Short answer: how much deposit you can ask for in Belgium depends on the Region and on the form the tenant chooses. In Flanders the ceiling is three months' rent. In Brussels it dropped to two months on 1 November 2024, whatever the form. In Wallonia it is two months on an individualised account, or three months if the tenant builds up a bank guarantee in instalments.
The rental deposit is one of the few parts of a Belgian lease where the legal ceiling changes depending on whether you let in Ghent, Namur or Schaerbeek. Landlords who reuse one lease template across the whole country routinely ask for too much in Brussels — and a deposit above the legal ceiling simply isn't enforceable. Here is what you can ask for in each Region, where the money has to sit, and how quickly you have to give it back.
How much rental deposit can a landlord ask for in 2026?
| Region | Form of deposit | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Flanders | All permitted forms | 3 months' rent |
| Brussels (lease signed or renewed from 1 November 2024) | All five permitted forms | 2 months' rent |
| Brussels (lease predating 1 November 2024) | Individualised account | 2 months' rent |
| Brussels (lease predating 1 November 2024) | Bank guarantee built up in instalments, or via the public social welfare centre | 3 months' rent |
| Wallonia | Individualised account | 2 months' rent |
| Wallonia | Bank guarantee built up in instalments, or via the public social welfare centre | 3 months' rent |
These are ceilings, not required amounts. And a deposit is not automatic: in Brussels the Housing Code does not impose one at all. It exists only because your lease says it does. If the contract is silent, you cannot demand a deposit afterwards.
Why did the Brussels deposit fall to two months?
Because of the ordinance of 4 April 2024, which amended the Brussels Housing Code. Since 1 November 2024 a single ceiling of two months' rent applies in Brussels, regardless of which form the tenant picks. On top of that, the deposit may no longer be paid in cash.
The date that matters is the date the lease was signed or renewed — not the date you collect the money. A running 2022 lease with a three-month deposit stays valid; a lease you sign today falls under the two-month ceiling.
Where does the deposit have to be held?
On one point all three Regions agree: the money does not belong in your own account. It has to be blocked in the tenant's name at a financial institution.
In Flanders, article 37 of the Flemish Residential Lease Decree gives the tenant three options: an individualised account in their name at a financial institution, a real security at a financial institution in their name, or a bank guarantee under a standard contract between a public social welfare centre and a bank. With your agreement, an individual or a company can also stand surety.
In Brussels, five forms are now exhaustively listed: an individualised account at an institution authorised by the financial regulator, a bank guarantee under a standard contract with the public social welfare centre, a bank guarantee the tenant builds up in instalments, a real security in the tenant's name, and a personal surety. That last one is allowed only on top of one of the other four, and only for a student lease.
In Wallonia, article 62 of the decree of 15 March 2018 sets out the same three main forms: individualised account, bank guarantee built up in instalments (over a maximum of three years), or a bank guarantee via the public social welfare centre.
Where the tenant builds the guarantee up in instalments, they owe the bank no interest, and the bank cannot refuse the guarantee on the grounds of their creditworthiness.
If, in Brussels, you keep the deposit yourself instead of blocking it, you owe the tenant interest at the average financial-market rate, with the statutory rate as a floor, running from the day you received the money. The tenant may even deduct the amount from the rent and place it on an account in their own name.
Worked example: a rent of 900 euros
Take a flat let at 900 euros a month, excluding charges. What can you ask for?
- Ghent (Flanders): up to 3 × 900 = 2,700 euros, blocked in the tenant's name.
- Ixelles (Brussels), lease signed in 2026: up to 2 × 900 = 1,800 euros, and not in cash.
- Namur (Wallonia): 1,800 euros on an individualised account, or up to 2,700 euros if the tenant opts for a bank guarantee built up monthly.
Always calculate on the base rent, excluding the advance for charges. Fold the charges in and you push yourself over the legal ceiling. On settling those charges properly, see our guide to the annual settlement of rental charges.
When do you have to release the deposit?
In Brussels, the reform introduced a hard deadline: the deposit must be released within two months of the keys being handed back, unless there are court proceedings. Miss it and you owe the tenant 10% of the deposit for every month of delay. If the property sits in an apartment building run by a managing agent, part of the deposit may stay blocked until the annual accounts are closed.
In Flanders and Wallonia there is no fixed number of days in the law, but the same lock applies: the bank releases the money only against a written agreement between the parties — drawn up no earlier than the end of the lease — or a court decision. In Flanders your claim on the deposit also expires one year after the lease ends. Drag your feet and you simply lose the right.
To withhold anything you need evidence, and that evidence starts with the inventory of fixtures. What you may and may not charge a tenant for is covered in our article on deductions for wear and cleaning.
What if the tenant cannot raise the money?
This is the quietest cause of vacancy there is: a good applicant who walks away because they cannot produce 2,700 euros in one go. Public schemes exist in all three Regions, and it pays to know them.
- Flanders: the deposit loan from the Flemish Housing Fund is interest-free, runs over 36 months and carries no file fees. The amounts are indexed annually and currently sit between 2,310 and 3,465 euros, or between 2,541 and 3,811.50 euros in designated cities and municipalities.
- Brussels: the Housing Fund can lend up to 100% of the deposit at 0%, repayable over a maximum of 24 months. The BRU-GAL fund completes the picture, against a monthly contribution of 12 to 37 euros depending on income.
- Wallonia: the Walloon Social Credit Company offers a 0% loan for a deposit of no more than two months' rent excluding charges, repayable over up to 36 months, for incomes up to 81,700 euros and a property located in Wallonia (outside the German-speaking Community).
An applicant arriving with a welfare-centre or Housing Fund guarantee is not a risky tenant. Turning someone down on that ground alone can amount to discrimination on the basis of wealth. Assess candidates on stable income and references instead — our guide on how much income you can legally require sets out where the line sits.
The mistakes landlords make most often
- Asking for three months in Brussels. Since November 2024 the maximum is two.
- Keeping the deposit in your own account. It costs you interest, and in Brussels the tenant can deduct it from the rent.
- Counting charges into the calculation. The ceiling applies to the base rent.
- Accepting cash in Brussels. No longer allowed.
- Being slow to release the deposit. In Brussels that costs 10% a month; in Flanders your claim dies after a year.
Keeping track without having to remember
The deposit is one of those subjects that only hurts at the moment you need it: at the final settlement, two years later, when nobody can remember which account the money went into or what the inventory said. In ImmoDesk the deposit amount and its form are attached to the lease itself, alongside the inventory of fixtures and the documents, so that at the end of the tenancy everything sits in one file rather than in a folder of scans.
This article is general information, not legal advice. The rules differ by Region and special regimes exist (student leases, co-tenancy, social housing). If in doubt, consult a lawyer, a notary, or the housing department of your Region.
Managing properties across more than one Region? ImmoDesk keeps leases, deposits, inventories and rent indexation together per property, so you never have to guess which rule applies where. Try ImmoDesk free for 7 days — no credit card needed.
Is a rental deposit compulsory in Belgium?
No. A deposit exists only if the lease provides for one. In Brussels the Housing Code expressly does not impose it. If your contract says nothing about a deposit, you cannot demand one later.
Can I still ask for three months' deposit in Brussels?
Only for leases signed or renewed before 1 November 2024, and then only in the form of a bank guarantee built up in instalments or one arranged through the public social welfare centre. For any lease signed or renewed from that date, two months is the absolute maximum.
Is the deposit calculated on the rent with or without charges?
On the base rent, excluding the advance or flat fee for charges. Including charges pushes you over the legal ceiling, and the excess is not enforceable.
Can I hold the deposit in my own bank account?
No. It must be blocked in the tenant's name at a financial institution. If you hold it yourself you owe interest from the day you received it, and in Brussels the tenant may deduct the amount from the rent and place it on an account in their own name.
How quickly must I return the deposit?
In Brussels, within two months of the keys being handed back, on pain of owing 10% of the deposit for each month of delay. Flanders and Wallonia set no fixed deadline, but the bank will only release the funds against a written agreement or a court decision — and in Flanders your claim expires one year after the lease ends.
Can I refuse a tenant who uses a welfare-centre guarantee?
A welfare-centre guarantee is a legally recognised form of deposit and gives you the same security as a blocked account. Rejecting an applicant for that reason alone can be treated as discrimination on the basis of wealth. Judge applicants on stable income and references, not on where the deposit comes from.
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