Short answer: In Belgium the split is by size and by cause. The landlord pays for major and structural repairs, normal wear and tear, ageing, force majeure and building defects. The tenant pays for the minor day-to-day repairs and upkeep that come from ordinary use — and for any damage caused by their own fault or negligence. Each region (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia) has published an official list of "rental repairs" that fall on the tenant, and the inventory of fixtures decides most disputes.

The two buckets Belgian law uses

Almost every repair question comes down to sorting the job into one of two buckets:

• Landlord — big, structural, worn-out, or force majeure. Anything major, anything caused by a defect in the building, and anything that has simply aged or worn out through normal use is on the owner. So is damage from force majeure (storm, flood) that isn''t the tenant''s doing.
• Tenant — small, routine, or their own fault. The everyday maintenance that keeps the home running, plus any damage the tenant (or their guests) cause through fault or negligence, is on the tenant.

To remove guesswork, all three regions have published a non-exhaustive list of "rental repairs" (the small jobs that fall on the tenant) — for Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia. When a job is genuinely borderline, that regional list is the reference point.

What the tenant typically pays for

Think small, routine, and use-related. Commonly on the tenant:

• Replacing tap washers and seals, descaling taps and the boiler, and keeping drains clear (unblocking a sink they clogged).
• Minor door and window hardware — handles, hinges, keys, a stuck lock, a small cracked pane they broke.
• Routine servicing they''re responsible for, such as the annual chimney sweep and heating maintenance where the lease assigns it.
• Replacing light bulbs, fuses, and small worn fittings; touch-up upkeep; and ordinary garden and hedge upkeep where there is a private garden.
• Any damage caused by their own fault, negligence, or misuse — including damage they let get worse by not reporting it.

What the landlord typically pays for

Think structure, systems, and end-of-life:

• Roof, facade, chimney structure, foundations, and anything to do with the building''s stability or watertightness.
• Replacing a boiler, radiators, or an electrical or plumbing installation that has reached the end of its life.
• Damp, insulation and structural moisture problems, and any hidden defect that existed before the tenant moved in.
• Normal wear and tear — faded paint, worn flooring, an ageing installation that gives out through age rather than misuse.

A useful test: if it broke because it was old, it''s usually yours; if it broke because it was misused or neglected, it''s usually the tenant''s.

The grey zone: who has to prove what

Most fights happen in the middle — was that a worn part or a misused one? Two Belgian rules matter here. First, the tenant has a duty to notify the landlord promptly of anything beyond ordinary rental repairs; staying silent while a problem worsens can shift responsibility onto them. Second, damage is judged against the move-in condition, so the state of the property at the start of the lease is what everything is measured against.

The inventory is your referee

The inventory of fixtures (état des lieux / plaatsbeschrijving), drawn up at move-in and compared at move-out, is what a Justice of the Peace (vrederechter / juge de paix) will actually look at. A detailed, dated inventory with photos — plus a clean record of who reported what and when — is what turns "he said, she said" into a decision you can rely on.

Keep every repair on the right side of the line

Repair disputes are won or lost on records. ImmoDesk keeps your inventory, every maintenance request, dated photos and all tenant messages in one timestamped place — so when a job lands in the grey zone, you can show the move-in condition, the cause and the timeline, and bill it to the right party. Start free — no credit card required.

This article is general information about Belgian residential rentals as of 2026 and is not legal advice. Rules differ by region (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia) and change over time — verify the current rule for your situation or consult a professional.