Agreed loan

Verified 05 October 2020 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The agreed-upon loan is intended for the owner who wishes to do work in his principal residence or for any person who wishes to become the owner of his principal residence (by buying it or having it built). It is granted without means test. The interest rate on the loan is capped. It is possible to obtain this loan from financial institutions (e.g. banks) that have an agreement with the State.

The loan may be used in particular to finance the following operations:

  • Purchase of land and construction of housing on land
  • Purchase of new housing
  • Purchase of old housing and improvements if necessary
  • Work in an existing dwelling to save energy, to enlarge it (by extension or by elevation) or to transform into a dwelling a space that was not intended for the dwelling. The amount of work must be at least €4,000.

FYI  

where the loan finances works, these must be completed within the repayment period of the loan. It is possible to request an extension of time for work in certain situations.

The dwelling must become the borrower's principal residence no later than 1 year after completion of the works or purchase.

This period may be extended to a maximum of 6 years if the following 2 conditions are met:

  • The dwelling will be occupied by the borrower from the date of retirement
  • The accommodation is rented until this date in compliance with specific rules

For a dwelling to be considered a principal residence, it must be occupied at least 8 months per year.

The following exceptions are allowed:

Where to ask?

You can obtain a contracted loan from a financial institution (e.g. a bank) that has an agreement with the government.

It can be useful to compare the loan offer of different banks, as the interest rate you are offered may vary within the authorized limit. This comparison is performed using the APRC.

Interest rate

It is possible to obtain a loan:

The interest rate may not exceed one maximum rate (ceiling rate). Within this limit, the interest rate you are offered depends in particular on the duration of the loan and the organization offering you the loan. Therefore, it is useful to compare offers from several organizations, using the APRC.

Repayment period

The agreed loan can be repaid over a period of 5 to 30 years.

The loan agreement may provide for the possibility of modifying this period for:

  • Or extend it to a maximum of 35 years
  • Either reduce it

Benefits

The agreed loan is granted without means testing.

Please note

the agreed loan signed after 1er january 2020 does not qualify for theAPL: titleContent.

The loan may finance the whole of a property transaction, with the exception of:

  • notary fees, i.e. transfer fees and notary fees
  • the costs of examining the case
  • any costs of purchasing furniture

The loan may be supplemented by:

Warning  

an agreed loan cannot be supplemented by a "classic" real estate loan.