Renting out your second home as a holiday home: what to watch

Many owners buy a second home to enjoy it themselves. A flat by the sea, a cottage in the Ardennes or a studio in town. After a few years, the same question often comes up: is that property standing empty too much? Renting it out to tourists then seems a logical step.

That can certainly pay off. Yet more changes than you might think at first sight. Your property becomes tourist accommodation, with rules, costs and a schedule that takes guests into account. In this article, we go through what you need to arrange before you welcome your first guests, and how to decide whether it is worth it.

Own use and rentals: choose in advance

The biggest pitfall with a second home is planning. You still want to go there yourself, but guests often book months ahead. If you only decide late when you will go yourself, you end up blocking precisely the weeks that earn the most.

So make a plan early every year. Fix your own weeks before you open the calendar. A few tips:

• Choose your own weeks outside the peak. A week in June or September is often just as pleasant for you, while the summer weeks and school holidays earn much more when rented out.
• Block dates on all platforms at the same time. That way you avoid double bookings.
• Keep a cupboard or storeroom for yourself. Put personal belongings that guests may not use under lock and key.
• Have the property cleaned after your own stay, just as after a guest. Then it is ready straight away for the next booking.

Also think about how personal the furnishings can remain. Family photos and your own books give character, but guests also want to feel at home. A neutral base with a few personal touches usually works best.

Notification and registration

In Flanders, you must register your holiday home with Toerisme Vlaanderen (Visit Flanders' tourism authority) before the first guests arrive. That registration is done online and is free. You receive a registration number, and that number must appear in every listing. On Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and your own website.

In addition, local rules may apply. Ghent, Antwerp and some coastal municipalities have their own conditions for tourist rentals. The tourist tax is a local matter too. So always check with your municipality before you start. If your property is in Wallonia or Brussels, different rules and different authorities apply.

Fire safety

For tourist rentals in Flanders, you need a fire safety certificate. That is an A or B certificate, which you apply for through the municipality. Which certificate applies depends on your property and the situation. The municipality or the fire service will explain which steps you need to take.

Expect an inspection and sometimes adjustments. Think of smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket in the kitchen and clear escape routes. Plan this well in advance. You will not sort out a certificate in a week.

Planning rules: may your property be a holiday home?

Besides registration, the planning designation counts. If your property was permitted as a residence, you will as a rule need an environmental permit (omgevingsvergunning) for a change of use for tourist rentals. Registration with Toerisme Vlaanderen does not replace it. On the coast in particular, municipalities look at this strictly. Check with your municipality before you invest.

Insurance

An ordinary home insurance policy often does not cover tourist rentals. That is a point many owners overlook. If a guest causes damage, your insurer may then refuse to pay out.

Discuss your plans with your insurer. Ask explicitly about:

• cover for the property when rented to tourists;
• civil liability insurance towards guests, in case someone is injured;
• cover for the contents, including when guests damage something;
• what happens if the property stands empty for a while between bookings.

Put the arrangements in writing. That way you know exactly where you stand if something goes wrong.

Co-ownership: read the deed of division

Is your second home a flat in a building with several owners? Then it falls under the rules of co-ownership. The deed of division (basisakte) and the internal regulations may say something about rentals. Some buildings restrict short stays or impose conditions.

Request the documents from your building manager (syndicus) and read them before you start. Even if rentals are allowed, it pays to make good arrangements. Think of the use of the lift and the common areas, the rubbish arrangements and peace and quiet in the building. Good relations with the neighbours prevent complaints at the general meeting.

Taxes: depending on your situation

We cannot give a general answer here on the tax side. How rental income is taxed depends on how you organise it. Do you rent privately or through a company? Do you only offer the property, or also services such as linen and cleaning? That makes a difference.

VAT deserves attention too. Since 1 March 2026, renting out a holiday home is subject to VAT as soon as you also provide linen or other services, such as breakfast or a reception. Cleaning between two stays does not count. So you choose between renting with linen and VAT, with a VAT number and quarterly returns, or renting without VAT, where the guest arranges the linen separately. Which choice earns the most depends among other things on whether it is a new build. YourDomi does not give official tax advice. This article is general information: always discuss your own situation with your accountant.

So talk to your accountant before you begin. Have them work out the figures for your situation and ask which costs you can deduct. A good conversation in advance prevents surprises in your tax return.

Which costs to expect

Renting brings in income, but it also comes with costs. If you underestimate them, you will be disappointed afterwards. Count on at least these items:

• Furnishing and equipment: good beds, mattresses, kitchen utensils, towels and bedding in enough sets.
• Cleaning and linen: after every stay, including short bookings.
• Energy and water: guests use more than a property standing empty.
• Platform fees: Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo each charge fees in their own way.
• Tourist tax: depending on your municipality.
• Maintenance and repairs: wear and tear happens faster with intensive use.
• Insurance and certificates.
• Your own time: answering messages, arranging keys, solving problems.

Many owners forget that last item. Guests expect quick answers, including at weekends. If you live far from your second home, you also need someone on site for emergencies.

Is it worth it?

Do a simple exercise. Write down which weeks you want to use yourself. For the remaining weeks, estimate a realistic price, based on comparable properties in your area. Take into account weeks that stay empty. Deduct all costs from that.

Then ask yourself a few honest questions. Are you comfortable with strangers staying in your home? Do you have time to follow it up properly? Do you still want to use the property freely yourself, or are you prepared to plan?

For some owners, the conclusion is that a few rental weeks a year are enough to cover the fixed costs. Others choose to rent almost full time and come for a week now and then themselves. Both choices are defensible, as long as they are made consciously.

Do not work it all out on your own

If you want to rent out your second home without being busy with it every week, you can outsource the management. YourDomi takes care of daily pricing based on market data, communication with guests, cleaning with a regular team and maintenance through regular tradespeople. You receive a monthly overview per property. Would you like to know what your second home could earn? Request a personal proposal.