The Brussels region has imposed some 1,600 fines over the past six years for vacant properties, totalling €14.4 million, new figures have revealed. It is considered an offence to leave a property unoccupied for more than 12 consecutive months in Brussels, where a housing crisis is putting pressure on the rental market. Brussels Housing is responsible for identifying vacant properties, establishing infringements and notifying the owner. If, three months after the first warning, there is still no valid explanation for the vacancy, the region may
impose a fine. The fine amounts to €500 per linear metre of facade, multiplied by the number of vacant storeys and the number of years the property has stood vacant since the initial finding. On average, fines in recent years have amounted to €8,900. The measure against vacant properties appears to be having an impact. In 2025, 71% of the cases that had been investigated the previous year following a breach were dismissed without further action, meaning these properties had been reoccupied. Such legislation is
becoming more important than ever as new figures show a 20-year stalling of social housing construction, despite a consistent need for such properties and more than 60,000 families registered on the ever-growing waitlist – one and a half times more than the housing supply. According to a new report by perspective.brussels, the construction of new social housing in the capital is progressing much more slowly than was planned 20 years ago. In 2025, the entire region had just under 80,000 social housing units. This includes
the 41,397 social housing units owned by the region, the homes built by local authorities or public social welfare centres (6,800), social housing on the private rental market (7,977), rent subsidies given to low-income tenants on the social housing waiting list (11,522) and various loans via the Housing Fund or Citydev. This combined total represents 13% of the total housing stock, whereas the actual target is 15%. Yves Van de Casteele was appointed housing officer at the Brussels administration perspective.brussels in 2016 and has written
eight annual reports concluding that building new social housing is a slow process, while the waiting list for such homes is growing rapidly. He told Bruzz that of the 80,000 social housing units, “public housing is the only type that links the rent directly to a person’s income”. Various housing plans throughout the years set targets but consistently failed to make them, instead building an average of just 434 housing units per year for the past 16 years, with peaks in 2019 and 2021. After
this year, “unfortunately, we will reach a standstill in the construction of new social housing, which we find very regrettable,” said Werner Van Mieghem of the Brussels Federation for the Right to Housing (BBRoW). “The government has allocated €400 million to provide 1,000 new homes, but this merely involves finalising plans that have been in place for 10 to 15 years. No alternatives have been provided.” The target of 15% social housing across the entire market is therefore still a long way off, with the
region falling short by 11,732 housing solutions. If excluding rent subsidies, which serve merely as a temporary solution for people on the waiting list, that figure can be doubled. The previous and current Brussels governments have deliberately focused on these rent subsidies instead of increasing housing stock. “The former state secretary for housing, Nawal Ben Hamou, wanted to help 10,000 families find a housing solution,” said Van de Casteele. “The fact that she succeeded is mainly because she gave the rent subsidies a boost.” Furthermore,
the spread of social housing is uneven across the capital. The municipalities in the south and east of Brussels are lagging especially far behind. “Most new social housing is located in the west and north of Brussels, where demand is naturally higher,” said Van de Casteele. In Anderlecht, Molenbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (and, exceptionally, Watermael-Boitsfort via its garden suburbs) up to a fifth of all homes are social housing. Evere, Ganshoren, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and Brussels-City also meet the target of 15%. In each of these municipalities, the proportion
of tenants receiving housing benefit is also higher on average. In Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, by contrast, only 5.43% of all homes fall under the umbrella of social housing, whether as actual social housing, council housing or subsidised owner-occupied or rented accommodation. Ixelles (6.10%), Uccle (6.20%) and Auderghem (6.86%) follow closely behind. At neighbourhood level, the difference is even greater. In 28 neighbourhoods, almost all of which are in the south-east of Brussels, fewer than 3% of homes can be classified as social housing. “It’s clear that Brussels
is failing to distribute its social housing evenly,” said Van de Casteele. “Even when the Brussels region seeks turnkey homes on the private market, they’re mainly purchased in Molenbeek, Anderlecht and Brussels-City. The east is simply too expensive.” Werner Van Mieghem said that there were solutions at hand, such as increasing urban planning charges in municipalities with an insufficient proportion of social housing. “That was on the table under the previous government, but hasn’t been taken up again by the new administration,” said Van Mieghem.
In densely populated neighbourhoods, new-build projects are stalling due to a lack of available public land. Even if the government were to focus on renovating empty houses or even offices, Van Mieghem said that “with about 5,000 vacant homes and 2,000 potential homes in old offices, that’s still not enough.” Van Mieghem and Van de Casteele are both concerned about Brussels’ plans to sell off part of its own housing stock, which is set out in the coalition agreement and is intended to help balance
the budget. “I understand the budgetary need, but every home you sell today will be even more expensive to buy back in 10 to 20 years’ time,” Van Mieghem warned. “I therefore recommend not selling the land as well, but retaining it through a long-term leasehold. That way, in 50 years’ time, you’ll still hold the land rights.” The Brussels Housing Association endorses the idea. “We fear that this parliamentary term will be just the beginning,” Van de Casteele said. “How on earth do you
intend to tackle the housing crisis if you put part of your housing stock up for sale?”
Brussels, housing crisis, vacant properties, fines, social housing, waitlist, rent subsidies, perspective.brussels, Brussels Housing