Questions and answers about payment deferral of mortgage loans for private individuals in relation to the energy crisis

If you are a private individual and have a mortgage loan over a property (e.g. for a house, apartment, or so on), then you can ask your bank/ lender to defer the payment of the principal (capital) on your loan. However, you will need to meet a few conditions. These will be discussed in the next question.

You can ask to defer payment of the principal, i.e. not the interest, of your mortgage loan, taken out before 1 October 2022 (date of the deed), only if you meet each of these four conditions:

1. The home loan was taken out to finance your main residence in Belgium (at the time of the deferred payment request).
2. At the time of the request to defer payment, the total movable assets in current and savings accounts and in an investment portfolio at the borrower’s bank or another bank must be less than EUR 10,000. Pension savings are not included. This must be interpreted as the sum of the assets of all jointly and severally liable borrowers.
3. As at 1 March 2022 , there were no payment arrears on the loan for which the payment deferral has been requested.
4. You have requested or have a current repayment plan with your energy supplier.

• The request for a payment deferral must be made in good time (i.e. between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023) and is requested for a period of 12 successive months.
• A payment deferral can only be obtained for future monthly instalments.
• The payment deferral will begin from the due date of October 2022 at the earliest.

No, the bank/lender will not charge you any filing or administrative fees. However, you must request the payment deferral because of the energy crisis and meet the conditions (see the question ‘What conditions must I meet for a payment deferral on my mortgage loan?’).

There is no payment deferral for interest. Interest remains payable periodically (usually monthly) during the deferral of the principal payment.

You will thus pay additional interest during the 12 months for which the deferral of the principal payment is granted compared to the original repayment plan.

No. The measure exists for those who fear they will no longer be able to pay their mortgage loan because of the energy crisis. The bank/lender will first check whether you meet the conditions (see the question ‘What conditions must I meet for a payment deferral on my mortgage loan?’).

The bank/lender is required by law to carry out a creditworthiness assessment. It will obviously take account of any payment difficulties, including in relation to the payment of energy bills.

No, this is not possible under this payment deferral.

Payment deferral extends the term of your mortgage loan by the 12 months for which you have been granted the deferral.

• No, if you are granted the above deferral of the principal payment, it will not be recorded as a default in the CKP.

and

• The relevant credit agreement will be extended by the 12 months to which the payment deferral relates. In accordance with the law, the bank/lender will notify the CKP of the new end date of your credit agreement.

The bank/lender will request certain documents to initiate the request, such as:

• proof of the repayment plan or the request for it at the energy supplier.
• a solemn declaration that the conditions for granting a payment deferral have been met, including that payment problems have been encountered because of rising energy bills and that the total moveable assets are less than EUR 10,000.

If you are experiencing payment problems and wish to apply for a payment deferral, you are asked to contact your bank/lender from 19 September 2022 to see if you meet the conditions. This can be done by appointment or through the bank’s/lender’s digital channels (email, chat, mobile app, etc.) depending on the bank/lender. Check your bank’s/lender’s website.

Submitting a request can normally be done in several ways:

• submit through your bank’s/lender’s digital channels
• submit by email or letter with attachment of supporting documents
• submit to the branch where you are a client
• …

It could take several days before you receive a reply. Your bank/lender will make every effort to help you as quickly as possible.

An average processing time of 10 calendar days applies. Example: for the deferral of a monthly instalment that is due on 1 December 2022, the request must be submitted on or before 21 November 2022.

• The request for a payment deferral must be made in good time (i.e. between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023) and is requested for a period of 12 successive months.
• An average processing time of 10 calendar days applies. Example: for the deferral of a monthly instalment that is due on 1 December 2022, the request must be submitted on or before 21 November 2022.
• As the latest date for granting a deferral request is 31 March 2023, this request must be submitted on or before 21 March 2023.
• Payment deferral can only be obtained for future monthly instalments.

The payment deferral can affect the taxation of the loan. Consult your lender.  

Even if you do not meet the conditions in this context, you can always contact your bank/lender to obtain a temporary deferral of principal payments or adjust your credit agreement. The bank/lender can charge the usual filing or administrative fees for this purpose. The bank/lender is free to approve or reject the request.