A growing number of Belgians are choosing to rent part of their accommodation to cope with the rising cost of living, according to the latest figures from the American platform Airbnb,
Driven by energy prices, inflation in Belgium has been flying from peak to peak for several months. For many, the question of how to make ends meet is becoming increasingly pertinent.
According to Airbnb, many Belgians are looking to supplement their income by renting out part of their home. The tourism sector has been climbing back to pre-pandemic levels. Possibly seeing an opportunity, the number of new hosts on Airbnb in Belgium "doubled in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the number of new hosts in 2021."
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It should be noted that it is not only the large cities that are experiencing this phenomenon. Mechelen is experiencing the strongest growth, ahead of Oudenaarde, Antwerp, Hasselt, Dinant, Leuven, Ghent, Liège, Arlon and Middelkerke.
Not all it's made out to be
Pierre (not his real name) has been active on the platform since 2018. He is a single father who rents out a guest room in his apartment in the south of Brussels.
He started renting the room again after not doing so for two years due to the pandemic. "At €55 a room for two people with breakfast, when you count water, heating, laundry, ironing, 3% Airbnb fees, it's not a mega profit. But it is what it is."
In particular, with the start of the new school year, Pierre said that the bills have been piling up. That with the prospect of the end of his fixed energy contract by February does not reassure him. Especially since it "puts some money in the pocket," but that the income is "very irregular."
"Sometimes the rentals come and go, sometimes we have nothing for three weeks," he explained. "You can't count on it, nor can you budget for it in advance."
