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The City of Brussels: from the Pentagon to Laeken
Updated: October 2026
Buying in the City of Brussels? Hypoprime, mortgage broker in the City of Brussels and across the Brussels Region, compares 7 banks and negotiates your rate. A flat in the centre, a house in Laeken or a buy-to-let investment: from the start, we factor in the Brussels abatement, the deed costs and the co-ownership rules.
Source: notaire.be.
The City of Brussels is much more than the historic centre. It includes the Pentagon, inside the small ring road, with the Grand-Place, the Marolles and the Dansaert district, but also the European Quarter around Square Ambiorix, part of Avenue Louise, and Laeken, Neder-Over-Heembeek and Haren in the north. The supply ranges from an older flat in the very centre to a family house in Laeken or Neder-Over-Heembeek.
Prices and buyer profiles change a lot from one district to another: a first purchase in the centre, a buy-to-let investment near the European institutions, or a house with a garden in the north of the city. A precise budget, deed costs included, is therefore the first step.
For a purchase in the City of Brussels, we often check:
Co-ownership: in an older building, the charges, the reserve fund and the voted works weigh on your budget.
The planning situation: in a house that has been split up, the number of authorised homes must match the reality of the property; your notary checks this before the deed.
Rents, for an investment: each bank takes rental income into account according to its own policy.
The City of Brussels is in the Brussels-Capital Region, where registration duties amount to 12.5% of the price. For your only own home, however, the abatement exempts the first €200,000. According to notaire.be, the saving therefore reaches €25,000, for a property of up to €600,000. Your mortgage broker in the City of Brussels builds it into your financing plan from the outset.
| Purchase price | Duties without abatement | Duties with abatement | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| €280,000 | €35,000 | €10,000 | €25,000 |
| €400,000 | €50,000 | €25,000 | €25,000 |
| €500,000 | €62,500 | €37,500 | €25,000 |
Calculation: 12.5% of the price, with or without deducting €200,000. Excluding the notary’s fees and other deed costs.
On the date of the sales agreement, you must not own any other property intended for housing, in Belgium or abroad. You must then establish your main residence in the property within 3 years (5 years if you carry out an energy renovation), and keep it there for 5 years (notaire.be).
For a personal check, ask your notary before signing. See also registration duties and notary fees (in French).
Take a flat bought for €280,000 (an example price, not a market average). With the abatement, the registration duties come to €10,000, compared with €35,000 without it. On top of this come the notary’s fees and the deed costs, which you pay.
Now assume a loan of €250,000 over 25 years, at an illustrative fixed rate of 4%. The monthly repayment, excluding insurance, is about €1,320. At 3.70%, it falls by about €41 a month: that is why comparing banks and negotiating your rate matters.
Illustrative example: neither a client file nor an offer. The actual rate depends on your profile, the loan-to-value and the bank. See fixed or variable rate (in French) and the cost of a mortgage (in French).
Every file is different. As your mortgage broker in the City of Brussels, we study your situation, then present your project to the most suitable banks:
The abatement changes your budget: we take it into account from the first simulation. Home mortgage.
Financing up to 100% of the purchase price can be considered, case by case; purchase costs remain your responsibility. Buying without own funds (in French).
A small building or a house split into flats: the bank also analyses the rents. Investment building loan.
Purchase and renovation can often be financed together, based on quotes. EPC (PEB) and mortgages (in French).
Variable income or a company: we present a clear file, with the right supporting documents. Documents to prepare (in French).
A new rate, or consolidating loans as part of a mortgage refinancing. Refinancing.
A broker does not replace the bank: they help you choose the right one and present a solid file to it. In practice:
Comparing 7 banks and negotiating your rate: criteria, rates and lead times vary from one lender to another; we champion your file to obtain the best possible conditions.
Preparing a complete file: income, expenses and budget are checked before submission. See the documents for a mortgage (in French).
Anticipating costs: abatement, registration duties and deed costs are built into the financing plan.
Protecting your sales agreement: we discuss the loan condition and the timetable before you sign. See using a broker (in French).
Your application moves forward in four steps:
First conversation: you tell us about your project, your budget and the property you have in mind.
Analysis: we check income, expenses, own funds, loan-to-value and type of rate.
Comparison: we present your application to the banks best suited to your profile and negotiate your rate.
Offer and deed: we review the offer with you, then your notary prepares the deed.
Yes, because the City of Brussels is part of the Brussels-Capital Region. According to notaire.be, the abatement exempts the first €200,000 of the price from registration duties, for a property of up to €600,000. In particular, you must not own any other home, and you must make the property your main residence within the required time.
Yes. These districts are part of the City of Brussels, and the Brussels abatement applies there under the same conditions. We also work with buyers in the 18 other municipalities of the Region and everywhere in Belgium.
Yes. The bank then analyses the expected rents, the condition of the property and your overall situation. The abatement, however, is reserved for your only own home. See our investment building loan page.
On top of the price, you pay registration duties (12.5% in Brussels, after any abatement), the notary’s fees and the deed costs, including those of the mortgage deed. These costs remain your responsibility: estimate them with our notary fees simulator (in French).
Sometimes, yes. Depending on your profile, some banks finance up to 100% of the purchase price, on a case-by-case basis. Notary fees, however, remain your responsibility. No approval is guaranteed, but a well-prepared file gives you the best chances of approval. See buying without own funds (in French).
Talk to your notary and your broker first. Then include a loan condition (condition suspensive) with a realistic deadline: a bank’s approval often takes two to four weeks with a complete file. Also read the mistakes to avoid in the sales agreement (in French).
At our office, Avenue Vital Riethuisen 21, 1083 Ganshoren, a few minutes from the centre of Brussels. We see clients by appointment, Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 7 pm. We can also talk by phone on 02 410 17 34 or remotely: book an appointment via our contact page.
Budget, abatement, loan-to-value, choice of bank: a free, no-obligation review, with an answer within 24 to 48 hours.
Page written by Hypoprime, mortgage broker in Brussels. Information only: tax and banking rules change and depend on each file. The amounts are illustrative examples, neither a loan offer nor tax or legal advice. Warning: borrowing money also costs money.
Would you like an estimate or to compare the available solutions?
We offer you a personalised, no-obligation analysis, and we negotiate your rate with the banks.
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