Letting a holiday home on the Belgian coast: what you need to arrange

An apartment in Knokke, a villa in De Haan or a studio on the seafront in Ostend: many owners consider letting their property to tourists. The idea is simple. Guests book, you receive the income and the property does not stand empty when you are not there yourself.

In practice, there is quite a lot involved. There are rules from Flanders, rules from your municipality and arrangements with your insurer. Then there is the practical work: keys, cleaning and prices. In this article we set everything out, in the order in which it is best to tackle it.

Step 1: register your holiday home with Toerisme Vlaanderen

In Flanders, letting to tourists falls under the Flemish Accommodation Decree (Logiesdecreet). Anyone offering a holiday home must first register it with Toerisme Vlaanderen (Visit Flanders' tourism authority). This is done online and is free of charge. The timing matters: the registration must be in order before you welcome your first guests.

After registering, you receive a registration number. That number must appear in every listing. This applies to your own website, but also to your offer on Airbnb, Booking.com and other platforms. The platforms themselves are also asking for it more and more often.

So do not treat the registration as a formality for later. It is the foundation on which the rest of your letting rests. If you have several properties, you register each property separately.

Step 2: obtain a fire safety certificate

The safety of guests is central to the regulations. For a holiday home you need a fire safety certificate. You apply for it through your municipality. The fire service then comes on site to inspect the property.

After the inspection you receive a certificate. There are three possibilities:

• Certificate A: the property complies. You may let it.
• Certificate B: the property complies, but with remarks. You may let it and you deal with the remarks.
• Certificate C: the property does not comply. You may not let it until the problems have been resolved.

The fire service looks at smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, escape routes and the general layout, among other things. Think of doors that open easily, clear exits and appliances that are in good order. It pays to do a round yourself beforehand. A small adjustment before the inspection saves you a second appointment later.

Bear in mind that the application and the inspection take time. Plan them well ahead of the season, especially if you want to start in spring.

Step 3: review your insurance

Many owners assume their ordinary home insurance is sufficient. That is often not the case. A standard fire insurance policy is usually intended for your own use or conventional letting. Commercial letting to tourists often falls outside it.

Two things are important:

1. Civil liability towards guests. This is compulsory. If a guest is injured because of a defect in the property, you must be insured.
2. Your fire insurance. Tell your insurer that you let the property to tourists. Have the policy adjusted, so that damage during a stay remains covered.

Ask your insurer to confirm it in writing. That way you know exactly what is covered in the event of water damage, burglary or damage caused by guests. Some platforms offer their own damage scheme, but it does not replace your own insurance.

Step 4: check your municipality's rules

In addition to the Flemish rules, some cities and municipalities have their own additional rules for short-term letting. This applies to Ghent and Antwerp, among others, and also to a number of coastal municipalities. These rules may concern permits, the number of nights or the zones in which letting is allowed.

One point many owners overlook is the planning use of the property. If your property was not permitted as a holiday home, you will as a rule need an environmental permit for a change of use. Registration with Toerisme Vlaanderen does not replace it. On the coast, municipalities often apply this more strictly, sometimes with a freeze on new holiday homes in certain zones. Ask the planning department of your municipality.

If you live in an apartment building, also look at the co-ownership regulations. They sometimes contain arrangements about tourist letting, the use of common areas or pets.

Tourist tax

Many municipalities levy a tourist tax on overnight stays. This tax is local. The amount and the method of calculation differ from municipality to municipality. Sometimes it is an amount per person per night, sometimes a fixed amount per year or per bed.

Ask your municipality which scheme applies to you, how you declare it and when you pay. Do this before you start, so you can include the cost in your prices.

Step 5: think about the tax side

Income from tourist letting is not always taxed in the same way. Much depends on how you organise the letting. Do you let as a private individual or through a company? Do you offer only the property, or also services such as linen, cleaning during the stay or breakfast? The answers to these questions can change the tax treatment.

VAT can also come into play. Whether you have to charge VAT depends on the services you provide with the stay, such as linen, breakfast or reception. Have this checked by your accountant in advance. And the way in which you can deduct costs depends on your structure.

There is no standard answer here. So discuss your plans with your accountant before you begin. A conversation beforehand is simpler than a correction afterwards.

Step 6: arrange the practical side

Once the rules are in order, the real work begins. A holiday home runs on small, well-organised tasks.

Keys and access

Guests arrive at all hours. Leaving a key with a neighbour or in a key box at the door works, but it is vulnerable. A smart lock is often more convenient. Each guest then gets their own code, valid only during the stay. You do not need to be on site and you know who was inside and when.

Cleaning and linen

The cleaning between two stays largely determines your reviews. Work with a fixed checklist, so nothing is forgotten. Have the cleaning service take photos after every clean. That way you can see at once whether everything is ready for the next guest.

For linen you have to choose: wash it yourself, outsource it or let guests bring their own bedding. On the coast, most guests expect the beds to be made on arrival.

Maintenance

Salty air, sand and intensive use leave their mark. A broken shower or heating that fails must be fixed quickly. Make sure you have a few regular tradespeople you can call.

Prices

A fixed price all year round leaves money on the table. The coast has a strong season, busy weekends and quiet weeks in winter. Adjust your price to demand, school holidays and events. In a separate article we go deeper into pricing strategy.

A short checklist

Before you welcome your first guests, it is best to go through this list:

• Property registered with Toerisme Vlaanderen, registration number in every listing
• Fire safety certificate A or B in hand
• Insurer informed, liability towards guests covered
• Municipal rules and tourist tax checked
• Planning use checked with the municipality
• Co-ownership regulations reviewed
• Tax approach discussed with your accountant
• Access, cleaning, linen and maintenance arranged
• Prices matched to season and demand

Rather not do everything yourself?

If you have a busy schedule, you soon notice how much time a holiday home takes. YourDomi takes over the day-to-day management: daily prices based on market data, guest communication in several languages, its own cleaning team and smart locks with a code per stay. Registration, the certificate and your insurance remain your responsibility as the owner, but we are happy to help you get started. Curious what your property could earn? Request a personal proposal.