The conclusion that the high concentration of accommodation on the Airbnb platform in certain neighborhoods of Brussels is linked to the significant increase in the average rents of long-term contracts, concludes the research of the Free University of Brussels, VUB, the findings of which are presented today by the “Brussels Times” website.

To demonstrate Airbnb’s impact on the rental market, VUB University researchers studied data from 2015 to 2020 in the Brussels neighborhoods with the highest concentration of short-term rental accommodation. Their findings show a direct correlation between the number of properties on the Airbnb platform and the prices paid by local renters.

Airbnb accommodations are most concentrated in tourist center of Brussels, in European quarter (Suman and Leopold Park) and in the municipalities Ixel and Saint-Gilles.

The monthly rent per room increased from 365 euros in 2016 to 460 euros in 2018 and in 2020 amid the pandemic, it was reduced to 428 euros.

It has been recorded that for each Airbnb listing per 100 households there is an average increase of 1.6% in the local rental market. With some neighborhoods in central Brussels measuring Airbnb densities of over 20, the cumulative impact on local housing is significant.

The inflationary effect observed in Brussels is in line with similar studies carried out abroad, the VUB researchers point out. As in other large ones citiesalso in Brussels, there is a noticeable increase in owners who prefer the lucrative Airbnb short-stay market to long-term contracts.

Stricter measures for property owners

The results are particularly worrying for the Brussels authorities, as it is observed that some property owners use Airbnb as a business venture and not as “additional casual income”.

The “Brussels Times” notes that last week an entire building of illegal tourist accommodation was sealed off near the Grand Place, as the owner has several properties in the historic center which he professionally offered to Airbnb, without the necessary paperwork.

Last month, city officials won a legal battle over proposed changes to the law, paving the way for tougher measures against “illegal Airbnbs” and regulation of their operations.

Anyone in the Belgian capital wishing to rent out their property through Airbnb (or similar platforms) must register with the site and undergo a series of checks.