The sale can still go ahead. The seller hands over the unfavourable inspection report, and the buyer becomes responsible for bringing the installation up to standard within 18 months of the deed, then having it re-inspected. Non-compliance affects the price, not the right to sell (Belgian inspection bodies, 2026).
An unfavourable electrical inspection is common in older Walloon housing and is not a barrier to selling. The rule is procedural: the seller must have the fixed installation inspected against the RGIE and disclose the report, whatever it concludes. If the report is negative, the transaction proceeds, but a legal responsibility passes to the buyer (Belgian inspection bodies, 2026).
That responsibility has a deadline. From the date of the notarial deed, the buyer has 18 months to carry out the works needed to make the installation compliant and to obtain a fresh, favourable inspection (Belgian inspection bodies, 2026). The notary records the non-compliance and this obligation in the deed, and notifies the accredited inspection body, so the clock is formally tracked rather than left to memory. In practice buyers plan the rewiring or upgrades alongside their move-in works.
The counter-intuitive point is who carries the cost. Because the buyer inherits the compliance duty, the works become their expense, which is exactly why a non-compliant installation should be reflected in the negotiated price. A well-advised seller and buyer treat the report as a bargaining input: the seller either fixes the defects and sells with a favourable certificate, or accepts a price that accounts for the buyer’s future works. Hiding the state of the wiring is not an option, since the report is mandatory disclosure.
Two risks deserve flagging. If the buyer lets the 18-month deadline lapse without complying, they can face enforcement and re-inspection demands, so it is a genuine obligation, not a formality. And if the seller misrepresents alterations to the installation, they risk liability for hidden defects. Handled openly, though, non-compliance is a normal, priced-in feature of many sales rather than a dealbreaker.
At a glance
- The sale can proceed with a non-compliant installation (Belgian inspection bodies, 2026).
- The seller must still commission and disclose the inspection report.
- The buyer has 18 months from the deed to bring it up to standard.
- A fresh, favourable re-inspection is required after the works.
- The notary records the obligation and notifies the inspection body.
- The compliance cost falls on the buyer, so it should shape the price.
- Missing the 18-month deadline can trigger enforcement against the buyer.