I'm in the process of signing for an apartment in Brussels and the agency is asking me for €500 in "file processing fees" on top of their commission. It wasn't mentioned in the initial quote they sent me. Do I have the right to refuse or is this a normal practice?
Ask to see the clause written in your contract or the quote - if there's nothing marked initially, you have every right to refuse. Fees need to be transparent and communicated before you commit. If it's something they're adding at the last minute without justification, that's sketchy. Try to negotiate: tell them it wasn't planned and that you can't accept extra fees that weren't communicated beforehand. Often agencies reduce or cancel if you ask questions.
Also check if there are specific regulations in Belgium about this kind of real estate fee. Basically, agency fees (like 6% of the price) need to be clear from the start, but extra file fees are less standard. If the agency really insists and it's written nowhere, you can contact a mediation service or ask for advice from someone who knows the real estate market there well before you sign anything.
I've seen this kind of nonsense before, and honestly it pisses me off. If these fees aren't listed in the initial quote or in the agreement they proposed to you, you can simply refuse to pay them - they can't just force them on you after the fact. The rule is that all fees must be clearly stated before you commit to anything, not on signing day.
Get them to send you a detailed explanation by email of what these 500€ represent and ask them to show you where it's written in the documents they gave you at the start. Nine times out of ten they'll admit it's not in there, and you can push back without feeling guilty. If they really insist, you can also consult someone who knows Belgian property law well to verify you're covered, but in most cases you have the right to say no.
It's not really a question of what's legal or not - the real trap is that these "extra" fees can be slipped into the small print of the sales agreement you're going to sign, so you absolutely have to check every document before you put your signature on it! If it's not in the initial quote, you can flat out refuse, but some agencies will tell you it's "standard" or that it's written somewhere else - don't let yourself be intimidated and get them to clarify in writing what you actually have to pay before you close the deal. The important thing is to have everything in black and white from the start, otherwise you risk nasty surprises at the last minute!
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