Wallonia recognises several residential lease types under the decree of 15 March 2018: the standard 9-year main-residence lease, the short-term lease of three years or less, the long-term and life leases, plus the student lease, the co-living lease and the sliding lease for supported housing.
Since 1 September 2018, residential letting in Wallonia has been its own regional matter, governed by the decree of 15 March 2018 on residential leases (logement.wallonie.be, 2018). That decree sorts leases by purpose and length, and each type carries its own rules on duration, notice and termination.
The backbone is the main-residence lease. By default it lasts nine years, but the parties can agree a short-term lease of three years or less, a long-term lease of more than nine years, or a life lease that runs for the tenant’s lifetime (logement.wallonie.be, 2018). The nine-year form is the reference: if nothing else is stated, that is what you have.
Three tailored leases sit alongside these. The student lease is designed for a 12-month academic occupation with its own early-exit rules. The co-living lease binds several tenants to one landlord under a single contract with joint and several liability, backed by a mandatory co-living pact (Articles 72 to 75, decree of 15 March 2018). The sliding lease (bail glissant) lets an approved social operator sign as main tenant and later transfer the lease to a person in a precarious situation.
Here is the point owners often miss: the label on the contract does not decide the regime, the reality does. If a tenant makes the property their main residence, the protective main-residence rules apply even where the paperwork says otherwise. This differs from Brussels and Flanders, which run their own separate lease codes, so a lease valid in one region does not automatically carry the same terms in another.
At a glance
| Lease type | Typical duration | Core feature |
|---|---|---|
| 9-year main residence | 9 years (default) | Standard protective regime |
| Short-term | 3 years or less | Fixed end, limited renewals |
| Long-term | More than 9 years | By agreement |
| Life lease | Tenant’s lifetime | By agreement, ends on death |
| Student lease | 12 months | Academic occupation, special exit |
| Co-living lease | Often 9 years | Several tenants, joint liability, mandatory pact |
| Sliding lease | 3 years or less | Social operator as main tenant |