Is a property offer made by email valid? Since 2018, the law has permitted property sales by email. Is an electronic signature necessarily required to ensure that an offer is valid?
For the time being, it appears so. A signature is required to obtain a genuine sale agreement. However, most Belgian courts will consider that if a firm offer is made by the buyer, it remains valid even without an electronic signature.
To clarify matters and leave no room for doubt, an amendment to the Civil Code will come into force in November of this year. It states that an unsigned email will indisputably constitute prima facie evidence.
Until then, to protect yourself as both a seller and a buyer, we recommend adding an eID signature to your email, or a scan of your handwritten signature, rather than relying solely on a property offer by email, although this is not essential.
If you would like to find out more about setting up a rental deposit, we invite you to read this article
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