STR-Belgium would like to respond to a number of news articles (HLN, VRT, or populist statements on Facebook) that appeared last week following a meeting STR-Belgium held with local authorities earlier in September. The letter sent to the city council after this meeting can be viewed here, along with its attachment.
Enforcement is necessary. But enforcement alone does not constitute a forward-looking tourist accomodation policy.
STR-Belgium does not advocate for illegal short-term rentals. On the contrary: anyone who knowingly operates outside the rules creates unfair competition for business owners who want to operate correctly and transparently. Monitoring and consistent enforcement are therefore essential.
But when there is constant talk of “illegal vacation rentals,” a second question must also be asked: why do so many activities fall outside the existing framework? It is not enough to simply open more and more cases. A government must also examine whether its regulations still reflect today’s reality and whether operators who want to do business properly are given a clear and realistic path to legality.
That’s where the problem lies in Bruges today. A significant portion of the city’s policy on vacation rentals is rooted in a framework that is nearly 25 years old. In the meantime, the tourist accomodation market, Flemish regulations, and the European regulatory framework have evolved significantly. The way people travel and offer short-term rental has also changed. Regulations therefore do not have an unlimited shelf life: they must be periodically reassessed in light of current data, their actual impact, and the objectives the city aims to achieve through them.
Furthermore, a same level playing field does not mean that all types of tourist accomodations must be treated identically. Hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, and room-based accommodations have different characteristics. Differences in regulations can therefore be justified, but they must be objective, transparent, and proportionate. It is difficult to create a level playing field when one segment of the tourist accomodation market is structurally excluded or severely restricted, while other types of accommodations are assessed based on different development opportunities.
Furthermore, when a regulatory framework becomes so restrictive that certain existing or new types of accomodations have virtually no realistic path to compliance, a peculiar situation arises: the regulations themselves are creating an increasing number of “illegal” operators. In that case, it is insufficient to use only the number of enforcement cases opened as a measure of policy success.
STR-Belgium therefore does not advocate for fewer regulations, but rather for better and future-proof regulations. For Bruges, we propose a simple sequence of steps: first, align local policy with the Flemish and European frameworks; next, measure the actual impact of the various types of accommodations; then, where necessary, implement targeted measures regarding capacity and carrying capacity; and finally, enforce the regulations clearly and consistently.
STR-Belgium is not asking for a free pass for illegal short-term rentals. We are calling for a modern framework in which those who wish to operate properly are also given a realistic opportunity to work legally. Oversight and enforcement are necessary, but they must be the final piece of an up-to-date, objective, and proportionate short-term rental policy—not the policy itself.
Given that only 0.56% of the housing stock in Flanders’ leading tourist city is used for vacation rentals, it seems abundantly clear that the city of Bruges must provide a solid justification for the restrictions it imposes not only on professionals in the sector but also on all residents of Bruges, whom it does not even offer the opportunity to supplement their income by occasionally renting out their primary residence.
STR-Belgium is available to work with local authorities to jointly develop an innovative, competitive, and sustainable market for tourist accommodations that serves the public interest. A working paper is available on this topic.
