Historic drop in rental supply across Flanders and Brussels
The Flemish rental market continued to struggle with a structural shortage of supply in 2025, as demand remained high while the number of new rental properties fell. According to the annual rental barometer published on Wednesday by the Confederation of Real Estate Professions (CIB) and Korfine, both Flanders and Brussels saw a further contraction in available properties.
In Flanders, fewer than 50,000 new rental contracts were registered in 2025, a historic low. CIB described the figure as “a symbolic but especially painful threshold”. In the record year of 2021, there were still more than 60,000 rentals in the CIB database. Spokesperson Kristophe Thijs warned: “The lack of government incentives to invest in our rental market is becoming increasingly felt.”
Despite the tight supply, rental price growth cooled compared to previous years. Prices in Flanders rose by 4.5 per cent in 2025, still above inflation but lower than the sharp increases seen in 2023 and 2024.
CIB expects prices to continue rising. “Especially because the evolution of rental prices also reflects an increase in quality,” the organisation said, pointing to energy performance certificate data. Around 40 per cent of rental properties show improved energy ratings, and nearly a quarter of newly rented homes had an A label last year, compared with 13 per cent in 2020.
Apartments push average rents higher
Apartments remain the dominant force in the market, accounting for more than two-thirds of new rentals. The average rent for an apartment rose above 900 euros for the first time, reaching 907 euros, while the median stood at 855 euros. Across all property types, the average rent was 966 euros.
Regionally, Flemish Brabant remained the most expensive province, with average apartment rents of 1,039 and 1,114 euros across all property types. Limburg recorded the fastest price growth, at 5.4 per cent. Among city centres, Leuven remained the most expensive, while Mechelen overtook Antwerp to take second place.
In Brussels, supply is also shrinking. CIB expects fewer than 9,000 new rentals by 2025, compared with more than 11,000 in 2021. The organisation was critical of the outgoing regional government, saying that it “remains blind” to the structural issues in the market.
Korfine CEO Patrick Boterbergh said the Brussels figures may appear stable at first glance, but noted that “structurally, the light is on red: less supply, less investment and persistently high prices.” He added: “Without a policy shift, this threatens to become a permanent problem.”
After steep increases in 2023 (8.8 per cent) and 2024 (5.5 per cent), rental price growth in Brussels slowed to 3.7 per cent in 2025. However, apartments, which account for 85 per cent of the rental segment, still recorded a 5.1 per cent rise. The average rent for an apartment in the capital now stands at 1,330 euros, with a median of 1,250 euros. For the first time, both average and median rents in all Brussels municipalities have risen above 1,000 euros.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO PETER HILZ / HH
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