Belgium is a genuinely multi-lingual country, something which is particularly true in a city like Brussels and which is driven by the presence of international corporations and bodies such as the EU and NATO. Officially, the country is divided into different linguistic regions. The five provinces in the north and northeast of the country have Dutch as the official language, and these are:
Antwerp
East Flanders
Flemish Brabant
Limburg
West Flanders
Whether you’ve decided to leave Belgium altogether, or are moving from one property to another, there are certain things which need to be done to make sure the process runs as smoothly as possible. The following guide breaks the process down into individual steps, including details of the official bodies which need to be informed of your move.
Inform the local municipality
Housing and Rentals
Compared to some European countries, Belgium offers a good deal to anyone wishing to rent a property. This is because leases on rental properties are stable, secure and longer term, with aspects such as annual rent rises and the responsibility for repairs and upkeep being well established from the outset. There are four types of basic rental contract in Belgium:
Short term, which lasts for three years or less
Nine years, which can include fixed term agreements for periods between three and nine years
The international nature of the population of Brussels, driven by the presence of institutions such as the European Union and NATO, probably helps to ease some of the problems usually associated with moving to a new country or even continent. Many of the people you have to liaise with, such as real estate agents or landlords, will have experience of dealing with people from other countries, and the multilingual nature of the population helps to ease any issues regarding communication.
Location
If you live in Brussels then you’re never going to face any difficulty when it comes to finding places to eat and drink. On virtually every street corner and in all the parks you can find vans serving delicious waffles or stalls selling fantastically fresh seafood. The streets and squares of the centre of the city are lined with cafes, bars and brasseries and, famously, there’s probably no finer city in the world if you’re idea of a good drink is a delicious specialist beer.
When you think about living in Brussels, taking advantage of wide open green spaces might not be the first thing that springs to mind. A modern, euro-centric city containing a blend of the historic and the modern, a thriving cultural scene and the chance to sample food and drink from all over the world? All of this is certainly true, but it’s probably not the place to stretch your legs, breath in some fresh air and enjoy a picnic. As anyone who lives there will attest, however, this is something of a misconception.
Unless you’re a multi-millionaire with a team of personal assistants working round the clock to find you the perfect place, searching for an apartment is tough. Even multi-millionaires probably lie awake at night wondering if the pool in that last penthouse was exactly the right shape, but this isn’t about them. This is about you, the average person, trying to find a place to live and wondering if all the pieces will ever fall into place. Perhaps the hardest part about searching for an apartment is that it’s a highly emotional process.
