If you've been hunting for an affordable Brussels Airbnb, you might want to reconsider your options. A fresh investigation by news platform Bruzz uncovered something troubling: over 90% of the short-term rental listings on the platform are operating illegally in Belgium's capital.
The numbers are stark. Researchers compared three datasets, including the official city registry of approved rentals and active listings from the Inside Airbnb watchdog. Of 2,788 entire homes and apartments listed on Airbnb in Brussels, only 267 appear on the city's official register of legal accommodations. That's less than 10% compliance.
Why Brussels rental rules are so tough
Brussels has built one of Europe's most complicated rental frameworks. Would-be landlords must jump through at least eight separate bureaucratic hoops. You need proof of identity, a background check, liability insurance, fire safety certificates, proper urban planning permission, a property tax notice, and registration with the regional tax office within 31 days. On top of that, property owners must pay a regional nightly tax that can reach five euros per guest.
The system is so Byzantine that it caught the attention of the European Court of Justice, which criticized its lack of clarity and objectivity. Yet instead of simplifying things, Brussels is doubling down. Boris Dilliès, President of the Brussels Capital region, announced that rules for entire-home rentals will become stricter because short-term lets compete with regular housing and hotels. Only room rentals by private individuals will face more relaxed rules.
Enforcement is ramping up
The city isn't just complaining about the problem. Authorities are using citizen complaints, municipal inspectors, and reports from travelers themselves to identify rule-breakers. In 2025 alone, 38 rental operations were ordered to shut down. More than 2,000 property owners were pursued for unpaid taxes. Anyone who ignores a shutdown order faces penalties starting at €1,000 per unit, plus a full year's worth of income tax calculated on the assumption of 100% occupancy.
This enforcement push mirrors what's happening in other cities. Spain has already wiped tens of thousands of properties from rental sites following massive platform fines, making Barcelona and Berlin look like enforcement pioneers. Both cities have implemented a simple solution that Brussels hasn't yet adopted: requiring Airbnb to collect official registration numbers from hosts before listings go live. This approach essentially outsources compliance to the platform itself.
What this means for travelers
For visitors booking accommodations in Brussels, the crackdown raises real questions about the stability of your reservation. Renting from an illegal property technically puts you in breach of local law, even if you're just a tourist. More practically, unregistered properties often lack the safety inspections and insurance protections that legal rentals carry.
The path forward remains unclear. The city could follow Barcelona and Berlin's example, forcing Airbnb to verify hosts before listing appears online. Such a move would likely shrink available inventory but create a safer, legal market. For now, Brussels remains caught between ambitious enforcement and a rental market that stubbornly refuses to comply, leaving travelers and property owners in an uncomfortable gray zone.
