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Government · Belgium
Updated September 2026

💡 A streetlight, road or pavement is broken — who do I report it to?

Direct answer

The municipality — Gemeentebestuur / stadsbestuur (belgium.be) — through its reporting app or online form; most cities fix streetlights within days when they are reported with the pole number (on a small plate on the pole). Lights on main roads and motorways belong to the road authority; the form routes it. A whole street dark or a damaged cable: Your grid operator — outage line, the grid operator. If a hazard you reported is ignored for weeks, Federale Ombudsman / Vlaamse Ombudsdienst (0800 99 962) takes complaints about municipal service.

Call firstGemeentebestuur / stadsbestuur
Report toYour grid operator — outage line
If that failsFederale Ombudsman / Vlaamse Ombudsdienst

🗣️ What to say

"Streetlight [pole number] at [street, near number] has been out since [date] / the pavement at [place] is broken and dangerous. Photo attached. Please repair it and confirm the report number."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Pole number and photoThe plate on the pole; a photo with a landmark. Reports with a number are fixed first.
  2. Report: Gemeentebestuur / stadsbestuurApp or online form; most cities have one. Keep the report number.
  3. Whole area dark: Your grid operator — outage lineThat is a grid fault, not a lamp; the grid operator's outage line.
  4. HazardA hole, a loose slab, a fallen sign: say "hazard" — it changes the response time. If someone is hurt, the municipality is liable; keep the report.
  5. Ignored: Federale Ombudsman / Vlaamse OmbudsdienstAfter a written reminder; the ombudsman handles municipal inaction.

📇 All contacts

Gemeentebestuur / stadsbestuurNuisances, roads, waste, population registry, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles🔗 www.belgium.be/nl/over_belgie/overheid/gemeenten
Your grid operator — outage linePower cuts, damaged lines, meter faults (not the supplier)During an outage; the number is on your bill
Federale Ombudsman / Vlaamse OmbudsdienstComplaints about public services, freeWhen the authority does not answer or acts unfairly📞 0800 99 962🔗 www.federaalombudsman.be

❓ Frequently asked

How long should it take?

Streetlights: days to two weeks. Road defects: depends on severity; hazards should be made safe within 24–48 hours.

I tripped and got hurt

Photograph the spot, get witnesses, see a doctor, report to the municipality in writing, and claim — they are liable for known, unrepaired defects.

Private road or car park?

Then the owner; the municipality will tell you who if you ask.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “report broken streetlight Belgium”
  • “report pothole municipality”
  • “streetlight out who to call”
  • “pavement damage report city”
  • “municipal reporting app”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

🗑️Illegal dumping→⚡Power outage→📩Object to a decision→🔨Building without permit→

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