Renting a room in Ghent or Antwerp: how Flemish rental rules differ from Brussels

Someone who's rented in Brussels before and moves to Ghent or Antwerp usually assumes the contract works the same way, just cheaper. It doesn't. Belgium is a federal state where housing has been regionalised since 2018, and Flanders runs on its own decree — the Vlaams Woninghuurdecreet — with deposit, indexation, and subletting rules that differ from both Brussels and Wallonia. We already covered how Wallonia differs from Brussels; this piece does the same for Flanders, home to Ghent, Antwerp, and Leuven.

How much is the rental deposit in Flanders?

Direct answer: in Flanders, the rental deposit has a flat cap of three months' rent, regardless of which form you use. That's different from Brussels, where the cap varies by form — typically two months if paid in cash or held in a blocked account, three months if a bank guarantee is used instead.

The Flemish decree, in force since 1 January 2019, recognises four accepted deposit forms — blocked account, bank guarantee, a CPAS-backed guarantee (via the municipal social services), or a personal guarantee from a third party — and forbids combining them. It also abolished the old progressive bank guarantee from 2007.

One detail that catches landlords off guard: if the landlord receives the deposit in cash or deposits it into a personal account instead of a blocked account in the tenant's name, the decree allows the tenant to treat those amounts as rent already paid, not as a retained deposit.

What if I can't pay the deposit all at once?

There's a specific route: the Vlaamse Huurwaarborglening, an interest-free loan for the deposit administered through the Vlaams Woningfonds or the CPAS, available to tenants under certain income limits. It only applies to contracts signed after 1 January 2019.

This doesn't exist in the same form in Brussels, where the equivalent mechanism (BRUGAL) runs under different conditions, or in Wallonia, where the Fonds du Logement operates under its own rules.

Does the EPC energy label affect rent indexation in Flanders?

Yes, and more strictly than in the other two Belgian regions. Since the decree of 4 July 2023, Flanders applies a permanent EPC coefficient to annual rent indexation: A, B, or C-rated homes index at 100%; a D label indexes at only 75% (in Brussels and Wallonia, a C label still indexes at 100%, and the cutoff comes later); E or F labels index at 50%; and with no valid EPC, the coefficient is zero — indexation isn't possible at all.

Unlike Wallonia, which dropped the EPC-indexation link entirely by late 2023, Flanders' restriction isn't transitional. The timeline is already fixed: from 2028, E or F-rated homes won't be indexable at all until their rating improves, and from 2030, those same homes won't be legally rentable unless they reach at least a D label.

For anyone pricing a room in Ghent or Antwerp, this changes the mid-term return calculation in a way Brussels doesn't yet apply with the same force.

Can I sublet my room in Flanders?

It depends on whether it's partial or full. The decree allows partial subletting — renting out a room inside your own home — as long as you keep occupying the rest of the property as your primary residence and inform the landlord. Full subletting, on the other hand, requires the landlord's prior written consent.

In both cases, the sublet can't become a way of making a disproportionate profit over what you yourself pay in primary rent.

What does this mean for someone searching or listing on Roomie-Radar?

If you're comparing a room in Ghent against one in Brussels on price alone, it's worth checking what deposit you'll be asked for and how the rent will rise each year, because the rules aren't the same. For actual city-by-city price figures, the guide to student rooms in Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Liège complements this piece with real numbers. Many of our landlord users in Flanders tell us that understanding the EPC-indexation link changes how they plan an energy renovation. Roomie-Radar lists verified rooms in Ghent and Antwerp, and using Roomie-Radar is free.

Conclusion

Flanders isn't a cheaper version of Brussels — it's a different legal framework, with its own deposit cap, its own EPC-linked indexation system, and its own subletting rules. Understanding this before signing, whether you're a tenant or a landlord, avoids surprises that have nothing to do with the rent itself and everything to do with the rules around it.

If you're moving between Belgian regions, don't assume the contract you signed in Brussels translates the same way in Ghent or Antwerp. At Roomie-Radar we list verified rooms across Belgium, with contract information clear from the start. Start at roomie-radar.com.

FAQ 📊

1. How much is the rental deposit in Flanders?

The cap is three months' rent, uniform regardless of the form chosen: blocked account, bank guarantee, CPAS-backed guarantee, or a third party's personal guarantee. It applies to contracts signed since 1 January 2019.

2. Is the deposit in Flanders the same as in Brussels?

No. In Brussels the cap varies by form — usually two months in cash or a blocked account, three months with a bank guarantee — while in Flanders the cap is always three months regardless of form.

3. What if I can't pay the full deposit when signing?

You can apply for the Vlaamse Huurwaarborglening, an interest-free loan administered by the Vlaams Woningfonds or the CPAS, available to those under certain income limits, for contracts signed after January 2019.

4. Does the EPC affect rent indexation in Flanders?

Yes. Since July 2023, Flanders applies a permanent EPC coefficient: A/B/C indexes at 100%, D at 75%, E/F at 50%, and with no valid EPC, no indexation is possible.

5. How long will these indexation restrictions last in Flanders?

They aren't transitional, unlike Wallonia. The timeline already sets that from 2028, E/F-rated homes won't be indexable until their rating improves, and from 2030 they won't be legally rentable below a D label.

6. Can I rent out a room in my own home in Flanders without permission?

Partial subletting — renting a room while you keep living in the rest of the property — is allowed if you inform the landlord. Full subletting of the property does require the landlord's prior written consent.

7. What happens if my landlord in Flanders keeps the deposit in a personal account?

If the landlord receives the deposit in cash or deposits it somewhere other than the blocked account in the tenant's name, the decree allows those amounts to be treated as rent already paid, not as a retained deposit.

8. Is it cheaper to rent in Ghent or Antwerp than in Brussels?

Prices are generally lower than Brussels, but price isn't the only variable that changes: the deposit, the indexation system, and the subletting conditions differ too and affect the real cost over the length of the contract.

9. Does Roomie-Radar have verified rooms in Ghent and Antwerp?

Yes. Roomie-Radar lists verified rooms in Ghent, Antwerp, and other Belgian cities alongside Brussels, and using Roomie-Radar is free.

10. Where can I find the official text of the Flemish rental decree?

On the Flemish Government's website (vlaanderen.be), where the Vlaams Woninghuurdecreet of 9 November 2018 is published along with its later updates.