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DIY inspection report or hire an expert?
Both options are legally valid. The law nowhere requires an expert: tenant and landlord may draw up the inspection report themselves, as long as it is detailed, adversarial and signed by both parties. Doing it yourself is much cheaper and faster; an expert adds value mainly when the parties distrust each other or a conflict is on the horizon.
What does the law say?
Article 1730 of the (old) Belgian Civil Code and the regional lease rules impose substantive requirements: detailed, adversarial, at joint expense, dated and signed. About who writes the document, the law says nothing. An expert is only mandatory when the justice of the peace appoints one because the parties cannot agree.
Doing it yourself: benefits and pitfalls
Doing it yourself costs nothing but time and can be planned whenever suits you. The pitfall is quality: a description that is too brief or incomplete loses its evidential value. Whoever does it themselves must document every room with discipline, name existing damage explicitly and take enough photos.
AI software takes over exactly that work: you photograph the property, the software writes the detailed description per room and structures the report. You check and complete it. This combines the low cost of DIY with the completeness of a professional report, from €30 per report.
Hiring an expert: when is that the better choice?
An independent expert (often a surveyor or property expert) costs a few hundred euros per inspection, but brings two things software cannot replace: independence and authority in a dispute. Choose an expert when:
- the relationship between the parties is already strained or a conflict looks likely
- it concerns a high-value property or complex finishes
- one party cannot or will not attend and you want a neutral record
If the parties disagree about the inspection report itself, either can moreover ask the justice of the peace to appoint an expert.
The comparison at a glance
- Cost: DIY free to €30 and up with AI; an expert usually €200 to €500, shared between the parties.
- Speed: DIY immediately; an expert must be scheduled and delivers the report afterwards.
- Evidential value: equivalent once the document is detailed, adversarial and signed; the report of a jointly appointed expert does carry more perceived weight in a conflict.
- Quality: guaranteed by professional practice with an expert; with DIY it depends on your own thoroughness or the software you use.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is a DIY inspection report as legally valid as an expert's?
Yes. The law judges the document, not its author: detailed, adversarial, dated and signed by both parties. A well-made DIY report is legally just as strong.
Must the tenant agree if the landlord wants an expert?
A joint expert requires both parties' agreement, including on the cost split. Without agreement, each party can bring its own expert or ask the justice of the peace for an appointment.
Can I do it myself first and still bring in an expert later?
Within the legal deadline, yes: as long as the first month (or 15 days for short leases) has not passed, either party can still request an expert inspection.
Do experts work with software-made inspection reports?
Yes. A structured report with photos is simply a piece of evidence to any expert or judge; the format is no objection.
