Choosing a tenant in Brussels within the law

You are free to choose your tenant, but not to ask for anything you like. In Brussels, the list of information a landlord may require is set by law, as is the moment when it may be asked. Anything not on the list is prohibited.

Before the viewing

You may only ask for the candidate's name and a way to contact them.

After the viewing, in support of the application

You may ask for the household's financial resources, or an estimate, and the number of people in the household. The candidate chooses which proof of income to provide: payslip, benefit statement, CPAS certificate or other.

If the application is accepted

You may then ask for any document proving the tenant's identity and capacity to contract, and their marital status if they are married or legally cohabiting, because of the rules protecting the family home.

What is prohibited

A refusal may never be based on a discriminatory criterion such as origin, nationality, family composition, age or source of income. Asking for a previous landlord's reference, a bank statement or a copy of an identity card before the application is accepted is also excluded. The Region provides a standard application form listing exactly what may be asked.

Choosing well all the same

The law does not prevent a careful choice. The central criterion remains objective: the ability to pay the rent over time, and a household size suited to the home.

What BDW Invest does

Our application form follows the steps set by the Region. We assess each file on objective criteria and present the selected candidates to you before anything is signed.

Sources: be.brussels, housing discrimination · The Region's standard application form