Student digs to reach €500-mark across Flanders: Leuven overtakes Ghent
The average rent for a student room will soon pass the 500-euro mark almost everywhere in Flanders according to the industry body of Belgian estate agents, the CIB. The association saw an increase in rents in all student cities last academic year and expects the trend to continue next academic year.
The CIB notes that high inflation last academic year (2022-2023) impacted on the average rent of student digs in Flanders and Brussels this academic year (2023-2024). For a student room you paid an average of 490 euros per month (+ 8.3 per cent) in Flanders, while in Brussels it was 494 euros per month (+ 12 per cent).
Most lettings for student rooms happen in April or May and the CIB has little hopeful news for people currently looking for student digs for next academic year.
"Initial figures show that we can expect further increases. We can predict with certainty that the €500-mark will be exceeded both in Flanders and Brussels next academic year."
"On the one hand, this is because, although inflation has eased, it remains volatile. On the other hand, the student accommodation market is under pressure. There is greater demand than supply. There are also pressures due to the migration of students to the regular housing market and efforts by municipalities to counter this."
Hasselt remains most expensive Flemish student city
Unlike last academic year, the price of student digs fell nowhere in Flanders this year. Average rents are now everywhere above 400 euros. In Hasselt - still the most expensive Flemish student city - the 500-euro mark has already been passed. There, the average rent for a room was 516 euros.
Almost as expensive is Leuven, where the average rent was 514 euros. Leuven jumps over Ghent (average 495 euros), while Antwerp lags behind (476 euros).
Interestingly, in Antwerp (+ 4.7 per cent) and Ghent (+ 4 per cent), the CIB sees the lowest price increases. In Bruges, the average price rises the most (+ 13.8 per cent).
"In Bruges, more and more newer premises are being developed into student rooms to cope with the pressure in university cities. It’s a trend that is also noticeable in the price," explains Kristophe Thijs, CIB communications director. "By the way, we also see the same phenomenon in Kortrijk, although the price increase there is less noticeable (+7.4 per cent)."
In the Brussels-Capital Region, a student room costs most in Elsene (€527 on average). In the City of Brussels the average price for a student room this academic year was 488 euros per month.
Rent barometer for student rooms
The CIB rent barometer for student rooms is based on data from more than 2,000 lettings of student rooms through estate agents.
Unlike the regular rent barometer, it takes account of inflation during an academic year. "The wave of inflation caused by the energy crisis in 2022 only really took hold in the autumn. This explains why that effect only partially took hold during the academic year 2022-2023 and we saw a catch-up during the academic year 2023-2024," the CIB explains.