Yes. A commercial lease in Belgium, including Wallonia, cannot in principle last less than nine years. The tenant can end it at the close of each three-year period with six months notice, and is normally entitled to up to three renewals of nine years. A short-term commercial lease of one year or less is a separate option.
Commercial letting is governed by the federal law of 30 April 1951 on commercial leases, which applies across Belgium and has not been regionalised in the way residential leases were (notaire.be, 2026). Its cornerstone is duration: the minimum term is nine years, and any commercial lease is presumed to run for at least that long even if the parties write something shorter.
The tenant, however, is not trapped for nine years. A commercial tenant can terminate at the end of each three-year period with at least six months notice, giving the business natural exit points every triennium (notaire.be, 2026). Ending the lease early by mutual agreement is possible but must be recorded in a notarial deed, a court judgment or a declaration before the judge, a formality designed to prevent later disputes.
Continuity runs the other way too. A commercial tenant is in principle entitled to three renewals of nine years each, so a well-run business can stay in the same premises for up to 36 years beyond the initial term (notaire.be, 2026). The landlord can refuse renewal, but usually only by paying statutory eviction compensation, which protects the goodwill the tenant has built at that location.
The point that surprises new landlords is that the nine-year floor and the renewal right make a commercial lease far stickier than a residential one. There is also a lighter alternative: a short-term commercial lease of one year or less, used for pop-up shops, which sits outside the nine-year regime (notaire.be, 2026). Because this is federal law, the nine-year rule is the same in Brussels and Flanders, unlike residential leases.
At a glance
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Federal law of 30 April 1951, applies Belgium-wide |
| Minimum duration | 9 years |
| Tenant early exit | End of each 3-year period, 6 months notice |
| Early exit by agreement | Notarial deed, judgment or declaration before the judge |
| Renewals | In principle up to three, of 9 years each |
| Landlord refusing renewal | Usually against eviction compensation |
| Short-term option | Commercial lease of 1 year or less (pop-up) |
| Regional variation | None on the 9-year floor, it is federal |