Performance énergétique
EPC certificate mandatory to sell in Brussels: what changed in 2026
The EPC now helps set the value of a Brussels home. The obligation at sale, the ongoing reform and the real impact on price, with what to prepare before you list.
In Brussels, the EPC has been mandatory at sale for over a decade: nothing new there. What is changing is its weight. The 2024 reform makes it a core driver of value, and a poor score, class E or F, weighs heavily in the negotiation, sometimes up to 25% off the price.
The EPC is mandatory at every sale
The energy performance certificate, the EPC (PEB in French), rates your home from A (very efficient) to G (energy-hungry). In Brussels it is mandatory for every sale and rental. The score must appear in the listing, then in the preliminary contract and the notarial deed.
The certificate is issued by an accredited assessor and stays valid for ten years, unless works change the property's performance. Budget a few hundred euros depending on the size and type of home.
What changed in 2026
The reform from the ordinance of 7 March 2024 reshuffles the deck. A ministerial decree of 19 February 2026 set the new calculation and certification method to take effect on 1 July 2028. In time, every Brussels home will have to hold a valid EPC, even outside a sale, then follow a renovation path toward a primary energy use of around 150 kWh/m² per year, roughly class C.
In other words, the EPC is no longer a box to tick on sale day. It becomes a core driver of value, because the buyer now knows a poorly rated home will force them to renovate.
Brussels and Flanders: two different logics
If you have sold or bought in Flanders, do not copy the rules across. The two regions do not work the same way.
| Region | At sale | Renovation obligation |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels | Valid EPC, score in the listing and the deed | New method on 1 July 2028, then renovation toward about class C (150 kWh/m² per year) |