Airbnb in Belgium: Flanders and Brussels Rules

Do you rent a property in Belgium, or want to, or do you welcome Belgian guests, and you want to know what to declare before publishing your Airbnb listing? The answer depends on the region: Flanders and Brussels each have their own procedure and their own registration number. And since 1 June 2026, Flanders has announced a tightening that directly affects platforms.

This article relies on official pages read for the occasion: the Toerisme Vlaanderen (the Flemish tourism agency) brochure « Het Vlaams logiesdecreet in één oogopslag » (the Flemish accommodation decree at a glance, March 2026 version), the Vlaanderen.be page on the aanmelding and recognition of a tourist accommodation (aanmelding means the declaration of an accommodation), the be.brussels page on registering a tourist accommodation, the VRT NWS article of 1 June 2026 (VRT NWS is the Flemish public broadcaster's news service) and Airbnb's help page « Responsible hosting in Belgium ». We could not read any official page from Wallonia, so it is not covered here.

Last source check: 23 October 2026. This is not legal or tax advice: to be checked for your situation and your municipality, with the competent administration.

Who sets the rules for tourist rentals in Belgium?

In Belgium, the region sets the rules for tourist accommodation: there is no single national register. The Toerisme Vlaanderen brochure states that the Flemish decree applies to any accommodation offered on the tourist market in the Flemish Region, and that the Brussels-Capital Region has its own regulation. For Wallonia, we refer you to the Tourisme Wallonie website, which we could not read.

This has a simple consequence: before publishing, identify the region of your property. A host with an apartment in Brussels and a house in Flanders has to follow two procedures.

What does Flanders require today?

In Flanders, any property rented to tourists must be declared to Toerisme Vlaanderen, even for one night a year. According to Vlaanderen.be, this obligation applies whether the rental is professional or a side activity, and whether it is direct or through an intermediary or a platform such as Airbnb or Booking.com. The March 2026 brochure sums up the procedure:

1. Online declaration on the Toerisme Vlaanderen operators' portal (uitbatersportaal).
2. Registration number: after the declaration, the property receives a 6-digit number, called the « logiesdecreetnummer » (the accommodation decree number, for example 123456), and appears in the online register of accommodations.
3. Possible visit: Toerisme Vlaanderen may then contact you for a visit or ask for certificates. The brochure specifies, however, that you do not have to wait for an inspection visit before welcoming your first guests.

The brochure lists 9 basic conditions. They include in particular: a property declared to Toerisme Vlaanderen; a fire safety certificate (brandveiligheidsattest) to be requested from the bourgmestre (the mayor); a clean, well-maintained property; insurance for fire and civil liability, for the property and for the operation; an operator with no conviction for certain offences; a title deed or a lease that allows the operation; accurate information about the property; and compliance with planning rules, with the necessary permits, to be checked with the municipality's planning department.

Toerisme Vlaanderen carries out checks online and on site, by sampling, after a complaint or when in doubt. According to the brochure, you risk a fine if the property does not meet the conditions, and the agency can order the operation to stop in case of a dangerous situation.

One particular case: according to Vlaanderen.be, the decree does not apply if you rent to friends and relatives without offering the property publicly or promoting it.

What did Flanders announce on 1 June 2026?

The Flemish government has decided to tighten the rules for platforms: according to VRT NWS (article of 1 June 2026, based on Belga), only properties with a Toerisme Vlaanderen registration number will soon still be allowed to appear on online platforms. The Minister for Tourism, Hans Bonte, announced it.

Three points from that article:

• A check before the listing goes online. Platforms will also have to share data on their offer and activities with Toerisme Vlaanderen.
• A faster procedure to close a property. When a property does not comply with local planning rules, a report (procès-verbal) from the municipality will be enough in future for Toerisme Vlaanderen to close it; today, an enforcement procedure (handhavingsprocedure), sometimes lasting several years, is required.
• A weak level of compliance. An annual check by Toerisme Vlaanderen among platforms showed that only 6 out of 10 checked properties complied with the decree.

The same article gives no date of entry into force: the text speaks of a measure coming « soon ». We did not find the final amended text of the decree: treat this rule as announced, not yet applied, and check its status on the Toerisme Vlaanderen website before publishing. Our article on the European transparency regulation explains the European framework in which these changes take place.

What do you need to do in Brussels?

In Brussels, you must have your accommodation registered before renting to tourists, and obtain a registration number before you start. According to be.brussels, this covers the rental of a room, an apartment or a house for stays from one night to 90 consecutive days (for example through Airbnb or Booking), in a municipality of the Region (postal codes 1000 to 1299).

The steps described by be.brussels:

1. Certificates from the municipality: a planning certificate (attestation d'urbanisme) and a fire certificate (attestation incendie), requested from the municipality concerned.
2. Registration with Bruxelles Économie et Emploi (the Brussels economy and employment administration) before renting, for occasional as well as frequent rentals. The procedure is free of charge.
3. Publishing the listing: once the accommodation is registered, you can publish your listing and take bookings.
4. Regional tax: you then declare the accommodation to Bruxelles Fiscalité (the Brussels tax administration) and pay a tax based on the number of nights.
5. Income tax: you declare the rental income in your tax return.

Among the documents requested: proof of identity and a criminal record extract less than 3 months old, a copy of the civil liability insurance contract with proof of payment of the premium, the property tax assessment notice (avertissement-extrait de rôle du précompte immobilier) if you are the owner, or a lease with the owner's written consent if you rent the property yourself, the written agreement of the general meeting in a co-owned building, and a plan and photos of the accommodation. The basic regulation is the ordonnance du 8 mai 2014 relative à l'hébergement touristique (the ordinance of 8 May 2014 on tourist accommodation), cited by be.brussels.

According to Airbnb's help page for Belgium, the Brussels tax is calculated from the number of nights and a base amount per accommodation unit; the host registers it once, declares it and pays it every month, and must register any new property within 31 days of opening, failing which a fine of €1,000 per unit may apply. These amounts and deadlines are those quoted by Airbnb: check them with Bruxelles Fiscalité.

What about income tax and social security?

Income from a tourist rental in Belgium is in principle taxable, and how it is treated depends on your situation. Airbnb's help page points out that this income is generally taxable income, that regional or municipal taxes may be added, and that, if the rental is a professional activity, it is as a rule considered a self-employed activity, with registration with a social insurance fund for the self-employed. Airbnb states that its article is neither exhaustive nor legal or tax advice. As for tourist taxes, the page says that each Belgian municipality may introduce one: ask your municipality.

If you are a French host, do not transpose the rules of your own country: our article on the tourist tax in short-term rentals concerns France, and each country has its own rules.

What checklist before you publish your listing in Belgium?

Before publishing, check in this order:

1. The region of the property (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia).
2. The matching declaration or registration, and your number.
3. The fire certificate from the municipality; see also our article on the smoke detector in seasonal rentals, which concerns France.
4. The insurance (fire and civil liability in Flanders, civil liability in Brussels): see our guide on PNO and professional liability insurance for furnished rental hosts for the method, adapted to France.
5. The municipality's planning rules.
6. Any regional or municipal tax.
7. Your number on the listing, when the platform asks for it.

How do you welcome guests in Belgium: which languages?

Belgium is a multilingual country, and your guests often come from several neighbouring countries. A translated welcome booklet avoids misunderstandings about heating, waste sorting or arrival. Our article on the welcome booklet for international guests details the approach. With Majordia, the booklet is created without sign-up, exists in 6 languages (French, Dutch, German, English, Spanish, Italian) and opens with a QR code, with no app to install. Majordia does not handle your declaration or your registration: that remains your procedure with the administration of your region.

Key takeaways

FAQ

Do you need a registration number to rent on Airbnb in Belgium?

In Flanders and Brussels, yes: a registration number is obtained from Toerisme Vlaanderen in Flanders and from Bruxelles Économie et Emploi in Brussels. For Wallonia, check with Tourisme Wallonie, whose official page we could not read.

Does an occasional rental of a few nights count?

Yes in Flanders: according to Vlaanderen.be, the obligation also applies to one or several nights a year through Airbnb or Booking. In Brussels, be.brussels specifies that a file must be submitted to rent occasionally as well as frequently.

What does the 1 June 2026 announcement change in Flanders?

Properties without a Toerisme Vlaanderen registration number will no longer be allowed on platforms. The VRT NWS article gives no date: do not count on that, but register now.

How much does registration cost in Brussels?

According to be.brussels, the registration procedure is free of charge. The regional tax on nights is a separate procedure, with Bruxelles Fiscalité.

Can you rent to friends without registering the property?

In Flanders, according to Vlaanderen.be, the decree only applies if the property is offered publicly or promoted and rented for payment. Renting to friends without advertising is not subject to it. Check your case with Toerisme Vlaanderen.

My property is in Wallonia: what should I do?

Wallonia has its own tourism regulation, which we could not read for this article. Consult the Tourisme Wallonie website or that of Wallonia.

One region, one number, one booklet

Renting in Belgium starts with identifying the region and obtaining the right number. Only then comes the welcome: create your welcome booklet in 6 languages, without sign-up.

Image credits. Cover: photo « river between houses during daytime » by Christian Lue (Ghent, Belgium), Unsplash, Unsplash licence. Photos in the text: « A row of houses with cars parked in front of them » by Bibi Pace (Brussels), Unsplash, and « Belgian flag flying over a city with many red-tiled roofs » by William Dmytrow, Unsplash, Unsplash licence.