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Tourism Flanders tightens Airbnb rules to protect housing for singles

Posted by Timothy on

Flemish Deputy Minister-President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister of Housing, Energy and Climate, Tourism and Youth Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) is tightening the rules for Airbnb accommodations, stating that homes intended for single occupants are increasingly being used as tourist accommodation.

Only accommodation with a valid registration number will still be allowed to advertise in Flanders on online platforms such as Airbnb. Minister Melissa Depraetere announced this in a press release on Sunday 7 December 2025.

Annual inspections by Visit Flanders / Tourism Flanders / Toerisme Vlaanderen show that 40% of accommodation does not comply with the Lodging Decree. 

Anyone in Flanders who promotes and rents out accommodation to tourists for payment is required to report this to Visit Flanders. Accommodation must also meet the operating conditions set out in the Flemish Lodging Decree, which covers fire safety, hygiene and minimum quality requirements.

Depraetere said in De Zondag that platforms will also be required to share data on their listings with Visit Flanders. Systematic screening of this data should prevent accommodation from staying under the radar or being rented out illegally.

Local authorities will receive stronger support to take action against non-compliant accommodation. In cases where the necessary urban planning permits are missing, a municipal report will in future be sufficient for Visit Flanders to close the accommodation.

According to Depraetere, many of the problematic listings involve apartments or homes intended for single occupants that are currently being used as tourist accommodation. She said the aim is to ensure that homes intended for residential use are actually used as such.

Depraetere also noted that additional overnight stays are beneficial for tourism, but that safety and liveability must be maintained. The growth in tourist accommodation is putting pressure on the rental market and reducing liveability in tourist cities. By tightening the rules now, the government aims to ensure a high-quality tourism offering while protecting the rental market.

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