Unemployed or foreign name? It is more difficult to find a rental home in Bruges

The researchers responded to 719 advertisements with a Flemish, Syrian or Polish name. There was a difference of fifteen percent, but if it turns out that you are unemployed, you are even fifty percent less likely to rent a home.

The real estate agencies confirm that landlords prefer a solvent tenant. Carine Derycke, Agence Van den Abeele: “I will give an example: an elderly lady moves to a residential care center, she also has to pay there. The pensions are low. She also has to receive the rent. A second example: people who buy a second home Also important. They take out a loan, which must also be paid.”

Problematic

Mayor De fauw calls the situation problematic. “We will carry out awareness-raising campaigns. Organize training sessions for the staff of real estate agencies to make it clear to them that this is not possible. But also make it clear to individuals that there is no reason to discriminate on the basis of name, origin or replacement income or fixed income.”

In order to measure whether the actions are effective, Bruges will again hold a new sample of potential tenants in one or two years’ time.