Renting a student room (commonly called a kot in Belgium) in Brussels costs an average of €531 per month, according to a survey by the organisation Brik. However, English-speaking and international students pay nearly €100 more than Dutch-speaking students.
Over 1,000 students from Dutch-speaking colleges and universities in Brussels participated in the survey. Of those, 53% said they were living in a kot. "It appears that a room with shared facilities is the most popular living option, but we also provide studios and co-housing," explained Brik director, Jurgen Ral.
The survey results show that students pay €531 per month on average. Yet there is a significant difference in rent between Dutch-speaking and English-speaking students. English-speaking and international students pay an average of €580 per month, while Dutch-speaking students pay an average of €496 per month. A quarter of the students surveyed stated that they have difficulties paying rent.
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Over a third of the students who are not living in kots said that they are simply too expensive. "There is an insufficient number of affordable student rooms compared with the growing demand," Ral added. "We are calling on Brussels policymakers to create a clear framework to make student rooms more affordable."
"Brussels is the largest student city in our country. We must therefore give those tens of thousands of young people the chance to fully enjoy Brussels' student and city life. Finding affordable and quality accommodation is an important part of that," said Flemish minister for Brussels, Youth, Media and Poverty Alleviation, Benjamin Dalle.
