Rents in Flanders and its capital Brussels have risen by around 2 per cent in only six months' time, but that increase is much less rapid than in previous years. The figure is based on the half-yearly rent barometer published by industry bodies CIB and Korfine. The Brussels region remains the most expensive region in the land, while Antwerp is the most expensive of all Flemish cities.
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Rents are rising more slowly, but ‘the symbolic threshold of 900 euros for a flat is approaching’
Colin Clapson
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Anyone who has recently looked for a rental property may have had a shock, as rents are becoming increasingly expensive. However, for the first time in a long while, this increase has slowed down. In the first half of this year, prices in Flanders rose by 1.8 per cent compared to prices at the end of last year.
The figures come from real estate companies and involve properties that were rented out through an estate agent in the first half of this year.
On average renting a terraced house in Flanders now costs 1,014 euros per month, and for an apartment you will need to fork out 893 euros per month. Anyone looking for an apartment in the Brussels region can add another 400 euros to that. In every single Brussels municipality, you can now expect to pay an average of 1,000 euros or more per month.
Smallest increase since 2021
After several quiet years, rents rose rapidly from 2022 onwards. The war in Ukraine and the energy crisis made life more expensive, which also led to an increase in rents that could be increased in line with prices. That trend now seems to have slowed down.
‘Compared to the autumn of 2024, prices in Flanders rose by 1.8 per cent. It’s the first time since the autumn of 2021 that this percentage has been below 2 per cent,’ Kristophe Thijs, director of communications at CIB, says. ‘Initial forecasts for the coming autumn also indicate that the increase will be below 2 per cent.’
Detached houses are even slightly cheaper at the moment, but according to industry body CIB, this is a seasonal effect: they usually become more expensive again in the autumn. On the whole the rental market mainly consists of flats anyway accounting for 7 out of 10 rental properties.
In Brussels, too, the increase in rents is around 2 per cent, which is lower than in previous years.
According to the CIB, the rental market has finally absorbed the wave of inflation that occurred in 2022 and 2023. But ‘in the autumn of 2025, we expect two symbolic thresholds to be crossed,’ Thijs predicts. ‘More than 900 euros on average for an apartment in Flanders and more than 950 euros on average across all types of housing.’
According to the CIB, the need for rental properties remains high. Demand exceeds supply. ‘Estate agents are still reporting dozens to hundreds of requests for viewings for every new property that comes up for rent,’ the barometer shows.
Antwerp (temporarily?) most expensive city in Flanders proper
The barometer also provides a ranking of apartment prices in the historic centres of our major cities. Antwerp stands out here, overtaking Leuven as the most expensive city for the first time. However, this could be a temporary fluctuation, says the CIB. Mechelen completes the top 3, while Roeselare remains the cheapest but has now also passed the €700 mark for an apartment.
If we look at prices in the various provinces, we see that Flemish Brabant in particular remains an expensive region to live in (the average rent there is €1,123, or €1,020 for an apartment). West Flanders remains the cheapest. And the Brussels region is still the most expensive.