What should you check before buying a house in Wallonia?

Before an offer, ask for the documents the seller must provide in Wallonia: the PEB certificate, the extrait conforme from the soil database, the inspection report on the electrical installation and the post-intervention file. Check the zoning, the flood hazard, heritage and the subsoil yourself. The planning information, the permits and the right of pre-emption come through the notary. An asbestos certificate is not yet required in Wallonia.

What the seller provides

Document	What you need to know
PEB certificate	before the home is put up for sale; label and code in the advert
BDES extrait conforme	at every transfer of a plot; at most a year old at the deed
Electrical inspection	the inspection report; if it is negative, the buyer has it re-inspected within eighteen months
Post-intervention file (DIU)	at every sale, with the plans and the data for later works
Heating oil tank	no mandatory certificate at sale; ask for the tag and the last inspection: every three years for a single-walled tank, every ten years for a double-walled one

A purchase involves other points too, such as the steps for a plot in Wallonia and the certificates required for a sale. What a report on an address costs is listed under Perceelscan pricing. You can work out the taxes on a purchase for free with the registration duties calculator and the property tax calculator.

What the notary requests

The notary requests the planning information from the municipality, with the permits since 1977 and any offence; see the guide to permits and offences. They check the right of pre-emption (pre-emption right) and whether there is a planning certificate (planning certificate). The municipality replies within thirty days.

What you check yourself

Zoning: is the house in a zone d’habitat, and does a SOL or a subdivision apply? See the guide to zoning.

Water and subsoil: the flood hazard map (flood hazard) and, in the old mining areas and on limestone, the subsoil information sheet (mine shafts and karst).

Heritage: is the house listed, in a protection zone or in the inventory? See the guide to heritage. If you want a veranda or a garden shed, read what is allowed without a permit.

Asbestos

As of 26 October 2026 Wallonia does not require an asbestos certificate at a sale. In November 2025 the Government announced a mandatory asbestos survey before sale, rental or works, but without a date; first there has to be a scheme for those who draw up the inventory. For an older house it is best to have an inventory made yourself before major works.

Registration duty

For your only own home you have paid 3% registration duty in Wallonia since 1 January 2025 instead of 12.5%. You move in within three years (five years for building land) and stay three years; a home you already own must be sold within three years. The notary works it out for you.

What the Perceelscan shows

For one address in Wallonia the report brings together the zoning, the guides, the right of pre-emption, heritage, flooding, soil and subsoil, nature and subdivisions, with the potential obstacles at the top. The free preview shows how many there are; the full report costs €29.

Is an asbestos certificate required in Wallonia?

No, not as of 26 October 2026. The Government announced a mandatory asbestos survey at sale, but there is no decree and no date yet.

How much registration duty do you pay in Wallonia?

For your only own home 3% since 1 January 2025, provided you move in on time and stay. For a second home or an investment it remains 12.5%.

In the other regions

In Flanders: What should you check before making an offer on a house?
In Flanders: Do I need an asbestos certificate when I buy a house?
In Brussels: What should you check before buying a house in Brussels?

Sources

Check it for your address

Updated on 26 October 2026