Flemish Region Lease contract 8000 Ville touristique

Rental lease in Bruges

118 240 habitants Flemish Region Code postal 8000
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Local data · verified sources

Bruges in numbers · 2025-2026

6 indicators
Population
118 240
Statbel 2025
Annual visitors
8.3 M
Toerisme Vlaanderen 2024
Median rent (2-bed)
920 EUR /month
Statbel Q4 2025
Median Airbnb nightly rate
145 EUR / night
AirDNA Q4 2025
Registered short-term dwellings
2 180
Stad Brugge 2025
Tourist tax per stay
4.50 EUR / night
Stad Brugge 2025
Saisonnalite courte duree
Airbnb occupancy in Bruges -- annual cycle
Average short-term occupancy rate across 2,180 registered dwellings in Bruges (source: AirDNA 2024).
28%
Jan
35%
Feb
52%
Mar
78%
Apr
85%
May
88%
Jun
95%
Jul
96%
Aug
82%
Sep
65%
Oct
48%
Nov
72%
Dec
Moyenne annuelle 69%
Pic ete 96%
Bas hiver 28%
Choix d'investissement

Long term vs short term in Bruges

Simulation for a 2-bedroom city-centre flat, 75 m2, value 320,000 EUR
Critere
Long terme
Courte duree
Gross annual rent
11 040 EUR
36 530 EUR
Vacancy / unoccupied
-3 % (300 EUR)
-31 % (11 320 EUR)
Charges and management
-1 200 EUR
-8 500 EUR
Tourist tax paid
0 EUR
-3 280 EUR
Property tax (RC)
-2 100 EUR
-2 100 EUR
Net annual income
7 440 EUR
11 330 EUR
Net yield
2.3 %
3.5 %
Short-term outperforms long-term but requires 3 to 5x more management. Raw pre-tax comparison.
Reglementation locale courte duree

Ce qui s'applique a Bruges

  • !
    Declaration at city hall
    Mandatory from the 1st night let -- Stad Brugge register
  • !
    Registration number
    Must be displayed on every listing (Airbnb, Booking, etc.)
  • !
    Tourist tax 4.50 EUR/night
    Collected by the landlord, paid quarterly to the municipality
  • ·
    60-night limit / year
    Beyond this, potential reclassification as tourist accommodation
  • !
    Fire safety + insurance
    CO/smoke detectors + specific short-term liability insurance
! Sanction : Administrative fine up to 5,000 EUR per undeclared dwelling, increased inspections since 2024.
Local analysis

Bruges — city profile

Renting in Bruges: 8.3M visitors/year, long-term vs Airbnb comparison, short-term regulation and compliant Flemish lease 2026.

Bruges — tourist capital of Flanders

Bruges welcomes 8.3 million visitors per year (Toerisme Vlaanderen 2024), making it Belgium’s most visited city after Brussels. This tourist pressure directly affects the rental market: in the UNESCO-listed medieval centre, 42% of dwellings are let short-term, versus 8% on the Flemish average.

For a Bruges landlord, the central question is financial: long term or short term? A long-term lease (Flemish legislation, Woninghuurdecreet) offers stability and minimal management. Short-term (Airbnb, Booking) promises gross revenues three times higher but imposes intensive management, specific taxation and increasingly strict regulatory compliance. The data below help make the choice based on the property profile and the owner’s risk tolerance.

Tips for renting in Bruges

The hybrid strategy is often the most relevant in Bruges: let short-term during the high season (April-September, occupancy above 78%) and switch to a medium-term furnished lease (3-6 months) during the winter low season, when Airbnb occupancy drops below 35%. This approach requires a lease compliant with the Flemish short-term lease and prior declaration with the municipal register.

Before publishing any listing, three steps are essential: declaration with the Stad Brugge register, display of the registration number on every platform, and fire safety and liability insurance compliance. Since 2024, inspections have intensified and fines reach 5,000 EUR per undeclared dwelling.

Finally, landlords who prefer long-term should monitor the neighbouring coastal market: municipalities such as Knokke-Heist or Ostend offer complementary yield profiles and allow diversification of a Flemish rental portfolio.

Districts of Bruges
Medieval centre (UNESCO)
Tourist heart, maximum prices, constant Airbnb demand
Saint-Anne
Premium residential quarter, mixed short/long-term profile
Sint-Pieters
Suburban residential, traditional long-term market, affordable prices
Related topics · Flemish Region

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