Flemish Rents Pass 1,000 Euros for the First Time

The average rent in Flanders has climbed above 1,000 euros per month for the first time, according to the half-yearly Huurbarometer published by the real-estate association CIB in cooperation with insurer Korfine. The milestone, reported by VRT NWS on 10 September, masks a more nuanced reality: the median rent is 925 euros, and 60 percent of all rentals still go for less than 1,000 euros a month.

The headline figure is pulled upward by a limited number of expensive homes and villas. By property type, apartments now rent for an average of 943 euros, row houses for 1,086 euros, semi-detached houses for 1,206 euros and detached houses for 1,239 euros. For rental apartments alone, the median price is 895 euros.

A Limited Rise, Against a Large Shortage

Average rents rose 2.3 percent year-on-year, roughly in line with inflation. CIB’s Kristophe Thijs described the increase as restrained given the pressure on the market. “That is the normal, expected increase, in line with inflation. It is actually a fairly limited price increase when you know there is a large shortage of rental homes,” he told VRT NWS.

That shortage is acute. Thijs said agencies typically see 50 to 100 candidates for a single rental property. “Not only in the cities, but across Flanders. When demand far exceeds supply, prices usually rise much more sharply, as is the case in the Netherlands.”

The barometer reflects only properties rented through real-estate agencies, a professionalised slice of the private market. It does not capture informal landlord-to-tenant arrangements, which may include the cheapest and most precarious housing.

Flemish-Brabant Leads, West Flanders Lags

The most expensive province remains Flemish-Brabant, where renting a home costs an average of 1,212 euros per month, up 6 percent year-on-year — the strongest provincial increase. Apartments there rose 4.1 percent and studios more than 10 percent, while detached houses actually became 1.7 percent cheaper. West Flanders is the cheapest province on average, with apartment rents essentially unchanged.

At city level, Leuven retains its position as the most expensive in Flanders: an apartment there averages 1,132 euros per month. Antwerp follows at 1,009 euros and Mechelen at 1,000 euros. Roeselare is the cheapest central city, with apartments averaging 742 euros — nearly 400 euros less than Leuven.

“Leuven has by far the most expensive property prices. If an investor buys an apartment there to rent out, he will naturally charge higher rents,” Thijs said.

In Limburg, apartments in Hasselt and Genk average above 900 euros. Hasselt saw apartment rents climb nearly 5 percent in six months, driven by a wave of new-build supply, while Genk’s rental apartments became slightly cheaper. In Bruges, average apartment rents fell from 910 to 872 euros, even as apartments in Ostend and Kortrijk rose about 4 percent.

Small Units Rising Faster Than Large Ones

An unusual pattern emerged in unit sizes. Normally larger homes rise faster in price, but the barometer shows the reverse. One-bedroom apartments grew 3.2 percent while two-bedroom units rose 1.5 percent and three-bedroom apartments fell 0.4 percent. One-bedroom row houses jumped 11 percent, while four-bedroom row houses dropped 3.7 percent.

“Normally that is always the reverse,” said Patrick Boterbergh, CEO of Korfine. “We await the autumn to see whether that trend continues.”

Poverty Group Warns on Right to Housing

For the Netwerk tegen Armoede (Poverty Network), the new milestone underscores a long-running crisis. General coordinator Heidi Degerickx noted that a general welfare benefit for a single person in 2026 is about 1,376.34 euros. After paying 1,000 euros in rent, only around 300 euros remains for food, energy, internet and medical costs.

“People are forced to make choices because their account doesn’t balance at the end of the month. They often save on energy, doctor visits, school costs… People end up in a downward spiral that is hard to break,” she said.

Her organisation has pushed for years for stronger intervention. As far back as February 2022, Knack reported that the network was already demanding an emergency plan when the average Flemish rent first passed 800 euros, citing a waiting list of 170,000 families for social housing. Degerickx now calls for a radical increase in social housing, a unified rent allowance granted automatically to those on waiting lists, and practice tests to tackle discrimination in the rental market.

Rents May Rise Faster by Early 2027

CIB expects the pace to accelerate. The sector forecasts rents rising by around 5 percent by the end of 2026 or early 2027, attributing the expected jump to the economic shock from the war in Iran and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Such shocks, Thijs said, reach the rental market with a delay.

The warning follows a 2025 barometer published in February 2026 that already recorded a historic low in new rental listings — fewer than 50,000 — even as rents rose 4.5 percent. With supply thin and geopolitical pressure mounting, tenants in Flanders appear likely to face tighter conditions well into 2027.

What to Watch

Whether the CIB’s projected 5 percent rise materialises this autumn, and whether it shows up first in smaller units.
Whether the Flemish government advances the Poverty Network’s calls for a unified rent allowance or expanded social housing.
Whether supply recovers from its historic low, or whether geopolitical shocks keep feeding into the rental market.