{"id":613,"date":"2026-10-25T13:44:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T12:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/knowledge-base\/when-to-start-a-property-investigation\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T09:13:45","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T08:13:45","slug":"when-to-start-a-property-investigation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/when-to-start-a-property-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"When may you start a property investigation? Suspicion, GDPR and case building"},"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-vermoeden-dossier.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 HOW WE WORK<\/p><h1>When may you start a property investigation? Suspicion, GDPR and case building<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 7 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><\/p>\n<p>A housing company or OCMW (public centre for social welfare) must not have tenants or clients checked at random for property abroad. There must be a concrete suspicion, the investigation must be proportionate and the case file must show why it was started. Anyone who does this properly is in a stronger position in court; in the Belgian cases discussed, the defences based on privacy and discrimination were rejected, although each ruling concerns a specific case. This article gives the standard and a practical checklist.<\/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\">When may you start a property investigation? Suspicion, GDPR and case building<\/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=\"grondslag\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The legal basis<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>For a housing company, the power to verify follows from the Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Flemish Housing Code): the tenant must satisfy the property ownership condition throughout the entire tenancy, and the company must guarantee the allocation of its homes to those entitled to them. The justice of the peace in Hamme called investigation to that end &#8220;an essential instrument&#8221;; the justice of the peace court of Antwerp spoke of a duty in the Woonhaven case. For an OCMW, the power follows from the social investigation prescribed by the wet op het recht op maatschappelijke integratie (Act on the right to social integration), and since 2026 expressly from the federal decision that OCMWs may engage investigation firms for this purpose.<\/p>\n<p>The processing of personal data that goes with this rests on a statutory task and on the legitimate interest of the landlord or the OCMW. The candidate tenant and the living wage (leefloon) applicant have also declared that their statements will be verified. All this makes investigation possible, but not unlimited.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"concreet-vermoeden\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Which suspicion is sufficient<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The distinction the court makes is that between an investigation based on a concrete suspicion in a case and an investigation based on origin. The first is permitted, the second is not. The Dutch Centrale Raad van Beroep (Central Appeals Tribunal) put it sharply: an investigation may not be aimed exclusively at people with a place of birth abroad. The Belgian courts follow the same line.<\/p>\n<p>Concrete indications that suffice in practice:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>long or repeated absence, established through home visits or from consumption data, especially in combination with trips to the same country each time;<\/li>\n<li>a report or statement, from the person concerned, from family, from neighbours or from another service, about a home or land abroad;<\/li>\n<li>an inheritance or a death of parents abroad that comes up in the case;<\/li>\n<li>a spending pattern, cash flows or a standard of living that do not fit the stated income;<\/li>\n<li>contradictory statements about the household situation or the residential address;<\/li>\n<li>documents that are incomplete, illegible or implausible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What is not sufficient: nationality, country of birth, name or language. A company that has all its tenants of a certain background screened acts in a discriminatory manner and puts the evidence at risk.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"proportioneel\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Investigating proportionately<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The GDPR requires that no more data be processed than necessary. That argues for a stepped approach:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Pre-check.<\/strong> First only the question of whether real estate is registered in the person&#8217;s name in the country and region of the suspicion. Name, date of birth and region suffice for that. At Bureaubuitenland Belgi\u00eb, this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">step<\/a> is usually completed within 1 to 2 weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Full in-depth investigation<\/strong> only in the event of a hit: extracts, deeds, co-owners, date of acquisition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Valuation<\/strong> only if the amount matters, for example for the living wage or for recovery.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>What falls outside proportionality: observation of the person concerned, investigation into their behaviour, contacts or health, and collecting data about family members who are not in the case. That is why we work exclusively with register investigation via lawyers on site; see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/private-detective-or-investigation-agency\/\">private detective or investigation agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"dossier\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Building the case file<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>A carefully built case file for the justice of the peace or the labour court preferably contains, in this order:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The sworn declaration<\/strong> or the living wage application, with the clause that the statement will be verified.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The trigger<\/strong>, in a short internal note with a date: which finding or report, by whom, when. This document shows that the investigation is not based on origin, which matters in the event of a defence of &#8220;discrimination&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The decision to investigate<\/strong>, stating the stepped approach and the data processing agreement with the agency.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The report<\/strong> with the register extract, the deeds, the sworn translation and the date of consultation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The hearing<\/strong> of the person concerned after the investigation, with their statement and any documents.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The calculation<\/strong> of the recovery and the <strong>decision<\/strong>, with the possibility of appeal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Do not keep the case file longer than necessary for the proceedings and the limitation period, and share case data with us exclusively via the secure channel, never via email or the website form. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/how-we-work\/\">how we work<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/privacy-statement\/\">privacy statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (Belgian Data Protection Authority)<\/a> (GDPR); <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>; <a href=\"https:\/\/uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl\/details?id=ECLI:NL:CRVB:2018:2912\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Centrale Raad van Beroep, ECLI:NL:CRVB:2018:2912<\/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\">Must the tenant or client know in advance that an investigation is under way?<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>No. They declared on application that their statements will be verified. After the investigation, they are heard before the decision. Prior notification would render the investigation pointless.<\/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\">May an investigation be started on the basis of an anonymous report?<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>Yes, if the report is concrete (which country, which home) and is recorded in the case file. The report is the trigger; the register investigation provides the factual data.<\/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\">What if the investigation yields nothing?<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>Then you close the case with the finding that no ownership was found, and keep the trigger and the result. A negative outcome does not exclude every form of foreign ownership, for example unregistered property or property in another region. Through the Flemish framework agreement, 75 percent of the investigation costs are reimbursed in that case.<\/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\/werkwijze-768x429.webp\" alt=\"How we work\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">How we work<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Our approach in five steps: intake, quotation, pre-check, full investigation and aftercare. You know the costs and the expected lead time in advance.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/how-we-work\/\">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\/kb-rechter-768x429.webp\" alt=\"What the Belgian courts say about foreign property investigation\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">What the Belgian courts say about foreign property investigation<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Hamme 2019, Antwerp 2020 and Woonhaven: how the Belgian courts rule on investigation into property abroad, privacy and investigation costs.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/belgian-courts-foreign-property-investigation\/\">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\/kb-detective-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Private detective or investigation agency via lawyers: the difference\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Private detective or investigation agency via lawyers: the difference<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">What a private detective may and may not do, what an investigation agency does via local lawyers, and which route suits an OCMW or housing company.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/private-detective-or-investigation-agency\/\">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":1507,"parent":586,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-613","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-vermoeden-dossier.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 HOW WE WORK<\/p><h1>When may you start a property investigation? Suspicion, GDPR and case building<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 7 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><p>A housing company or OCMW (public centre for social welfare) must not have tenants or clients checked at random for property abroad. There must be a concrete suspicion, the investigation must be proportionate and the case file must show why it was started. Anyone who does this properly is in a stronger position in court; in the Belgian cases discussed, the defences based on privacy and discrimination were rejected, although each ruling concerns a specific case. This article gives the standard and a practical checklist.<\/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\">When may you start a property investigation? Suspicion, GDPR and case building<\/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=\"grondslag\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The legal basis<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>For a housing company, the power to verify follows from the Vlaamse Codex Wonen (Flemish Housing Code): the tenant must satisfy the property ownership condition throughout the entire tenancy, and the company must guarantee the allocation of its homes to those entitled to them. The justice of the peace in Hamme called investigation to that end \"an essential instrument\"; the justice of the peace court of Antwerp spoke of a duty in the Woonhaven case. For an OCMW, the power follows from the social investigation prescribed by the wet op het recht op maatschappelijke integratie (Act on the right to social integration), and since 2026 expressly from the federal decision that OCMWs may engage investigation firms for this purpose.<\/p>\n<p>The processing of personal data that goes with this rests on a statutory task and on the legitimate interest of the landlord or the OCMW. The candidate tenant and the living wage (leefloon) applicant have also declared that their statements will be verified. All this makes investigation possible, but not unlimited.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"concreet-vermoeden\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Which suspicion is sufficient<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The distinction the court makes is that between an investigation based on a concrete suspicion in a case and an investigation based on origin. The first is permitted, the second is not. The Dutch Centrale Raad van Beroep (Central Appeals Tribunal) put it sharply: an investigation may not be aimed exclusively at people with a place of birth abroad. The Belgian courts follow the same line.<\/p>\n<p>Concrete indications that suffice in practice:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>long or repeated absence, established through home visits or from consumption data, especially in combination with trips to the same country each time;<\/li>\n<li>a report or statement, from the person concerned, from family, from neighbours or from another service, about a home or land abroad;<\/li>\n<li>an inheritance or a death of parents abroad that comes up in the case;<\/li>\n<li>a spending pattern, cash flows or a standard of living that do not fit the stated income;<\/li>\n<li>contradictory statements about the household situation or the residential address;<\/li>\n<li>documents that are incomplete, illegible or implausible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What is not sufficient: nationality, country of birth, name or language. A company that has all its tenants of a certain background screened acts in a discriminatory manner and puts the evidence at risk.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"proportioneel\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Investigating proportionately<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The GDPR requires that no more data be processed than necessary. That argues for a stepped approach:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Pre-check.<\/strong> First only the question of whether real estate is registered in the person's name in the country and region of the suspicion. Name, date of birth and region suffice for that. At Bureaubuitenland Belgi\u00eb, this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">step<\/a> is usually completed within 1 to 2 weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Full in-depth investigation<\/strong> only in the event of a hit: extracts, deeds, co-owners, date of acquisition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Valuation<\/strong> only if the amount matters, for example for the living wage or for recovery.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>What falls outside proportionality: observation of the person concerned, investigation into their behaviour, contacts or health, and collecting data about family members who are not in the case. That is why we work exclusively with register investigation via lawyers on site; see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/private-detective-or-investigation-agency\/\">private detective or investigation agency<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"dossier\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Building the case file<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>A carefully built case file for the justice of the peace or the labour court preferably contains, in this order:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The sworn declaration<\/strong> or the living wage application, with the clause that the statement will be verified.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The trigger<\/strong>, in a short internal note with a date: which finding or report, by whom, when. This document shows that the investigation is not based on origin, which matters in the event of a defence of \"discrimination\".<\/li>\n<li><strong>The decision to investigate<\/strong>, stating the stepped approach and the data processing agreement with the agency.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The report<\/strong> with the register extract, the deeds, the sworn translation and the date of consultation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The hearing<\/strong> of the person concerned after the investigation, with their statement and any documents.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The calculation<\/strong> of the recovery and the <strong>decision<\/strong>, with the possibility of appeal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Do not keep the case file longer than necessary for the proceedings and the limitation period, and share case data with us exclusively via the secure channel, never via email or the website form. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/how-we-work\/\">how we work<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/privacy-statement\/\">privacy statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be\/\">Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (Belgian Data Protection Authority)<\/a> (GDPR); <a href=\"https:\/\/juportal.be\/content\/ECLI:BE:CASS:2026:ARR.20260326.1N.4\/NL\">Court of Cassation 26 March 2026<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl\/details?id=ECLI:NL:CRVB:2018:2912\">Centrale Raad van Beroep, ECLI:NL:CRVB:2018:2912<\/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\">Must the tenant or client know in advance that an investigation is under way?<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>No. They declared on application that their statements will be verified. After the investigation, they are heard before the decision. Prior notification would render the investigation pointless.<\/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\">May an investigation be started on the basis of an anonymous report?<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>Yes, if the report is concrete (which country, which home) and is recorded in the case file. The report is the trigger; the register investigation provides the factual data.<\/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\">What if the investigation yields nothing?<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>Then you close the case with the finding that no ownership was found, and keep the trigger and the result. A negative outcome does not exclude every form of foreign ownership, for example unregistered property or property in another region. Through the Flemish framework agreement, 75 percent of the investigation costs are reimbursed in that case.<\/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\/werkwijze-768x429.webp\" alt=\"How we work\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">How we work<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Our approach in five steps: intake, quotation, pre-check, full investigation and aftercare. You know the costs and the expected lead time in advance.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/how-we-work\/\">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\/kb-rechter-768x429.webp\" alt=\"What the Belgian courts say about foreign property investigation\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">What the Belgian courts say about foreign property investigation<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Hamme 2019, Antwerp 2020 and Woonhaven: how the Belgian courts rule on investigation into property abroad, privacy and investigation costs.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/belgian-courts-foreign-property-investigation\/\">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\/kb-detective-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Private detective or investigation agency via lawyers: the difference\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Private detective or investigation agency via lawyers: the difference<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">What a private detective may and may not do, what an investigation agency does via local lawyers, and which route suits an OCMW or housing company.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/private-detective-or-investigation-agency\/\">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>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/613","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=613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1508,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/613\/revisions\/1508"}],"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\/1507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}