FAQ
Do you have a question about housing in the Brussels-Capital Region? The most frequently asked questions are listed on this page.
Housing search
A number of associations offer help with the housing search process. This is particularly true of certain associations working to promote integration through housing (AIPL).
The Brussels-Capital Region has a variety of public/social/social-purpose housing systems:
- social/affordable/medium-priced housing:
In the Brussels-Capital Region, social housing is managed by the Brussels Housing Corporation (SLRB). People wanting to register for social housing must contact a public housing company (SISP), i.e. one of the Opens in new windowlocal companies near their home.
Opens in new windowMore about social housing - Social rental agency (AIS) housing:
AISs aims to turn part of the private rental stock in Brussels into social housing, enabling people on low incomes to access quality housing at affordable rents.
Opens in new windowMore about AIS - Housing provided by the Housing Fund:
The Housing Fund buys, renovates and rents out homes to the Region's most disadvantaged families, at very affordable rents. These homes are intended to be rented out to low-income households who have difficulty finding decent housing.
Opens in new windowMore about the Fonds du logement - Municipal housing or PCSW:
Whether or not through a land management agency, the municipalities and PCSW (Public Centres for Social Welfare) can also rent out municipal housing, some of which is offered under "social" conditions.
For more information, please contact the municipality concerned.
- social/affordable/medium-priced housing:
In an emergency, we advise you to contact:
- Opens in new windowBruss'Help, whose mission is to direct homeless people or those in need of support to the appropriate assistance and services.
- The Opens in new windowSamusocial is responsible for emergency accommodation.
- Please contact the local authorities (municipalities, PCSW) to find out more about emergency housing, transit accommodation, etc. on their territory.
You can also get in touch with your PCSW or the Opens in new windowfront-line social services to help you with the formalities.
Standards
Before taking any further steps, it is important to make sure your landlord is aware of the situation. If they do not react, inform them in writing by registered post. To help you do this, you may want to contact a Opens in new windowfront-line legal aid service. This service will also be able to tell you about your rights as a tenant.
In Brussels, every rental property must meet minimum hygiene, safety and comfort standards. Properties that fail to meet these requirements risk being banned from rental by the Regional Housing Inspectorate (DIRL).
For further technical information on these standards, please contact the Regional Housing Inspectorate (DIRL).
It is possible for you to lodge a complaint with this organisation, but we suggest that you first try to resolve the problem amicably or through your municipality.
If you need to move to suitable accommodation, consider the relocation allowance.
Financial assistance for tenants
Rent deposit:
For many tenants, coming up with the amount for the rent deposit is a challenge. The Region offers two solutions to address this situation, both of which are designed to provide quick, practical and accessible assistance to individuals on low incomes, and to do so anonymously to combat discrimination.
- The Fonds du logement loan
- The BRU-GAL Fund (for people unable to repay a loan)
If you would like help setting up a rent deposit, you should contact the Fonds du logement. It is the regional body responsible for this area.
Rent allowance:
Rent allowance is financial assistance designed to cover part of the rent for certain tenants on low incomes while they wait for social housing.
To qualify for this assistance, you must meet a certain number of conditions, some of which are relaxed for single-parent families (income ceiling and number of points on the social housing waiting list).
No.
Rent allowance is not conditional on the amount of the rent or the condition of the accommodation. There is no investigation into the rented accommodation during the processing of your application.
However, as a reminder, a rental property must meet minimum standards for safety, sanitation and basic facilities. It is the landlord's responsibility to ensure that these minimum conditions are met from the outset and throughout the rental period.
No.
However, a written lease is required.
No.
One of the conditions for receiving rent allowance is to have a minimum number of priority points on the social housing waiting list. SISP tenants are no longer on the social housing waiting list.
No.
An AIS tenant is not entitled to rent allowance.
A single-parent family consists of a single adult and at least one child.
Children are defined as:
- under-18s
- those over 18 giving the entitlement to family allowances.
In practice, single parenthood will be established on the basis of household composition.
No.
These two allowances may be granted one after the other, but not simultaneously.
The only documents required are a copy of the lease and a copy of the applicant's bank card. There is no need to provide a copy of your identity card or a tax certificate (notice of assessment).
Residential lease
Visit our page on rent indexation for more information on how indexation is calculated.
Lease registration, the inventory of fixtures and any amendments to the contract are legal obligations for the landlord. The landlord must register the contract within two months of its conclusion.
If the lease for a principal, short-term or student residence is not registered, the tenant may terminate the lease without notice or compensation.
Registration is free of charge and also protects the tenant's rights vis-à-vis third parties, particularly if the property is sold. Therefore, it is in the tenant's interest to register the lease themselves if the landlord fails to fulfil this obligation.
Cleaning and minor maintenance are the responsibility of the tenant. They are therefore responsible for carrying out repairs and maintenance to the rental property for the duration of the lease. However, the tenant remains liable for repairs in the event of negligent behaviour.
In general, normal wear and tear is considered to be the responsibility of the landlord. They are responsible for the repairs required for the normal use of the rental premises.
The government has drawn up a non-exhaustive list of the main repair and maintenance obligations. The parties cannot deviate from this division.
In the event of the alienation of a leased property (gift, bequest, transfer or sale of the property), your protection is not the same depending on whether or not the lease has a specific date prior to this event. A lease acquires a specific date through its Opens in new windowregistration. Hence the importance of registering it!
For a principal residence lease, the landlord must inform you in advance of their intention to sell, and you may have a right of first refusal to buy the property as a priority.
- Front-line legal aid: this is practical information, legal advice, an initial legal opinion or a referral to a specialised body or organisation. It is free of charge, accessible to everyone and provided by lawyers on duty at law courts and courthouses. It is organised in each judicial district by the Opens in new windowLegal Aid Commissions.
- Second-line legal aid (pro Deo): a lawyer provides legal aid in the form of a detailed legal opinion or legal assistance in proceedings or trials. Only available to people with insufficient resources, it is partially or completely free of charge, depending on the degree of insolvency. To benefit from this service, the applicant must apply to the Legal Aid office of the Ordre des Avocats (Belgian Lawyers' Association). For further information on legal aid, please contact a Opens in new windowlaw court or the Opens in new windowLegal Aid Office of the Ordre des Avocats.
- Legal aid: while second-line legal aid covers the costs of legal representation, legal aid covers court fees. If the claimant proves that they do not have sufficient income, they can, depending on their degree of insolvency, be exempted in whole or in part from the payment of the legal fees and costs incurred by the Ministry of Public and Ministerial Officers, for example, a bailiff. For disputes that fall within the jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace, such as property rental disputes, the request for legal aid is addressed to the Justice of the Peace who will hear the case or is already hearing it.
Owners
- Social loan
A number of lenders offer low-rate mortgages to people wanting to buy their own home (social loans). - Purchasing from citydev
Middle-income households can buy a home in Brussels from citydev.brussels subject to Opens in new windowcertain conditions. Thanks to subsidies from the Brussels-Capital Region, citydev.brussels sells new homes (off-plan) at affordable prices, with the aim of keeping people in the Region or bringing them back. - Purchasing from the Fonds du logement
The Fonds du logement of the Brussels-Capital Region also sells housing as part of its Construction/Renovation-Sales operations.
Opens in new windowMore about the homes for sale from the Fonds du logement - Become an owner with the CLTB
In this scheme, the land remains the property of the community and only the homes are sold.
Opens in new windowMore about the CLTB - Tax measure: Be Home premium
The Be Home premium is designed to relieve the financial pressure caused by the increase in property tax for people who live in their property. The Be Home premium is normally automatically deducted from your property tax amount and is indicated on your tax certificate (notice of assessment). - Tax measure: increase in the registration fee abatement
The abatement (i.e. reduction) in registration fees was increased from €175,000 to €200,000 in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Learn more about registration fee abatement
- Social loan
Different regional authorities offer premiums to homeowners under certain conditions.
Every year, Homegrade publishes a Opens in new windowsummary of these premiums on its website.
Opens in new windowLearn more about regional premiums and renovation advice.
No. Keeping a building or part of a building intended for housing unoccupied is an administrative offence under the Brussels Housing Code.
This provision aims to combat the many vacant properties in the Brussels-Capital Region by encouraging owners to put their property back on the rental market or to consider other options to ensure optimal occupation of the residential housing stock.