Relatively high rents, an ageing population & the alternative of flat sharing
SLRB presents the Rental Observatory 2015
Brussels, 10 May 2016 | Social
The Housing Europe Belgian member, SLRB has just published its annual "rental mirror" in the area of Brussels for 2015. The study presents a number of indicators that shed light to the state of housing in the Belgian capital.
In 2015 the monthly rent for dwellings in Brussels amounts to 709 € on average, while 50% of tenants less than 650 €.
Figures show that the comfort level has been steady over the last years: 70% of rental dwellings are made up of one or two bedrooms in the Brussels region, 99% being composed of at least one bathroom with the average surface area being of 80 m² and with 15% of tenants having a garage.
Another key conclusion drawn is that the rent is not increasing faster than the health index which manifests a stagnation of private rental market. But this needs to be put into perspective since it was not the case between 2000 and 2012. Given the fact that the average income of Brussels inhabitants fell over the same period of time, social demand for private dwellings has been made higher. Consequently, more and more tenants cannot find a dwelling fitting their needs.
On the other hand, through the use of different means like double glazing or central heating installation, the energy efficiency of dwellings keeps improving over the last ten years.
Regarding the tenants' profile, several trends emerge. The survey reveals an ageing population in Brussels, with 8% of tenants being older than 75. This tendency explains the rise of the living duration in a dwelling. Moreover, with the rental price increase and the rising gap between rents and incomes, flat sharing emerges as a popular alternative, since it represents 7% of the dwellings rented.
Read MoreRegarding the nationality mix, 18% of tenants come from abroad whereas only 10% of current Brussels residents are planning to leave. People moving to Brussels are mainly youngsters, coming to study or to look for their first job. At the same time, tenants willing to go abroad are mainly young people, too.
Location also makes a difference, since the rent level in south and south east Brussels remains the highest. Finally, the survey highlights that the Brussels Canal appears to be a sort of a split between the east and the west areas, and constitutes a zone where the comfort level remains quite low.
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