Short-term letting: what the rules actually say

# Short-term letting in Belgium: what the rules actually say

"Short-term" covers three very different things in Belgian law. Confusing them is the first — and costliest — mistake: you end up running a regulated activity without knowing it.

Three regimes not to be confused

This article deals with the third case.

Tourist accommodation is a declared activity

In all three Regions, you do not start letting by the night without telling anyone. Each has its own text and its own desk:

• Brussels: the framework rests on the ordinance on tourist accommodation. In principle a prior declaration or registration is required, and the number obtained must appear in the listing. Conditions follow (insurance, fire safety, planning compliance). Brussels has recently reformed this framework: check the current state of the law on the regional portal before publishing.
• Wallonia: the Walloon Tourism Code requires a declaration of the accommodation to the regional tourism administration, with fire-safety requirements. Using a protected denomination (gîte, guest house, holiday letting…) additionally requires an authorisation.
• Flanders: the Logiesdecreet requires the notification (aanmelding) of any tourist accommodation to Toerisme Vlaanderen, with basic requirements: a fire-safety certificate issued by the municipality, third-party liability insurance, compliance. Recognition (erkenning) and a comfort classification are optional.

The common thread: declaration/registration + fire safety + insurance. The detail — who must declare, within what time, with which documents — depends on the Region. Start from the official regional source, not from a forum.

And the municipality?

This is the point most hosts forget. The municipality can add its own layer, and often does:

• Planning: turning a dwelling into tourist accommodation may amount to a change of use, subject to a planning permit. This is not theoretical: it is the breach most frequently pursued against urban short-term hosts. Ask the planning department before you invest.
• Night caps: some authorities cap the number of nights per year, especially where you let your own main residence. These limits vary and change.
• Taxes: tourist tax, tax on accommodation establishments, specific municipal levies — charged per night or per unit, and sometimes on top of a regional tax.

One safe rule: call your municipality and ask, in writing, what applies at your address.

Co-ownership can forbid it

First of all, read the deed of co-ownership and the building regulations. Many buildings impose strictly residential use, or ban tourist accommodation outright. Belgian courts enforce those clauses, and a co-owner or the building manager can obtain an injunction to stop the activity, possibly with a penalty payment.

If you are a tenant, your lease will normally forbid it too: sub-letting short-term without the landlord's written consent is a breach of contract that can get your lease terminated at your fault.

The European layer

Since 2026 the EU regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term rental services applies. Its logic: generalise the registration number, oblige platforms to verify that it exists and to pass activity data to the authorities. In practice: unregistered accommodation is increasingly detectable, and removable from platforms. Discretion is no longer a strategy.

Tax: three possible characterisations

This is where improvising costs the most. Depending on what you do, the tax authority may treat your income as:

Add to this that platforms report your income to the tax authorities (the EU automatic exchange of information). Do not count on invisibility.

> Do this, without exception: speak to an accountant before the first night. One sentence in the contract (the immovable/movable split) and one decision about the services you provide can change your taxation completely.

Short-term or lease: the real arithmetic

The gross is seductive; the net less so.

Illustrative example (textbook figures — recompute for your property):

• On a lease: 750 euros a month = 9,000 euros gross a year. Management: a few hours a year.
• Short-term: 85 euros a night × 60 % occupancy × 365 = 18,615 euros gross.

Then subtract, on short-term:

• the platform commission;
• cleaning and linen between every stay (the most underestimated line);
• energy, water and internet, included in the price;
• consumables, furniture depreciation (it ages fast), small repairs;
• appropriate insurance, registration, tourist taxes;
• real vacancy (60 % occupancy is already optimistic outside the high season);
• your time: messages, arrivals, incidents, reviews.

Net yield is often still higher — especially in tourist areas — but the gap narrows sharply, variability is high, and regulatory risk is real (a municipality can tighten its rules; a co-ownership can vote a ban). A lease, by contrast, gives stable income, light management and a settled legal framework.

Your checklist before the first night

How it works on Domilinko

In short-term mode, a Domilinko listing is booked by dates: the tenant pays the booking online, the platform takes a commission, and the deposit is taken as a card hold — an authorisation, not a charge, released if there is no damage. Messaging, reviews, the inspection (photos, meters, signatures) and the time-stamped key handover are built in.

What Domilinko does not do: the platform does not register you with your Region or municipality, does not obtain permits on your behalf, and does not assume your tax obligations. Publishing a listing is not compliance: registration, fire safety and planning remain your responsibility.

> This article gives general bearings. The exact rule depends on your Region and your municipality, and it changes fast in this area. Always check with the official regional source and your municipal administration before you start.