A rental permit (permis de location) is a municipal authorisation required to let small housing of 28 m2 or less, collective housing and student kots in Wallonia. It is valid five years and renting without one can cost a 1,500 euro fine per unit (wallonie.be, 2026).
The rental permit is Wallonia’s quality-control tool for the most vulnerable segments of the rental market. It certifies that small or shared homes meet minimum standards of safety, health and habitability before a landlord may let them.
It applies to three categories: small individual housing of 28 m2 or less, collective housing, and student accommodation known as kots, when let to people who make the property their main residence or occupy it for most of the year (wallonie.be, 2026). Ordinary family homes above that surface are outside the scheme. There are exemptions, for example an owner-occupied building with at most two rental units and four tenants.
Obtaining it is a defined process: complete the declaration of rental, hire an approved inspector, obtain the visit report and, if compliant, the attestation of conformity, then file the documents with the commune by registered mail, which decides within 15 days maximum (wallonie.be, 2026). Fees are capped at 210 euros excluding VAT for individual housing, and 210 euros plus 41 euros per unit for collective housing (wallonie.be, 2026).
The permit is valid for five years (wallonie.be, 2026). The counter-intuitive stakes: letting a covered property without a valid permit exposes the landlord to a 1,500 euro administrative fine per housing unit, on top of possible criminal sanctions (wallonie.be, 2026), which makes the permit far cheaper to obtain than to skip.
At a glance
| Item | Detail (source, date) |
|---|---|
| Applies to | Small housing 28 m2 or less, collective housing, kots |
| Main-residence condition | Tenant lives there most of the year |
| Validity | 5 years (wallonie.be, 2026) |
| Individual housing fee | Max 210 euros excl VAT |
| Collective housing fee | 210 euros plus 41 euros per unit |
| Commune decision | Within 15 days maximum |
| Fine without a permit | 1,500 euros per unit plus possible criminal sanctions |