Home of Tintin, moules frites and some extremely strong beer, Brussels is also brimming with accommodation options, including several properties available as short term rentals.
(Photo: Chris Yunker via Flick / CC BY 2.0)
There are multiple advantages to choosing a rented apartment over a hotel, especially for large groups, families or people looking to relocate to a city for an extended period. Of course, like in most cities, the Brussels short lets scene is dominated by California tech giants Airbnb. Nevertheless there are an increasing number of alternatives, with the following being our top three.
Booking.com
Our number one spot for finding weekly rentals in Brussels goes to Booking.com. With numerous accommodation options on its books, you’re almost certain to find an apartment suited to your tastes. The website has multiple filters attached to its search engine, enabling users to choose an apartment according to budget, preferred neighbourhood and desired amenities. When we searched for short stay options in early summer, we found a fine selection of apartments available, with prices starting at around €100 per night for a double bedroom in a shared flat in the trendy district of Saint-Gille. The website also has a dedicated customers reviews section, as well as a price match guarantee for any accommodation booked on the site.
Homelike
Our recommended platform for monthly rentals, Homelike’s flexible check-in and check-out dates allow users to change their plans at the last minute. While many other rental platforms appear keen to bamboozle users with endless information, Homelike keeps it simple, displaying high-quality photographs, easy-to-understand apartment descriptions, and making use of graphic icons to show the amenities at each rental Interestingly, Homelike pays particular attention to the track record of the apartment owners by displaying their typical response times, the number of apartments they have listed, and whether the apartment has an officially accredited certificate of residence.
Housing Anywhere
Originally set up in 2009 to help students find shared accommodation, HousingAnywhere has since expanded its portfolio to cater for remote workers and families in between house moves looking for mid to long-term rentals. It has a solid reputation, with listed accommodation options in over 50 European cities. In order to book an apartment, you’ll be asked to pay a month’s rent upfront, which will immediately give you access to the landlord or letting agency. Looking through available monthly rentals in Brussels, HousingAnywhere had almost 1000 furnished rentals available, with prices starting at around €400 for a shared property in the district of Etterbeek.