The average monthly cost for student accommodation in Belgium has risen by almost €100 in three years. The capital remains the largest and most expensive student city.
The cost of renting student housing (kot in Flemish) rose by 7% last year, even by 17% compared with 2020, from €400 to €470 per month, according to the Kotkompass study conducted by student accommodation organisation Diggit Studentlife and independent property expert Stadim.
The total cost of renting such accommodation (bills included) is €565 in Belgium, compared to €520 last year and €469 in 2020. This means that, in the past three years, the total cost faced by students or their parents for staying in student housing has risen by €100.
"Fixed costs, particularly energy, are pushing up this average, rising from an average of €69 in 2020 to €95 this year (+38%). One in three students say that they are having difficulty paying their utility bills," the report read.
Skyrocketing costs in Brussels
Brussels remains the largest city of students in Belgium, with approximately 122,500 students and a high number of institutions.
It also remains the most expensive student city by far: an average room without bills in Brussels costs €445 compared to €390 in Flanders and €370 in Wallonia. When including an ensuite, Brussels is the only region where rent surpasses €500. Studios here cost €635 – €130 more than in Wallonia and €65 more than in Flanders. A private studio with bills costs €785.
The Kotkompass highlighted that the cost of kots was the most thorny issue among students. It pointed to a structural imbalance between rising demand and the lack of supply in most cities which continues to drive up prices.
"It is common knowledge that there is a shortage of affordable and high-quality student rooms. This immediately leads to tension, as higher quality opens the door to more expensive prices," Ans Persoons, State Secretary in charge of Town Planning in Brussels, said. These high prices are also the main reason for students opting to stay at home while studying.
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Persoons argued that, when accommodation supply was increased in the past, the rooms were predominantly in a higher price bracket. "We need to work towards a more affordable offer with more shared facilities, including shared bathrooms for example."
She is in favour of a shift of student clusters toward the outskirts of the city "obviously in combination with good public transport connections."
