\"><h2 class=\"bb-cta__kop\">Discuss your case<\/h2><p class=\"bb-cta__tekst\">Do you have a question about real estate abroad? We are happy to discuss which service suits your case. You receive clarity in advance about the assignment, the lead time and the costs.<\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--invers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/contact\/\">Discuss your case<\/a><\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__contact\"><a href=\"tel:+31851110123\">+31 (0)85 111 01 23<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u00b7 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@bureaubuitenland.be\">info@bureaubuitenland.be<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/section>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2756,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/600\/revisions\/2756"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}