A short-term lease in Wallonia is a main-residence lease of three years or less. It ends on its fixed date with three months notice, can be renewed in writing without exceeding three years in total, and turns into a nine-year lease if the tenant simply stays on.
Under the decree of 15 March 2018, a short-term residential lease (bail de courte duree) covers any term equal to or below three years for a tenant’s main residence (logement.wallonie.be, 2018). It is the go-to format when a landlord wants flexibility, for instance before selling, before moving back in, or while deciding on longer plans.
The mechanics are strict. The lease ends on the agreed date only if one party gives written notice at least three months before that date. It can be renewed in writing, and the reform now allows more than one renewal, provided the total duration never passes three years and the conditions stay the same as the original contract (logement.wallonie.be, 2018). Overshoot three years, or let the tenant remain without a fresh document, and the law automatically converts the arrangement into a full nine-year main-residence lease counted from the original start date.
Early exit is possible but not free. A tenant can leave before term with three months notice, but owes an indemnity of one month’s rent (logement.wallonie.be, 2018). The landlord’s room to terminate early is far narrower and is essentially limited to the fixed end date, which is precisely why the short-term lease is a tenant-friendly instrument dressed as a flexible one.
The surprise for many owners is that the short-term lease is not a way to dodge tenant protection. If you miss the three-month notice window even once, you inherit a nine-year commitment you never intended. Brussels and Flanders each treat short-term leases under their own codes, so do not assume identical renewal rules across regions.
At a glance
- Maximum length: three years or less, main residence
- Ending on term: written notice at least three months before the fixed date
- Renewal: allowed in writing, same conditions, total capped at three years
- Automatic conversion: becomes a 9-year lease if the tenant stays or the total exceeds three years
- Tenant early exit: three months notice plus one month’s rent as indemnity
- Landlord early exit: very limited compared with tenant
- Registration: mandatory, free for a main-residence lease
- Regional note: Brussels and Flanders apply their own short-term rules