Electrical Dossier for a Property Sale in 2026: Rules and Records

A sale inspection and an electrical dossier are different questions

For a Belgian property transfer, separate two issues: does this sale trigger a special inspection duty? And: which records belong to the electrical installation's dossier? The familiar statement “the notary cannot execute the deed without a complete electrical dossier” is too broad. Book 1 sets inspection, information and handover duties for defined situations.

This guide uses AREI/RGIE Book 1, Version 06, applicable from 1 April 2026. It addresses electrical requirements, not every regional property or notarial formality.

When does the special sale inspection apply?

Section 8.4.2 concerns the sale of a dwelling unit with an old domestic electrical installation that has not undergone the relevant conformity inspection. An approved inspection body must perform a control visit before the transfer. The seller gives the report to the notary, who informs the buyer about its content and possible obligations.

This is not an automatic rule for every building sale. Establish at least:

• whether the property is a dwelling unit with a domestic installation;
• whether the installation falls within the old-installation provisions of Part 8;
• whether a relevant report already exists;
• whether the installation was extended, substantially altered or fully renewed;
• whether an express exception applies.

Part 8 includes exceptions, for example where the dwelling will be demolished or the electrical installation completely renovated and that intention is recorded in the deed. Judicial transfers do not simply follow the ordinary route either. The notary and approved body should classify the actual case.

Missing plans do not automatically prevent the visit

If the single-line diagram or position plan is absent during the sale inspection, the approved body can still inspect the installation. The missing document is recorded as an infringement. That is different from saying that inspection or execution of the deed is impossible.

Current plans remain valuable because they make circuits, protective devices and points of use traceable. They do not correct technical defects and never replace the inspection report.

The dossier is broader than three documents

Chapter 9.1.2 describes more than a fixed trio of report, single-line diagram and position plan. Depending on the installation and its history, the dossier includes:

• the current single-line diagram;
• the position plan of electrical elements;
• reports of conformity inspections, control visits and follow-up visits;
• records of alterations and extensions;
• instructions and technical information required for safe use and maintenance;
• for decentralised generation, additional diagrams and data on generation and protective equipment.

An installer does not issue a standalone “AREI conformity certificate” that replaces the approved body's report. Invoices, technical sheets and as-built records can be useful, but the formal inspection result comes from the approved body.

Plans must match the installed system

The single-line diagram records boards, protective devices, circuits, conductor data and required identification. The position plan locates the electrical elements. Original building plans or a pre-renovation diagram are insufficient if the installation has changed.

A defensible preparation process is to:

1. identify every distribution board and outgoing circuit;
2. record RCD and overcurrent-device types and ratings;
3. verify conductor type and cross-section rather than guessing;
4. locate sockets, lighting points, controls and fixed appliances;
5. record the electrode, test joint and equipotential bonding;
6. compare the diagrams and labels with the physical installation.

Do not present an invisible cable route as a known fact. Resolve material uncertainties through competent investigation before the visit.

A negative report: when do 18 months apply?

Under the specific procedure in section 8.4.2, a non-conforming installation does not automatically block the sale. The negative report and duties transfer to the buyer. In this particular case, the buyer has 18 months from the date of the deed to remedy the infringements and have the same approved body perform the follow-up inspection.

Eighteen months is not the universal deadline for every negative electrical report. Other inspection contexts commonly use a twelve-month follow-up period. Always read the inspection reason, findings and explicit deadline in the report. A procedural deadline is also not permission to leave an immediate danger in service.

Why “valid for 25 years” is too simple

Certain domestic installations require a periodic control visit no later than every 25 years. That does not make every report a 25-year passport for every sale. An extension, significant alteration, supply upgrade, negative report or mismatch between the report and the installed state can trigger a different inspection. Check the address, scope, result and all later work.

Costs and schedules require real quotations

AREI sets no market price for preparing plans, inspection or remedial work. It does not prescribe a general appointment waiting time or a standard reduction in sale price after a negative report. Cost and timing vary with the installation, provider, region and work required. Obtain actual quotations and coordinate the timetable with the notary, approved body and, where needed, an electrician. Promises of a few hours or a fixed number of weeks are not regulation-backed facts.

Keep each participant's role clear

Where section 8.4.2 applies, the seller arranges the sale inspection and transfers the report. The approved body inspects and records infringements; it does not automatically design the remedial work. The notary handles the prescribed information during transfer but does not replace a technical assessment. With a negative sale report, the buyer assumes the specifically regulated remedy and follow-up duty.

An electrician can survey the installation, carry out work and update the diagrams, but does not issue the official inspection report. The owner retains the dossier and records later alterations. If the author or inspected scope of a document is uncertain, resolve that before handover.

Work between inspection and deed

An inspection records the installation at one point in time. Adding circuits, upgrading the supply, installing an EV charger or PV system, or changing protective devices afterwards can make the report incomplete for the property as transferred. An updated diagram alone does not prove that the alteration was inspected. Record the date, scope and contractor and ask the approved body whether another visit is required.

For decentralised generation, placing a PV symbol on the single-line diagram is not the whole dossier. Relevant connection, protection and technical data are also needed. If an inverter model is missing or differs from the paperwork, do not fill the gap by assumption.

Read more than the conclusion

Check installation identification, connection details, inspected scope, measured values, applicable deviations, remarks and follow-up date. A remark is not necessarily an infringement; conversely, a few satisfactory measurements do not reverse a negative conclusion. Refer contradictions between report and installation to the approved body.

Existing sections, partial work and complete renovation

Part 8 provides deviations for defined old installation sections, not a blanket discount for the whole building. Where only one room or board changes, the boundary of the work must be traceable. Current requirements can apply to the altered section while specific legacy provisions remain relevant to untouched parts. The complete-renovation exception to the advance sale inspection only applies when its conditions and required deed statement are met; it is not an advance statement of conformity after the work.

Retain dated old and new plan versions instead of erasing the history. Link each report to the version inspected and record subsequent work. Photographs, invoices and data sheets may support that trail but do not replace required diagrams or reports.

Flats and common areas

In an apartment building, the private installation and common parts can have different owners, boards and inspection histories. Record only the sold installation that was actually surveyed and identify common supplies clearly. The co-ownership dossier is not automatically the dwelling's dossier; the notary and approved body determine the records relevant to the particular transfer.

Handover checklist

• Inspection trigger and any exception confirmed
• Existing reports matched to the correct address and installation
• Single-line diagram and position plan reflect the installed state
• Alterations, generation equipment and relevant technical records included
• Boards and circuits legibly identified
• Infringements, deadlines and responsibilities understood
• Original dossier handed to the buyer and a copy retained

Audit the records before instruction and handover

Before inspection, place every available record side by side and classify it by address, meter or EAN, distribution board and date. Check whether the newest drawing actually concerns the dwelling being sold. A report for common parts, an obsolete street number or a plan predating renovation must not silently become the current evidence. List inconsistencies and ask the notary and approved body which records apply to the specific transfer.

After inspection, do not copy only the conclusion into a task list. Record each finding with its location, related drawing reference, responsible party and the deadline stated in the report. Have corrective work competently executed and documented. A quotation or invoice does not prove the installed result; updated diagrams and any required follow-up inspection complete the evidence chain.

The official FPS Economy FAQ for notaries and the property sector explains sale inspection, dossier contents and roles. The official overview of inspection types further defines the trigger. Read both with the current Book 1 and the actual inspection report.

PlanElec's actual role

PlanElec can record the installation in the editor, export a single-line diagram and position plan as PDF, and run an indicative self-check. This helps organise dossier preparation. It does not issue an official report, declare AREI conformity, perform measurements or replace inspection by an approved body.

Related guides

• Preparing for an electrical inspection in Belgium
• What does the electrical inspector check?
• Create a single-line diagram step by step

Open PlanElec for diagrams, position plans and an indicative self-check →

Legal basis: AREI/RGIE Book 1 V06, principally Part 8 section 8.4.2 and Chapter 9.1. The official text, the actual report, and the assessment by the notary and approved inspection body remain decisive.