Sharp rise in rental prices in Wallonia as Brussels and Flanders see slowdown
The average cost of renting a home has risen by 6.2 per cent in Wallonia, 2 per cent in Brussels and 1.8 per cent in Flanders since the start of the year, research by real estate federations CIB and Federia shows.
According to CIB, the rise in Flanders is slowing down after significant increases in 2023 and 2024. The evolution is aligning with general inflation, it says.
“This seems to indicate that the sharp wave of inflation in 2022-2023 has finally been absorbed by the rental market. Moreover, the stabilisation of interest rates is also having an impact on rents,” said CIB communications director Kristophe Thijs.
For the first time since 2021, the increase is below 2 per cent. “Initial forecasts for the autumn also indicate that the increase will be below that threshold,” said Thijs.
New contracts
The Rent Barometer analyses new contracts concluded through a real estate agency during the period. The figures reflect what a new tenant would pay on average, and not what existing renters pay.
"The stabilisation of interest rates is also having an impact on rents"
In Brussels, across all types of properties, the average rent is 1,346 euros a month for new contracts. A one-bedroom apartment costs an average of 1,082 euros, while a two-bedroom apartment costs close to 1,500.
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre remains the most expensive municipality, but nowhere in Brussels has an average rent of less than 1,000 euros.
While rents in the capital are rising more moderately than in recent years despite a housing shortage, Federia expects the increase to intensify in the autumn.
Shift in demand
in Flanders, Antwerp has overtaken Leuven as the most expensive city to rent a home, with Flemish Brabant remaining the most expensive province.
The increase in Wallonia has pushed the average rent to 879 euros, the highest since the rental barometer began recording data in 2018. Federia describes the increase as the market catching up.
"The imbalance between supply and demand persists in the rental market and continues to exert upward pressure on rents"
Prices have risen in all provinces, particularly Walloon Brabant, at 8.4 per cent. Wavre is the first Walloon capital to pass the 1,000-euro average rental mark.
A reduction in registration fees to 3 per cent seems to be shifting part of the demand from renting to buying, according to Charlotte De Thaye, CEO of Federia.
“However, the imbalance between supply and demand persists in the rental market and continues to exert upward pressure on rents,” she says.
#FlandersNewsService | An apartment in Schaerbeek, Brussels © PHOTO BELPRESS
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