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Renting in Brussels: finding your home away from home

18:17 16/07/2014

You are Brussels bound and in need of a place to stay. Whether it is for work, study or leisure, The Bulletin has a guide to help you find accommodation for both short- and long-term stays in the European capital.

Long-term housing

When searching for an apartment for a long-term stay (three years or more) in Brussels, you can go the rental agency route or look around on your own. 

Looking to rent on your own

There are two ways to go about your search. First, you can begin by consulting housing announcements on the Internet as well as in the classified wall posts of local bookstores, supermarkets and night shops. Here are some useful websites if you are looking online:

-       Immovlan
-       Property Management Agency of the City of Brussels
-       Immoweb
-       Immobrussels
-       Kapaza.be
-       Immoparticulier

and of course TheBulletin.be small ads section.

Then, there’s the classic yet oh so effective second technique: meandering around the Brussels neighbourhood you would like to live in and hunting down for rent signs (à louer in French or te huur in Dutch). You’ll often get the best price offers searching for accommodation this way, as there is not intermediary to pay. 

Looking to rent via a rental agency

Searching for accommodation via a rental agency is more costly. If you think about it, a landlord who is ready to pay (usually the equivalent of a month’s rent) to put the apartment up for rent, it probably means he or she is expecting a higher than average rent.

Still, if you have the funds for paying such a rent, passing by an agency can be quite practical: as long as it’s the landlord who is paying the agency services and not you.

Here are some rental agencies in Brussels worth noting:

-       Trevi
-       Era
-       My immo
-       Rent A Flat – Brussels Invest
-       Cap Sud
-       Click here for a full list of agencies by commune

Another possibility for finding long-term accommodation is through a social rental agency. These agencies propose accommodation at prices inferior to those of the housing market. To explore this possibility, put your name down in the social housing registry and get ready for a rather long wait: demands are treated in the order they come. To learn more about the conditions and find a social rental agency, check out their official Brussels website.

Short-term housing

Several options exist for expats looking for short-term housing: shared housing and sublets, student housing and temporary housing.

Temporary housing

If you’re looking for very short-term housing, many options exist in Brussels.

The first option is to book a low-cost hotel or hostel. For this, Trivago is a popular search engine: it searches across all hostel and hotel websites to get the cheapest prices.

Another popular option is Airbnb. Airbnb is a website where locals rent out their apartment while away on travel. These accommodations are often furnished and a sold at cheaper prices then temporary housing agencies.

Finally, if you’re coming to Brussels for a short internship or stage and are looking for a quick furnished one-room flat or studio, here are some temporary housing organisations: 

 

Student housing:

If you are a student, your first route should be to contact your university; most have a student housing service to help you out.

If this is not the case, or you’re looking to search on your own, trying searching for a Belgian “kot”, or single room in a private student house shared with five to 10 other students. Generally the rooms are furnished and are about 12 to 15m² in size. Usually every room has a private sink but the kitchen, showers and toilets are shared. Rent varies between €350 and €400 a month, depending on the size and location. Some great websites for student housing in Belgium are: 

-       Br(ik (in Dutch and English)
-       Kitkot (in French, Dutch and English)
-       Student (in French, Dutch and English)
-       Brussels Destination (in French and English, for short periods of stay, especially for foreign students)
-       Kot.be (in Dutch)
-       Alle Koten (in Dutch)
-       Kotfinder (in Dutch)
-       Infor Jeunes (in French)
-       BruKot (in French)

Shared housing

Renting out a room in a multi-bedroom apartment or house in Brussels is not only a great way to save money on rent and utility bills, but also to make new friends in a new city.

While many websites exist to find shared housing (or colocation in French) in Brussels, the cheapest, most popular and efficient way is through the Facebook Group BXL A LOUER – bouche à oreilles. Sign up for the group and you’ll have access to hundreds of shared housing announcements every week.

Otherwise, many websites manage shared housing announcements, allowing you to search by size, location, language and price. Some ask for a sign-up fee, some don’t. Here is a list of some of the more popular shared housing websites:

-       Wonen in Brussel (in Dutch)
-       Alles Thuis (in Dutch)
-       Appartager (in French)
-       ChambreàLouer.com (in French, English and Spanish)
-       Colocation (in French)
-       ColocToit (in French, English, German)
-       Recherche colocation (in French)

Photo: Flickr/Timothy Valentine

Written by Kelly Hendricks

Comments

EricDS

Feel free to have a look at ExpatMarket.com, the website for expats and the international community with apartments, furniture and more: www.expatmarket.com - Private ads are free.

To not miss new ads, like the ExpatMarket.com Brussels Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ExpatMarketBrussels

Jul 19, 2014 14:50
littlemisseclectic

Dear Kelly,

You are such a gem for compiling this! I wish this article had been available when I moved here in 2012. What a great help you have provided to newcomers. Well done!

LME

Aug 17, 2014 20:36
reeveel

I had a really bad experience with ImmoExpat - cheated out of the first month's rent, which the agent collected and pocketed behind my back and then refused to give me my copy (or the tenants') of the lease agreement. So money for nothing. When I called her unprofessional, she sent me an abusive email. Buyer/seller/tenant beware!

Jun 19, 2015 15:14
tanya@mortonplace.be

If you would like a fully furnished room in a luxury houseshare, we are the premium coliving provider in Brussels. Our rooms all have private bathrooms, are fully furnished with excellent wifi for those who work from home. An excellent way to make friends quickly! Www.mortonplace.be

May 29, 2020 14:27