How to find Housing for Exchange Students in Brussels, Belgium

Brussels — Brussel, Bruxelles, capital of Belgium and de facto capital of the EU — is home to major institutions including the VUB and ULB, making it one of the busiest exchange destinations in the country. Its scale is a huge advantage (diverse neighbourhoods, endless things to do, unbeatable European connections) but also its biggest housing challenge: demand from thousands of incoming students collides with a tight rental market every September. Landlords are often reluctant to rent short-term to international students, and the sheer volume of listings makes it easier for scams to slip through. Here's what to expect and how to navigate it.

What does student housing cost in Brussels?

Brussels is the most expensive of Belgium's major student cities. The median rent for a kot sits around €550 per month including utilities, with the cheapest neighbourhoods (Schaerbeek, Saint-Gilles, Anderlecht) starting from roughly €400, and new-build student residences reaching up to €800. Rooms in the areas closest to ULB and VUB — Ixelles and Etterbeek — typically fall between €500 and €650. Renting a private studio alone is pricier still, often averaging around €680 per month.

How difficult is it to find a room?

Brussels' market is competitive, especially in the weeks before the academic year starts. As an exchange student you're up against a large pool of applicants and landlords who often prefer year-long leases. That said, the sheer size of the city means there's more turnover and more listings overall than in smaller university towns — the key is starting early and casting a wide net across neighbourhoods.

Where to look for housing

Check the website of your host university — VUB or ULB — for housing tips aimed at exchange students, and look for the short-term rooms that don't get advertised widely. Even if you're not officially enrolled yet, their housing offices are usually happy to point you in the right direction.

The City of Brussels also maintains its own student housing resources, which are worth checking alongside your university's listings.

Getting around Brussels

Brussels has Belgium's most extensive public transport network, run by STIB/MIVB: metro, tram, and bus lines cover the whole city, and a student subscription makes unlimited travel very affordable. ULB and VUB are both well connected — bus 71 links Ixelles, Etterbeek, and the VUB campus, for instance. Brussels-Midi/Zuid station puts Paris, Amsterdam, London, and Cologne within a few hours by train, and Brussels Airport is a short train ride from the centre, useful if you're travelling home during breaks.

Watch out for scams

A lot of exchange students end up on Facebook groups or other social media to hunt for a room. It's often the only option that comes to mind, but it's also where most scams live. Never transfer money before viewing a room (in person or via video call), and check with your host institution's housing office or the local municipality if a listing looks too good to be true. Favour platforms with verified listings over anonymous posts.

Why Exchange Rooms is different

None of the options above were built specifically with exchange students in mind. Exchange Rooms was. It's a housing platform made exclusively for exchange students, offering only short-term rooms listed by real fellow students who understand exactly what you're looking for. Have a look at the rooms currently available on our platform.

A bonus tip most students overlook

Finding housing often starts with offering housing. If you have a room available while you're away on exchange, post it on Exchange Rooms and send the link to the international office of your host university in Brussels. Let them know that incoming students from your host university can rent directly from you. It's a simple way to add listings exactly where they're needed.

Don't have a room to offer? No problem — you can still create an account without listing anything yourself, and you can help by sharing Exchange Rooms with your home and host university. The bigger the network grows, the better everyone's odds of finding a place become.

Exchange Rooms

Exchange Rooms can help you secure housing in Brussels. Search for rooms in the area or learn more and create an account!

Good luck finding housing — we're rooting for you!!