The city of Bruges, capital of West Flanders, is continuing its crackdown on illegal holiday accommodation. Last year, more than 200 properties used for illegal holiday accommodation were discovered; this year, the figure has already reached 60. Officials hunt for illegal holiday homes by checking online listings. However, an increasing number of complaints are also being received from residents who notice unusual activity or are bothered by noise.
Councillor Raf Reuse asked the responsible alderman, Mathijs Goderis for an update on the situation. “In 2025, the city of Bruges opened a record number of 208 dossiers on illegal holiday homes and guest rooms. This year, another 60 have been added up to and including August,” replied the alderman.
Complaints help with detection
The city’s town planning inspectors track down illegal holiday homes and guest rooms, both offline and online. “But interestingly, we are also receiving an increasing number of complaints from members of the public,” says Goderis. “These come from residents of blocks of flats who notice that flats are being let to tourists, resulting in noise and other forms of nuisance, and even prostitution.”
Lengthy proceedings
According to the alderman, many offenders act in good faith. They rectify the situation after receiving a letter from the city. However, there are also cases where the city has to go through the full enforcement procedure.
“Some operators take their cases all the way to the Court of Cassation, Belgium’s highest court for procedural disputes. Such proceedings cost the city a great deal of time and money – up to 130 working hours and 14,000 euros in legal fees,” says Goderis. The city does, however, attempt to recover these costs from the party concerned.
Enforcement remains necessary
Bruges intends to maintain its stop on new holiday homes in the city centre in coming years. Goderis highlights the importance of the historic city centre as a place of residence for the people of Bruges: “We want our historic city centre to remain a vibrant place where the people of Bruges can still find a place to live.”