While VAT on materials and services for domestic renovations is typically about 21%, there is a 6% rate for properties aged 15 years or older. Householders can get subsidies for construction, renovation and insulation, and for more specialised work. They range from 30 to 70% of the cost in a...

Buying a property is a long-term investment. This is due to the 12.5% registration tax imposed on property purchases on top of legal fees. A capital gains tax of 16.5% on properties sold within five years is another deterrent. The cost of buying and selling a home in Belgium is estimated to be...

The Brussels region has introduced measures to make the rental market simpler. A document sets out the legal obligations of tenants and landlords, including who is responsible for specific types of repair work. A standard template for the check-in and check-out inventory is also available. Before...

Moving house can be a document-heavy process. Written notice is often required for the three-month period before breaking your apartment lease or closing your contracts with utility companies. You should sign your rental agreement as soon as you arrive and try to arrange to take over the...

Following the success of its inaugural cello festival last year, the Belgium Cello Society has organised a season of concerts for 2019-2020. World-renowned Latvian cellist Mischa Maisky and duo partner Lily Maisky will be playing at the Music Conservatory of Brussels on 2 October. The pair are to...

A baby king penguin was born at Antwerp Zoo last week, the first to be born there in three years. It’s good news for the zoo, where the king penguin colony is down to 10 members. The male baby, named Urban, is the offspring of father Eddy, who joined the colony from Edinburgh two years ago, and...

Renovations to the City 2 shopping centre, at the north end of Rue Neuve, are complete, following nearly two years of continuous works. The shopping centre remained open for the entire process, and now customers can finally move around freely in the shiny, new interior. “We’re very pleased that our...

Officials in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert are considering banning patio heaters throughout the territory of the Brussels municipality. Currently, a municipal decree prohibits use of patio heaters in a single street, the Avenue Georges Henri. The decree was issued to preserve the avenue’s historical...

A Louis Delhaize supermarket in the capital’s port district has been robbed seven times in the last six months. The last robbery occurred on Wednesday. The managers of the Louis Delhaize supermarket, which is situated on the Quai des Péniches opposite the major event venue Tour & Taxis, have...

One need only read Facebook comments to know that pedestrians take umbrage with some asocial behaviour associated with cyclists and scooter-users in Brussels. One municipality – Woluwe-Saint-Lambert – has launched a campaign to get our two-wheeled commuting comrades off the pavements. This week and...