Finding accommodation

How to find a place to live

There are a number of ways to find a property to rent, including the following:

• Ask friends, relatives and acquaintances to look out for suitable accommodation, particularly if you’re looking in the area where you already live. A lot of rental properties are found by word of mouth, particularly in cities with large expatriate or transient populations (e.g. Brussels).
• Look at advertisements in local newspapers (including free ones) and magazines.
• Visit accommodation and letting agents. Most cities and large towns have estate agents ( agences immobilières/makelaars in onroerende goederen or simply makelaars) who also act as letting agents for owners. It’s often better to deal with an agent than directly with owners, particularly regarding contracts and legal matters.
• Look at advertisements in shop windows and on notice boards in shopping centres, supermarkets, universities and colleges and company offices.
• Walk through neighbourhoods you think you might like to live in and look for ‘to let’ signs ( à louer/te huur) on suitable properties.
• Read newsletters published by churches, clubs and expatriate organisations or ask at international schools or other places where expats and their families congregate.

Most rental properties in Belgium are let unfurnished, which means that you must provide most fittings and fixtures, including ceiling lamps, kitchen cupboards, appliances and often floor coverings. Furnished properties ( meublé/gemeubeld) are rare and often difficult to find except for short-term stays, generally less than a year.

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Also in this section

• Introduction: The Belgian rental market
• Finding accommodation: How to find a place to live
• Agencies: Rental agencies and estate agents
• Leases: All you need to know before signing a rental agreement
• Other things to consider: Common charges, house rules and inventory
• Buying property: How to buy a place in Belgium