Charleroi is a city undergoing transformation. Long known for its industrial past, it is now reinventing itself as a dynamic, greener, more cultural, and more attractive metropolis. It is the third most populous city in Belgium, attracting more and more expatriates due to its affordable cost of living, accessibility, and ambitious renovation projects.
Charleroi: The third most populous city in Belgium
Charleroi is a French-speaking city in the Walloon region. It is renowned in many fields and plays a central role in Belgium. With an area of 102.08 km² for the municipality (and over 554 km² for the entire agglomeration), it is a true hub for rail networks and European transport.
Charleroi is also an industrial city specializing in glassmaking, steel, chemicals, mechanics, and building electricity.
Charleroi has also chosen to remain a cultural center offering numerous theaters, shows, and many museums. The sports facilities and clubs are spread throughout the city, attracting many families. The Walloon Region has chosen Charleroi as the headquarters for Forem and the Walloon Social Credit Society.
Charleroi, a city rebuilding Itself
Thanks to the Phenix project launched in 2013, the city achieved its goal in 2017 of refreshing the main downtown areas and the city's main streets. This project mainly aimed to attract more families and offer them a pleasant living environment while showcasing all the city's assets.
The metropolitan area of Charleroi (Charleroi Métropole) comprises 30 districts and about 600,000 inhabitants. In Charleroi itself, there are over 205,000 residents.
Long associated with its industrial past, Charleroi is now undergoing a transformation.
People call it the "new Berlin" as it quickly turns into a large green space. In fact, it is the greenest city in all of Wallonia, boasting 17 parks, 65 hectares of flower beds, 37 kilometers of hedges, and private gardens. It is also a major cultural hub. For example, old factories have been converted into bars, restaurants, art galleries, and more.
Charleroi and its districts
Charleroi is divided into 5 administrative districts, each comprising several former municipalities (or sections), merged in 1977. Here's the current distribution:
- Center: Charleroi, Dampremy, Lodelinsart;
- North: Gosselies, Ransart, Jumet;
- South: Marcinelle, Mont-sur-Marchienne, Couillet;
- West: Goutroux, Monceau-sur-Sambre, Roux, Marchienne-au-Pont;
- East: Gilly, Montignies-sur-Sambre.
You will also find 9 neighboring municipalities. These are Bons Villers, Fleurus, Châtelet, Gerpinnes, Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes, Montigny-le-Tilleul, Fontaine-l'Évêque, Courcelles, and Pont-à-Celles.
How to find accommodation in Charleroi
Many websites offer apartments and houses for rent in Charleroi.
Feel free to start your search online: platforms like Immoweb, Logic-Immo, or Zimmo provide a wide selection of properties in different neighborhoods of the city.
You can also seek help from the following services:
- The General Operational Directorate for Territorial Development, Housing, Heritage, and Energy (DGO4);
- Public housing institutions in the region;
- Municipal housing management services.
Additionally, inquire with real estate agencies or look for signs posted outside properties for rent in Charleroi.
Types of housing in Charleroi
Temporary Housing
Before finding a long-term rental property in Charleroi, you will likely need to stay in temporary housing.
The first option: hotels, which are ideal for short stays. You can generally leave the room at any time once you have signed a permanent lease.
For example, the Novotel Charleroi Centre is an excellent choice as it is located right in the city center and connects you to the Rive Gauche shopping center, meaning you won't have to go far for your shopping.
If you're on a tight budget, there are also budget hotels that cost only €30/night in the off-season. These generally have good amenities, such as wifi, gyms, pools, etc. This way, you can still have a good quality of life while searching for the ideal place to stay long-term in Charleroi. For those who want to stay near the airport, there are many hotels in this area. For example, there's the Ibis Budget Charleroi Airport, which you can quickly access right after your arrival in Belgium. However, hotels can become quite expensive.
Besides budget hotels, an alternative is staying in youth hostels. Unfortunately, there aren't many choices in this city. There's only the Auberge de Jeunesse de Charleroi and the C.A.C.E.A.C. ASBL. The clientele is generally young (under 30), and comfort can vary: shared rooms, communal bathrooms, collective atmosphere. Private rooms, when available, are often as expensive as a standard hotel.
Guesthouses (like Airbnb) are also a good choice. These allow you to rent large spaces, even entire villas. And if you need temporary accommodation for more than a week or two, hotels and hostels can be costly. Guesthouses can be too, but in many cases, you can negotiate prices with owners to save money, as they may be willing to reduce fees for a good guest who stays a bit longer.
Another option for longer temporary accommodation in Charleroi is aparthotels. These are furnished apartments where you can stay. They typically offer bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. It will be like living in a real apartment, but it will be maintained so you don't have to worry about household chores. These can be more expensive, but in the long run, it's more affordable since you can cook your own food, and weekly/monthly rates are cheaper than daily hotel rates.
Student housing
To make things easier, you should first check with your university if it offers housing. If so, ask for more information and apply early if you decide it suits you. This way, you will avoid missing out on better opportunities to find accommodation at a lower cost.
For some students, living in a dormitory is not ideal. In this case, you can always find student flats or student rooms. You can try to find them yourself, but you can always ask for help from professionals like the Centre Ener'J and the CPAS Youth Service (Service jeunesse du CPAS), both of which are service providers.
Long-term property rental
If you are a student or on a very tight budget, you have the option to rent a room in an apartment or house, in shared accommodation. These usually measure between 15 and 35 square meters, and you must share common spaces with other tenants and/or owners, such as bathrooms, the living room, the yard, etc. You may not have much privacy, but it can save you money.
If you prefer to have your own space, consider renting a studio. These can be a bit harder to find in Charleroi, but not impossible. It's a step up from renting a room but not quite an apartment. Basically, you'll have a larger living space (without partitions between the living room, kitchen, and bedroom) and a bathroom. They are also slightly smaller than one-bedroom apartments, with an area of about 55 to 60 m².
There are also many apartments for rent in Charleroi. One-bedroom apartments there generally measure 70 m², and if you're lucky, the owner will cover some of the utility bills to ease your burden a bit.
Furnished or unfurnished housing
Most people are familiar with furnished and unfurnished properties. Furnished means the apartment will be equipped with at least a refrigerator, a stove, furniture, beds, etc. Whereas with an unfurnished property, you will need to purchase all these things. Naturally, an unfurnished property will be cheaper to rent since you'll need to acquire all these things yourself. It's more complicated, but you'll be able to keep everything afterward.
Good to know:
The specific type of property called "unfurnished shell" can be surprising. It is an apartment even barer than a typical unfurnished one: no appliances, no lighting fixtures, no curtains, sometimes not even flooring. It is the cheapest form of rental, but it requires a more significant initial investment in time and money to make it habitable.
Other types of accommodation
If you fall into the category of seniors, Charleroi has accommodation services for the elderly. These are available for both those who are independent and those who need assistance in their daily lives.
Social housing is also available in Charleroi. If you need these services, you can contact La Sambrienne. It is a public service housing company that helps those in need find housing on behalf of the city of Charleroi.
Rental prices in Charleroi
Of all the cities in the Walloon Region, Charleroi is one of the most affordable. For a room in a house or apartment, expect to pay around €350 to €550. For a one-bedroom apartment in the city center, you will need about €900. For a one-bedroom apartment outside the center, you will pay a bit less, around €700. However, prices can become much higher depending on the neighborhood and the size of the property, among other factors.
To avoid unpleasant surprises, we recommend using the rent calculator for Wallonia. This tool tells you what the approximate rent price should be, based on the location of the property, the apartment itself, and its year of construction. It also estimates how much you will pay for utilities, so you can factor it into your decision and better budget as well.
Real estate rental in Charleroi
If you've found a property you like, it's a good idea to contact the owner by phone, as this is how most tenants make contact and express their interest.
The owner is required to provide you with a detailed description of the property, and you have the right to request a visit, which they cannot legally refuse.
Make sure to write down the key details of the property during the call and note when you are scheduled for a visit.
The visit
When you go to see the property for rent, be sure to carefully inspect the condition of the property. Check that the locks and doorbell work and that you have your own mailbox.
Inside, check that the rooms are to your liking, have plenty of natural light, and that the windows open and close properly. Also, ensure that the smoke detectors work; this is key to your health and safety. Verify that everything works in the bathroom, including the shower and toilet. You will definitely want a bathroom with a good ventilation system.
In Charleroi, there are four ways to have hot water. Either by electricity, gas, oil, or wood pellets. Ask the owner which is used in the property and also ask where the electricity, gas, and water meters are located. You will need access to them at all times to ensure there are no surprises with your budget. If these meters are difficult to access, it can be suspicious.
The rental contract
If you decide to rent a property in Charleroi, you and the owner will need to sign the contract for it to be legally binding. You will both also need to have your own signed and dated copies. You must go over the inventory together and both sign it, to agree on the condition in which the property will be delivered to you. This protects both the owner and the tenant because at the end of the lease, you will redo the inventory to check that everything is still in the same initial state. If not, the appropriate amount is deducted from your deposit to pay for repairs.
Speaking of deposits, you will generally need to pay 2 to 3 months' rent. You can either have it held by a bank, request a bank guarantee directly from the bank, apply for a deposit from the CPAS social branch in your municipality, or obtain a zero-interest loan.
It is the owner's responsibility to register the rental contract, so you should not have to worry about it. If your landlord does not register the lease within two months of signing the contract, you will have the right to serve them a formal notice. If they still haven't registered your lease within an additional month after the first two, you may leave the apartment at any time without giving notice or paying compensation to the landlord.
If, however, you need to find another place at some point, you should know how many months in advance you have to notify your current landlord. This will depend on the type of lease you have signed, but generally, it will be at least three months.
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
