Register a lease in Belgium via MyRent: who, when and how

Why do you have to register a lease?

Registration is a legal obligation under the Belgian Code of registration, mortgage and court fees. FPS Finance records the contract and thereby gives it a certain date (vaste datum). This has concrete consequences. A new owner must respect a registered lease, which protects your tenant if you sell the property. Conversely, as a landlord you lose important rights if you do not register, especially with main residence leases.

The obligation applies to all leases of real estate: a family home, a studio, an apartment and also a student room. The Flemish government explicitly confirms that student leases must be registered as well.

Who registers, within what deadline and at what cost?

The obligation lies with the landlord. For a property used exclusively as housing, the tenant may also register the lease, but is not required to. As a landlord you are therefore responsible, even if your tenant offers to do it. The deadline and cost depend on what the property is used for: housing or something else.

• Housing (exclusively residential): within two months of signing.
• Other leases (commercial premises, mixed use, a garage or parking space rented separately): within four months of signing.
• If the last day falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.
• The deadline runs from signing, not from the start of the tenancy. If a student signs in April for a room from September, you register by June at the latest.
• Residential lease, including a student room or studio: free.
• Inspection report for housing: free, if filed together with the lease or later with proof that the lease is already registered.
• Other leases: a registration duty of 0.2 percent of the total rent and charges over the full term, with a minimum of €50.
• Inspection report for non-residential property: €50.
• Anyone who owes registration duties and pays late risks a fine. For housing there are no duties, but the two-month deadline still applies.

What if you do not register the lease?

The most important consequence is in the Flemish Residential Lease Decree. With a main residence lease (a nine-year lease or a short-term lease of up to three years), as long as the lease is not registered after the two-month deadline, the tenant may terminate without notice period and without compensation. Normally there is a three-month notice period and, in the first years, a compensation. A forgotten registration therefore makes your rental income uncertain.

For a student lease this right to leave freely does not exist: title III of the decree does not provide for it. The registration obligation still applies, and for a student room too, registration gives the contract a certain date towards third parties, such as a buyer of the property.

If you are late, you can still register. For a main residence lease, the tenant's right to leave freely ends as soon as the lease is registered.

MyRent: online registration since 20 March 2025

MyRent is the FPS Finance online application for registering leases, inspection reports and other rental documents. Since 20 March 2025, registration via a recognised digital platform has been the standard, based on the Royal Decree of 31 January 2025. For private individuals that platform is MyRent, accessed through MyMinfin. Real estate professionals often use MyRent Pro, a professional version developed in cooperation with FPS Finance.

Paper registration is still possible in limited cases. Natural persons without a company number may register by post, using a form from FPS Finance. Anyone with a company number, such as a property company, must register online, except in case of force majeure or when the platform is not working. During online registration, MyRent also asks for data such as the national register number of the parties.

Step by step: registering a lease in MyRent

The procedure takes a few minutes if you have all the data at hand:

• Log in to MyMinfin with your eID card reader or the itsme® app.
• Choose the MyRent application to register a lease and start a new request to submit a contract.
• Enter the requested data: parties, property address, type of contract, signing date, start date, term, rent and charges.
• Attach the signed contract as a PDF, possibly together with the inspection report and other annexes.
• Submit the request. You can then consult the registered contract under your leases in MyMinfin.
• Keep the confirmation in your rental file, so you can show it if there is a dispute later.

Which documents and data do you need?

Make sure the contract itself is complete. FPS Finance requires the contract to contain at least these elements:

• Surname, first name, date of birth and address of all parties, or the company number for a company.
• The full address and a description of the rented property.
• The start date, the term and the rent.
• The signing date and the signatures of all parties.
• A PDF of the signed contract. You can also upload a digitally signed contract; FPS Finance explicitly mentions signing with the eID.
• The move-in inspection report, if you register it at the same time. Read more in our guide to the inspection report for a student room.

Common mistakes when registering

Most registration problems have nothing to do with MyRent, but with timing and completeness. Pay particular attention to these points:

• Waiting until the tenancy starts. Student rooms are often signed months in advance, but the two-month deadline runs from signing.
• Assuming the tenant will register. The obligation lies with you as the landlord.
• Forgetting the inspection report. It must be registered too, and together with the lease this is free for housing.
• Uploading an incomplete contract. Missing dates of birth, addresses or signatures cause delays.
• Not registering a new contract. If you sign a new contract with the same student for the next academic year, it is a new lease that you register again.
• Not keeping proof. Keep the confirmation in your rental file.

Inspection report and registration in Brussels

Do not forget the inspection report. The landlord must have it registered as well, and for housing this is free if it is filed with the lease or with proof that the lease is registered. A good inspection report is also the basis for settling the rental deposit correctly when the tenant leaves.

If you rent out in Brussels, for example a room near the colleges and universities (see room management in Brussels), FPS Finance remains responsible for registration. There too, residential leases concluded since 1 January 2025 must be registered within two months, free of charge. Brussels does have its own lease rules, so for the content of the contract, refer to the Brussels Housing Code.

How Kotmaster helps with MyRent registration

With Kotmaster you register leases and inspection reports in one click via MyRent of FPS Finance, without retyping all the data. You create the contract from a template and have it signed digitally with itsme®. You do the inspection report with photos on your smartphone, at move-in and move-out. All documents are stored centrally per tenant and per room. Curious how this works for your properties? Get in touch or read the frequently asked questions.

This guide provides general information and is not legal or tax advice. Check the current rules on the FPS Finance website or consult a specialist.