From 1 March 2026, owners of Flemish properties who want to carry out substantial renovation no longer need to wait months for a planning permit (omgevingsvergunning). The exemption covers essentially interior renovations of an authorised dwelling — but also certain facade and roof works that do not increase the existing volume. Unfortunately, the decision to relax administrative formalities has not made things clearer. A detailed breakdown.
What changes in practice
Extending a dwelling will no longer require a notification to the local authority (the "melding"), but a full planning permit ("omgevingsvergunning") will once again be required for extensions.
It is worth noting that many renovation works were already exempt from a planning permit in Flanders. The new regime goes further.
Works now exempt from a permit
All renovations inside a house are exempt from the obligation to obtain a planning permit. Some concrete examples:
- Installing a new kitchen or bathroom
- Dividing a bedroom into two smaller rooms using a plasterboard partition
- Converting a loft into habitable rooms
- Laying interior insulation
- Filling cavity walls with insulation
- Cutting through a load-bearing wall by installing a load-bearing beam
Note that the last item — work on load-bearing walls — still requires an architect, but the architect is not required to apply for a prior permit from the administration.
Facade and roof works
From 1 March 2026, certain other works will also be exempt from a permit:
- Facade works: works on external facades, such as applying insulation or renovating the facade, are exempt provided they do not increase the building's volume
- Plug-and-play solar panels: panels that simply plug in
- Replacing roof tiles or repairing render: relaxed rules also apply here
Important nuances: not everything is permitted
Exemption from a prior permit does not mean that anything goes. Works must still comply with local regulations, such as the land-use plan or urban planning regulations.
No structural modifications without an architect
Where the load-bearing structure of a house is modified (for example, the removal of a load-bearing wall), a permit — and an architect — generally remain necessary.
Impact on the EPC
Another important nuance: renovation works may not worsen the building's EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). This non-regression energy rule remains a hard stop under the new regulations.
Where rules have become stricter
Certain rules have been tightened in parallel with the relaxation. This is notably the case for:
- Installing a garden shed or carport
- Installing verandas
What about verandas?
This is where the new regulations will increase the burden on landlords. Before 1 March 2026, it was sufficient to notify the administration of a veranda's existence. From 1 March, this type of work will require a prior planning permit.
More broadly, a prior permit will now be required for any new extension that is "physically attached" to the main building. The rule applies to solid structures and to lightweight structures for which a simple notification was previously assumed to suffice.
The puzzle of local authority regulations
This is a contested issue in Flanders, where the Brussels-Capital Region has managed to remove local authority derogations. Two camps exist:
The localists
They want each local authority to be able to adapt the general law to local circumstances. The argument: each municipality has its own characteristics (urban fabric, heritage, density).
The clarity camp
Others advocate for the accessibility of a uniform law for as many landlords as possible. The argument: the proliferation of local regulations favours opacity and ignorance of the law. This is one of the factors explaining the increase in planning infractions.
The most frustrating element: no retroactivity
The most frustrating aspect is that Flanders has not managed to unify the rules for all works regardless of when they were carried out.
To establish whether a permit was or was not required, it is necessary not only to examine the type of work but also to know when it was carried out. Work carried out after 1 March may be considered lawful, but if that same work was carried out before that date, it remains subject to the old, now-repealed legislation.
In other words: a renovation completed in late 2025 without a permit, which would now be perfectly legal, remains in breach of the law applicable at the time.
A broader European context
This is a position that the European Court of Human Rights criticised sharply in a judgment of 10 July 2025 concerning a planning matter in Flanders. But nothing from that case law appears to have percolated into the Flemish parliament chamber. Landlords who carried out works under the old regime therefore remain legally exposed.
What property managers should do in practice
If you manage a portfolio that includes Flemish properties, here are the priority actions:
1. Inventory planned renovation projects
For each Flemish property, identify works planned in the next 12 months and categorise them:
- Interior works (kitchen, bathroom, insulation, partitions, loft) → exempt from 1 March 2026
- Facade and roof works without volume increase → exempt
- Plug-and-play solar panels → exempt
- Verandas, attached extensions, carports → planning permit required
- Load-bearing walls → architect required, but no prior permit
2. Plan veranda projects before the deadline
If a veranda project is in the pipeline, it may be advantageous to finalise it under the old regime (simple notification). After 1 March, the administrative cost and timelines will increase significantly.
3. Check the EPC before works
Any project that could worsen the building's EPC is to be avoided — it is an absolute constraint under the new regulations.
4. Document everything carefully
Keep systematically:
- Date of completion of works
- Contractor invoices and quotes
- Architect's plans where applicable
- Any local authority attestations
In the event of a future sale or planning inspection, this documentation will be decisive in establishing whether works were carried out before or after 1 March 2026.
In conclusion
The Flemish relaxation of 1 March 2026 is good news for landlords planning interior renovations. But it comes alongside a tightening of rules on extensions and verandas, and above all a regrettable absence of temporal uniformity.
For property managers, this means: date every piece of work, document every project, and engage an architect for any structural modification — even when a permit is no longer required.
Further reading
To understand how these reforms fit within the broader European context of renovation policies, see our analysis of renovation "stop-and-go" policies.
If you also manage Brussels properties, our article on the new Brussels government policy for landlords details the planning permit simplifications announced (but not yet applied) in Brussels.
Centralise all documentation for your Flemish properties — quotes, permits, attestations, work dates — with Seido. A complete, timestamped record, essential in the event of a planning inspection or property sale.