The owners of a building on Brussels' Grand Place have been hit with a fine of more than €50,000 after authorities found that large spaces above ground-floor shops were being left vacant or used for storage rather than housing.
According to Le Soir, the case concerns buildings at numbers 21 and 22 on the square, where four upper floors above chocolate shops are either unused or reserved for storage and office space.
At a time of acute housing shortages and soaring property prices in Brussels, the situation has drawn criticism.
Under the Brussels housing code, such unused spaces are required to be used as residential accommodation. The Brussels-Capital Region therefore imposed the fine, according to a report by RTBF.
The owners, a couple who hold several properties in the capital, had reportedly already been warned about the issue.
In June 2020, the regional department dealing with vacant housing fined them €11,175 for the "vacancy of three floors". The penalty increased year after year, reaching €52,150 in 2023.
The owners argue that the fine is disproportionate. Speaking to RTBF, they said the first and second floors are occupied by the commercial tenant, with one used as office and storage space and the other serving as a staff social area with sanitary facilities.
They also point out that the building is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is listed by the Brussels authorities, making conversion to a housing complex.
According to them, adapting the floors to residential standards, including providing separate access from the shop below, would be extremely difficult.
The owners have appealed to the Council of State. Lawyers for both the region and the property owners declined to comment.
