After 614 days of waiting — a Belgian record — the Government of the Brussels Capital Region was formed on 13 February 2026. Its Regional Policy Declaration (DPR) sets the course for the entire legislature. For property managers and landlords, several measures warrant close attention: the rent reference grid, simplified planning permits, regularisation via the DLUU, and the doubling of the BE-HOME grant. Here is what the DPR changes in practice for your work.
What is the 2026 Brussels DPR?
The Regional Policy Declaration is the programmatic document that defines the regional government's priorities for the entire legislature. That of 13 February 2026 was negotiated within an MR-PS-Les Engagés-Vooruit coalition after a record political crisis of 614 days. For the Brussels property sector, it constitutes the first clear political signal since the June 2024 elections.
The DPR does not create immediately applicable new obligations — it sets out directions that the government commits to translating into legislative or regulatory measures during the legislature. For landlords, it is therefore a document to monitor closely, even if the concrete effects will only be felt once the implementing texts are adopted.
The rent reference grid will be reviewed: what this means
The DPR explicitly provides for an evaluation of the Brussels rent reference grid. The government announces its intention to "establish a reference framework to identify rents that are not in line with the market." This wording is significant: it suggests a comprehensive overhaul of the tool, not an extension of its binding nature.
Why the current grid is problematic
The current Brussels rent reference grid is based on data collected in 2017. Since then, the Brussels rental market has changed profoundly: according to the Federia-CIB barometer published in February 2026, 75% of Brussels rents already exceed the grid. A reference tool so disconnected from market reality loses its legitimacy and practical usefulness.
What property managers should watch
The announced evaluation could lead to two opposing scenarios:
- A revaluation of the grid to bring it in line with market rents — which would be an acknowledgement of economic reality
- A strengthening of the binding nature of the grid — which would be a negative signal for landlords and would worsen the contraction in rental supply already documented by the Federia barometer
Trade bodies representing landlords have announced that they will remain vigilant and intervene in the consultation process. For managers, it is essential to document precisely the rents charged and their evolution in order to contribute to consultations and defend justified market rents.
Planning: permits to be granted in half the time
The government's numerical commitment
The Brussels Government commits to halving the processing time for planning permits, with a target average of six months. Today, those timelines sometimes reach twelve to eighteen months for complex applications — a major obstacle to renovations and new construction.
Concrete impact for landlords
For landlords who are hesitant to undertake energy or renovation works due to administrative complexity, this measure could be a game-changer. It is particularly relevant in the context of the progressive energy obligations taking shape in Belgium: waiting months for a permit to insulate or replace a boiler penalises well-intentioned landlords.
What remains uncertain
The commitment is ambitious. Its realisation will depend on the internal reform of Brussels planning services — Urbanisme.brussels — and the adoption of new application processing tools. Sector organisations and professional federations will wait for concrete texts before commenting on implementation.
The DLUU: finally regularising existing situations
What is the Déclaration Libératoire Unique Urbanistique?
The DLUU is a simplified mechanism for regularising works and acts carried out without a planning permit. It is an administrative regularisation tool that will allow many landlords to clarify the legal situation of their property within a secure and predictable framework.
Who is affected?
The DLUU is aimed primarily at:
- Landlords who carried out works without a permit in the past (extensions, subdivisions, internal alterations)
- Heirs of properties whose planning situation has never been clarified
- Landlords who purchased properties without prior verification of planning compliance
Why this matters now
The DLUU becomes particularly relevant in the context of energy regularisation: energy renovation works (roof insulation, double glazing, loft conversion) were often carried out without a permit in past decades. Without regularisation, these properties can cause problems on sale or when applying for grants.
The mechanism is not yet in force — the DPR announces its creation, not its adoption. But landlords who suspect planning irregularities in their portfolio would be well advised to prepare their files by gathering existing documents (title deeds, photographs, works invoices, EPC certificates).
BE-HOME grant doubled: from EUR 160 to EUR 320 per year
The DPR announces the doubling of the BE-HOME grant from 2027: from EUR 160 to EUR 320 per year. This grant, funded by the Brussels Region, partially offsets the property tax for owner-occupiers.
This is a favourable political signal for property ownership, even if the amount remains modest relative to the actual Brussels property tax. The measure does not apply directly to landlords, but it contributes to maintaining the attractiveness of property ownership in Brussels for households.
Registration duties: a ceiling increase with limited benefit
The ceiling qualifying for an abatement on registration duties will rise from EUR 600,000 to EUR 800,000, progressively by 2029. This improvement is real, but its practical impact remains limited.
Why the impact is restricted
The Brussels Region retains registration duties significantly higher than those in Flanders (3% for a sole main residence) or Wallonia. And crucially, only around 7% of Brussels transactions fall within the price bracket affected by the abatement. The measure primarily benefits high-end property acquisitions, not the ordinary market.
For managers who advise landlord clients on acquisitions, this context is important: the fiscal attractiveness of property ownership in Brussels remains structurally lower than in the other two regions.
What is absent from the DPR
Several issues essential for landlords do not feature in the DPR:
- The duration of court proceedings: a defaulting tenant may remain in the property for 12 to 18 months before eviction is possible — the government does not commit to accelerating these procedures
- The winter moratorium: its scope and exceptions remain unchanged (see our article on winter moratorium case law exceptions)
- Tenant right of first refusal: the question of whether a tenant should have priority in the event of a sale remains unanswered in the DPR
These bodies have announced that they will remain vigilant on these issues and will intervene in forthcoming legislative processes.
What property managers should do now
- Monitor the legislative implementation of the DPR: each announced measure will require a legislative or regulatory text — public consultations are key moments to make the voice of professional landlords heard
- Prepare the planning files for each property with a view to the DLUU: gather title deeds, existing permits, and works history
- Document the rents charged and their justification relative to the market, in anticipation of the rent reference grid evaluation
- Anticipate energy works by taking advantage of the reduced permit timelines announced, without waiting for the obligations that are taking shape
With Seido, you centralise the regulatory documents for each property: EPC certificates, planning permits, works history. In the event of regularisation via the DLUU or renewal of energy certificates, your file is already in order. Centralise your documents →
This article is part of Property Essentials #3 — March 2026. Also read: Mortgage interest deduction removed: constitutional challenge — Federia barometer: rental supply contracting.
Sources and references
- Regional Policy Declaration — full text (PDF), Government of the Brussels Capital Region, February 2026
- Brussels agrees on government after 613 days of deadlock, Brussels Signal, February 2026
- Boris Dillies takes oath — full cabinet, RTBF, February 2026
- Main measures of the Brussels agreement, La Libre, 12/02/2026
- DLUU and planning reforms, Xirius, February 2026
- BE-HOME grant doubled and portfolio impact, RTBF, February 2026
- Registration duty abatement: limited impact, La Libre, 13/02/2026
- Analysis by Olivier de Clippele and Patrick Willems, Le Cri no. 502, March 2026, pp. 4–7