Back to school in Belgium doesn’t just mean full lecture halls — it also means a rush for student housing. Preliminary figures from CIB show that demand continues to rise while supply lags behind, especially in Brussels, Ghent, and Leuven. These three cities will attract around 261,500 students in 2025, including a growing share of international students, making competition for affordable rooms particularly fierce.
But what does this mean for investors? Time to take a closer look at the student housing market, with a sharp focus on opportunities, trends, and returns.
Why is demand for student housing in Belgium so high?
Demand for student accommodation is mainly determined by the size and composition of the student population. Belgium performs strongly on an international level thanks to the quality of higher education, affordability, accessibility, and strong future prospects. The wide range of English- and French-language programs further increases its attractiveness.
Among Belgian students, the “kot ratio” (the percentage living away from home) also remains high, especially in popular cities — further tightening the market.
KotKompas 2025 confirms what experienced investors already know: the Belgian student housing market remains robust and attractive.
The key figures speak for themselves:
- Structural shortage: Since 2020, about 25,000 new student rooms have been added, but the shortfall remains 70,000 rooms by 2030. At the current pace, that gap will not be closed.
- Strong demand drivers: The student population is expected to peak between 568,000 and 623,000 in 2030–2031, driven by both domestic growth and international inflows.
- Urban hotspots: Ghent and Brussels in particular are under extreme pressure, with little available building land, high rental prices, and strong competition for central locations.
- Strong fundamentals: Belgian higher education enjoys high international demand, ensuring stable occupancy rates.
At the same time, high construction costs, rising interest rates, and slow permit procedures (70% of developers wait more than four years) are limiting new supply. As a result, investors are increasingly drawn to block sales and innovative housing models.
This combination of scarcity, strong demand, and solid fundamentals creates a powerful engine for returns.
“From our experience, student housing remains one of the most attractive segments in residential real estate. Returns are consistently higher than in traditional housing, precisely because of the chronic shortage of rooms. This scarcity makes the segment a safe haven in uncertain times. With longer individual sales processes due to market conditions, developers are increasingly opting for block deals — and major investors are paying attention.”
— Karel Burrick, Residential Partner at Avenue
Conclusion: Opportunities for those who dare to act
Investors are looking for reliable segments in a volatile real estate market. The best opportunities can be found in:
- High-demand cities (Ghent, Brussels, Leuven)
- Block deals, offering economies of scale through outsourced management
Innovative housing concepts, such as:
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Student villages — large, professionally managed residential campuses with shared facilities and scale advantages
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Modular solutions — quickly deployable, flexible units that can be easily expanded or relocated
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With Avenue by your side, you gain access not only to these opportunities but also to end-to-end guidance — from market insights to purchase and rental. Together, we build not only your returns, but also the future of students.
Avenue works closely with partners such as Stadim, which provides valuable market insights. Thanks to this network and our expertise, we support investors — from private buyers to international funds — in identifying the right opportunities in this tight market.
We combine market data from sources like KotKompas with local and proprietary knowledge to provide strategic advice on locations, return potential, and investment strategy.
Curious about student housing opportunities in Belgium?
Contact us at info@avenue.eu and discover how we can strengthen your real estate portfolio — or reach out directly to our team to schedule an appointment.