In the first half of 2026, a new lease concluded through an agency is signed on average at EUR 1,401 in Brussels, EUR 910 in Wallonia and EUR 1,006 in Flanders. Increases remain moderate, between 1.5 % and 2.3 % compared with autumn 2025, but these averages only apply to new leases concluded through agencies.

What do the September 2026 barometers say?

Two barometers were published on 11 September 2026. The Federia rental barometer, produced with CIB and Korfine for data collection, covers Brussels and Wallonia. The CIB-Korfine barometer covers Flanders. Both compare the first half of 2026 with the second half of 2025, not with the same period a year earlier. In Brussels, the 1.5 % increase over six months amounts to only 0.6 % over one year: the Federia table gives EUR 1,393 for the first half of 2025, EUR 1,381 for the second half and EUR 1,401 for the first half of 2026. Federia itself warns that the figures should be read with caution, as the increase often slows in the first part of the year before picking up again in the second half. The series are revised with each edition: the figures in this edition replace those published a year ago.

How much does a rented home cost in Brussels?

Brussels, first half of 2026 Average rent Benchmark
All types EUR 1,401 Median stable at EUR 1,250
Apartment EUR 1,366 +1.9 % over six months
One-bedroom apartment EUR 1,089 About EUR 200 more than a studio
Two-bedroom apartment EUR 1,484 About EUR 400 more than one bedroom
Three-bedroom apartment EUR 2,132 Gap to be qualified by location and finish
Studio EUR 885 Median of EUR 860

In Brussels, “all types” covers only three rows of the Federia table: terraced houses, apartments and studios. Apartments account for nearly 85 % of the capital’s rental market in the barometer. The gap between one, two and three bedrooms is clear, but Federia itself qualifies it: larger apartments may be more often located in expensive municipalities, with a better finish or a terrace. About a quarter of all properties (26.1 %) were let for less than EUR 1,000 a month, against more than half (55.8 %) in 2021. In the words of Charlotte De Thaye, managing director of Federia, it is becoming more and more difficult, particularly for large families, to find suitable and affordable rental housing. Studios are gaining ground: for the first time, they account for as many lettings as terraced houses, 6 % each.

Which municipalities are the most expensive?

For an apartment, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre remains the most expensive municipality, and the first where the average rent exceeds EUR 1,600 (EUR 1,608). Uccle follows at about EUR 1,550, then Ixelles at EUR 1,469. At the bottom of the ranking, Ganshoren is still just above EUR 1,000, after a sharp increase the previous year. For an agency, these municipal averages give a first reletting benchmark. The reference rent in the grid remains the legal point of comparison in Brussels, and a large gap must be justified: see our article on ruling 105/2026 and abusive rents.

What about Wallonia?

The average Walloon rent reaches EUR 910, up 1.7 % compared with autumn 2025. The scope differs from Brussels: it includes houses with two, three and four façades and apartments. Federia calculates that renting costs about 35 % less than in Brussels, a monthly gap of EUR 491, and about 10 % less than in Flanders. Apartments rose the most, by 3.3 %, to EUR 843. Walloon Brabant remains the most expensive province, at EUR 1,218 for all types, but it is the only one to fall this half-year (−1.8 %). Namur recorded the strongest increase, +3.8 %, to EUR 895. According to Federia, the relative stability may reflect households’ caution in the face of economic uncertainty, and inflation may weigh on rents in the coming months.

What about Flanders?

According to the CIB-Korfine barometer, the average Flemish rent crosses EUR 1,000: EUR 1,006, or +2.3 % compared with autumn 2025. The median reaches EUR 925 (+2.8 %). Despite this threshold, 60.7 % of lettings are still below EUR 1,000, including two thirds of the apartments let. Apartments, which account for 66.9 % of lettings, cost an average of EUR 943 (+2.4 %). Flemish Brabant remains the most expensive province and records the strongest increase, 5.98 %, becoming the first province above EUR 1,200 (EUR 1,212). Among the thirteen Flemish central cities, the Leuven agglomeration is the most expensive for an apartment, at EUR 1,132; Ghent sits just below the EUR 1,000 mark. The Flemish scope also includes villas and detached houses: comparing regional averages with each other therefore calls for caution.

Another point raised by Patrick Boterbergh, CEO of Korfine: in spring 2026, small Flemish apartments rose more than large ones, contrary to previous years. The increase reached 3.2 % for one bedroom and 1.5 % for two bedrooms, with a slight fall of 0.4 % for three bedrooms. He is waiting for the autumn to see whether this anomaly continues.

What are these averages worth when setting a rent?

They describe newly signed leases, not the rents currently being paid. Federia specifies this: they are exclusively contracts concluded through a real estate agency, excluding student housing, second homes and sublets. The average rent paid by all tenants cannot be deduced from them. The gap with the rents currently paid is significant. According to IWEPS, based on the SILC 2025 survey, Walloon tenant households pay EUR 659 on average, social housing included and charges excluded. A new Walloon lease concluded through an agency is, for its part, signed at EUR 910. For a landlord comparing their indexed rent with these averages, the question is therefore which series they are looking at. A reletting is positioned against new leases in the same municipality and of the same type, not against the regional average of all tenants.

Timing matters too. Patrick Boterbergh, CEO of Korfine, notes in the Federia release that in recent years rents have regularly accelerated again in the autumn. On the Flemish side, CIB and Korfine fear a new inflation peak in the autumn, not yet visible in rents. A reletting signed in October therefore cannot be compared mechanically with spring figures.

How should autumn relettings be read?

  1. Compare with the right series: new leases in the same municipality and of the same type, not the regional average.
  2. Read the change over one year when it is available: +0.6 % in Brussels, not +1.5 %.
  3. Document the gap in Brussels between the rent asked and the reference rent in the grid.
  4. Explain to the landlord the difference between a reletting rent and the average rent of sitting tenants.

The annual barometer is covered in our reading of the 2025 Federia barometer. Rental demand and departures from Brussels are discussed in our article on tenants leaving Brussels.

How does Seido help you track current rents?

Managing several properties? Seido tracks indexations and deadlines for each lease, for all three regions. You approve, and nothing slips through the cracks when a deadline falls. See how Seido tracks the Belgian framework.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Brussels in 2026?

According to the Federia barometer, EUR 1,401 in the first half of 2026 for new leases concluded through agencies, all types combined, meaning terraced houses, apartments and studios. The median rent is EUR 1,250. An apartment lets for EUR 1,366 on average. The increase is 1.5 % compared with the second half of 2025, and 0.6 % over one year.

Why is the IWEPS average Walloon rent lower than Federia’s?

Because they do not measure the same thing. IWEPS, based on the SILC 2025 survey, calculates what all Walloon tenant households pay, social housing included: EUR 659 on average. Federia only counts new leases concluded through agencies in the first half of 2026: EUR 910. The gap reflects the difference between current rents and reletting rents.

Does the average Flemish rent exceed EUR 1,000?

Yes, for the first time according to the CIB-Korfine barometer: EUR 1,006 in the first half of 2026, 2.3 % more than in autumn 2025. The median remains at EUR 925, and 60.7 % of lettings are still below EUR 1,000. Flemish Brabant is the most expensive province, at EUR 1,212.

Which Brussels municipality is the most expensive for an apartment?

Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, according to the Federia barometer: EUR 1,608 on average in the first half of 2026, the first municipality above EUR 1,600. Uccle follows at about EUR 1,550, then Ixelles at EUR 1,469. Ganshoren closes the ranking, just above EUR 1,000. These averages only cover new leases concluded through agencies.

Sources and references

Last updated: September 2026. This article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For any specific situation, consult a real estate law professional.