Mid-term rentals in Brussels

A furnished home let for a few months, to a tenant whose main residence stays elsewhere, is a housing lease but not a main-residence lease. Some Brussels rules apply to it, others do not.

Which rules apply

The general rules of the Brussels Housing Code apply to every housing lease, second homes included; the Civil Code fills the gaps. The protective main-residence rules (nine-year term, notice periods, guarantee rules) apply only if the tenant actually lives there as their main residence.

That is a question of fact, not of domicile: the tenant does not need to be registered at the address. If the use changes during the lease, the main-residence rules apply only with the landlord’s written agreement. A clause forbidding the tenant to register their domicile there is not valid.

Tourist accommodation, such as Airbnb, is outside the Housing Code: stays of 1 night to 90 consecutive days need a registration number and an urban planning certificate before you start.

Checklist for a mid-term lease

RuleMid-term lease (not a main residence)
Written leaseRequired, with the Region’s explanatory annex.
RegistrationRequired on Irisrent and MyRent within two months of signature. Check it.
PEB certificateRequired for homes of 18 m² or more; given to the tenant at the latest at signature; the class appears in adverts.
IndexationAllowed if the lease is written, does not exclude it, is registered and a valid PEB certificate was given. Calculate it.
Correction factor (PEB E, F, G)Only for leases in force before 14 October 2022.
Entry and exit inventorySame rules as every lease. Deadlines and checklist.
ChargesReal costs and a yearly statement, for leases concluded or renewed since 1 November 2024. Prepare it.
Rental guaranteeThe Brussels guarantee rules sit in the main-residence chapter; for other leases, the amount and form are agreed in the lease.
DurationFreely agreed by the parties.
End of the leaseA written fixed-term lease ends at its term without notice (Civil Code art. 1737). If the tenant stays on and the landlord does not object, it renews on the same terms, duration included (art. 1738).

Before you let

  1. Decide what you offer: a lease to someone who keeps their main residence elsewhere, or tourist accommodation with its own registration.
  2. Write the lease, attach the regional annex, and give the PEB certificate at signature at the latest.
  3. Register the lease on Irisrent and MyRent within two months.
  4. Draw up the entry inventory together in the first month.
  5. Agree the guarantee in the lease, and charge real costs with a yearly statement.

Not settled in the official pages: whether a furnished stay of 90 days or less for a trainee or a professional is a lease or tourist accommodation. Get advice before letting for such short periods.

What Autopilot does

For a mid-term lease, Autopilot tracks registration, the PEB certificate, indexation, the inventory and the charges statement, and leaves out the rules that only apply to main residences.

Sources