Changing or repairing a lock in a Brussels rental: who pays, tenant or landlord?

Short answer: In Brussels, tenants pay for lock maintenance and replacement after a lost key, while landlords pay for necessary repairs due to age or a defect not caused by the tenant's fault. The cause therefore determines responsibility: document it, notify the landlord and agree who pays before a precautionary change or non-urgent work.

Published on 24 October 2026 · Updated on 24 October 2026

The Brussels rule: maintenance and lost keys for the tenant, wear for the landlord

The tenant pays for lock maintenance and for replacing the lock when a key is lost; the landlord pays the other necessary repairs, except those caused by the tenant's fault. A lease clause cannot depart from this official list.

According to be.brussels, the tenant carries out the minor repairs assigned to tenants and maintenance during the lease, except what is due to age or force majeure. The landlord carries out all the other repairs needed for normal use of the home. The tenant stays responsible for repairs resulting from their own fault. The Brussels Government drew up a non-exhaustive list (decree of 23 November 2017, in force since 1 January 2018, under Article 223 of the Brussels Housing Code).

For locks, line 22 of Annex 1 (“Doors, hinges”) says this:

• Tenant: greasing and maintaining locks, latches and closing and opening mechanisms; making good after a bolt was fitted or after cuts or notches in doors (sometimes up to replacing the whole door panel); replacing the lock when a key is lost.
• Landlord: “other necessary repairs and replacement”. A lock or cylinder that is worn out, seized through age or faulty without any fault of the tenant therefore falls in principle on the landlord.

Because the list is non-exhaustive, a situation that is not on it is settled by the general principles of the annex: normal wear, age, force majeure, construction defect or poor workmanship for the landlord; minor upkeep and damage caused by their own fault for the tenant. The logic is the same as for a leaking tap or toilet cistern.

For another rental cost question, see who pays for a blocked drain.

Table: who pays in each situation

The cause matters more than the part: maintenance and lost keys fall on the tenant, age-related defects on the landlord. Do not assume reimbursement after theft or a precautionary change without checking the circumstances.

Source: Annex 1 of the decree of 23 November 2017, general principles and row 22. Cases not expressly named are applications of those principles, not quotations from the list.

What to do when the lock has a problem: 5 steps

Secure the door, document the problem, notify the landlord in writing, call a locksmith if it is urgent, then get the cost split confirmed. Annex 1 requires the tenant to inform the landlord within a reasonable time; otherwise the tenant risks paying for additional damage caused by their failure to act.

1. Secure and photograph. If the door no longer closes, do not leave it open. Take photos of the lock, the cylinder and the door before touching anything.
2. Notify the landlord in writing (email or letter): what you found, photos, date. Keep a record of the message and their reply.
3. Find the cause: lost key, wear, misuse, break-in? Compare with the check-in report: the list states that defects recorded there are taken into account.
4. Call a locksmith if it is urgent. Try to contact the landlord before ordering and limit the work to necessary security measures. Urgency alone does not guarantee reimbursement. Ask for a quote or agreement on cost, then an invoice describing the defect found; keep the old cylinder. For securing a door or replacing a cylinder in Brussels, see the locksmith page or the Brussels one.
5. Get confirmation of who pays before non-urgent work. If you disagree, be.brussels notes that rental disputes are in principle for the justice of the peace and lists mediation, conciliation and arbitration as alternatives.

Do not withhold rent lightly: be.brussels states that this defence must be handled with caution and assumes the landlord was formally put on notice to carry out the necessary repairs.

These rules concern Brussels: for a home in Flanders or Wallonia, check the regional rules and lease date before applying this allocation.

Replacing a cylinder as a precaution: avoiding disputes

The repairs list allocates costs; it does not by itself settle your right to alter a working lock. The precautions below are neither general permission to modify a door nor a general legal requirement to obtain consent for every cylinder change.

• Distinguish precaution from a defect. If the cylinder works but you worry about spare keys in circulation, agree who pays before ordering. If the door does not lock properly, have the defect documented.
• Make written arrangements. Propose a reversible replacement and agree who pays and what stays at move-out.
• Keep the original cylinder and keys. This makes any agreed reinstatement easier; do not refit a defective cylinder.
• Avoid modifying the door. Row 22 assigns making good after bolts, cuts or notches to the tenant, potentially including replacement of the panel.
• Keep the quote and invoice. An invoice establishes the expense, not automatically the landlord's liability.

For a shared building lock, contact the landlord or managing agent before making changes. These are practical precautions; seek legal advice if your rights are disputed.

After a break-in: police, insurance and landlord

A door forced by a third party is not automatically the tenant's responsibility: if the tenant is not at fault, necessary repairs generally fall on the landlord under the general rules. The lack of a specific burglary row does not remove those rules; insurance separately determines what is reimbursed.

According to Assuralia, theft cover is an optional extra on top of fire insurance. It covers, among others, burglary (for example a forced door or window), the use of false keys and the use of stolen or lost keys; it compensates loss of and damage to the insured contents, and whatever else the contract provides. This description of covered theft methods does not guarantee payment for a precautionary cylinder change after key theft. Check building damage, excesses, limits and exclusions in the relevant policies.

• Tenant: declare the theft to your insurer if you have theft cover for your belongings, and tell the landlord about the door and lock.
• Landlord: they may declare damage to the building to their own insurance; ask them to confirm.
• Evidence: keep the police report, photos and diagnosis to establish the external cause of the damage. Seek advice if liability is disputed rather than assuming who must prove what.

The full procedure (police, photos, insurer, order of calls) is in our article what to do after a burglary in Brussels.

• be.brussels : répartition des réparations entre le locataire et le bailleur (Code bruxellois du Logement, art. 223)
• be.brussels (PDF) : annexe 1, principes généraux et ligne 22 « Portes, charnières » (Moniteur belge, 8 décembre 2017, pp. 108687 et 108691)
• Arrêté du Gouvernement bruxellois du 23 novembre 2017 : liste non limitative des réparations (en vigueur le 1-1-2018)
• be.brussels : résoudre les conflits locatifs (juge de paix, médiation, exception d'inexécution)
• Assuralia : diefstalverzekering (couverture vol, effraction, clés volées ou perdues)