{ "title": "Single tenants in Flanders spend over half their income on housing", "modified_at": "2026-05-15 14:34:35", "published_at": "2026-05-15 14:34:00", "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/single-tenants-in-flanders-spend-over-half-their-income-on-housing", "short_url": "http://prez.ly/bSGd", "culture": "en_BE", "language": "EN", "slug": "single-tenants-in-flanders-spend-over-half-their-income-on-housing", "body": "

In 2025, single tenants in Flanders spent an average of 55 per cent of their income on housing (rent and energy costs). In the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Antwerp, single tenants spent as much as two-thirds of their income on housing last year, shows a report by construction federation Embuild Flanders.

Following a slight improvement in 2024, housing costs for Flemings rose again in 2025. For dual-earner couples buying a home, 34 per cent of their income went towards mortgage repayments and energy costs last year.

There are significant differences depending on the municipality. Knokke-Heist tops the list. There, dual-income couples buying a home had to spend 69 per cent of their income on housing last year.

In and around Antwerp and in the Brussels peripheral municipalities, the 40 per cent mark is often largely exceeded. But there are many – often rural – municipalities where the figure falls below 30 per cent. These municipalities are mainly found in the provinces of West and East Flanders and in Limburg province. Menen is the most affordable municipality at 20 per cent.

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Embuild Flanders identifies four key factors behind the high cost of housing in Flanders: high interest rates, rising material costs, the number of available homes, and the high tax burden.

The construction federation is also wondering how the situation will develop this year. “The war in the Middle East is causing volatile energy prices, rising construction costs and an increase in mortgage interest rates,” it stated.

 

#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © PHOTO ANP / Hollandse Hoogte / Peter Hilz

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