Accommodation in Belgium
Liège is one of the many French-speaking cities in Belgium. It's also the capital city of the Wallonia region. Here's how to find accommodation in Liège.
About Liège
Liège is nicknamed “The Ardent City”. It's a French-speaking city, the first agglomeration in Wallonia. Liège is the economic capital of the region and has hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. It's one of the first four most populated cities in Belgium.
Liège is geographically located nicely since it's not far from the borders of the Netherlands and Germany. It also sits in the valley of the Meuse, which also joins with the River Ourthe.
Neighborhoods in Liège
There are nine different districts in Liège: Angleur, Bressoux, Chênée, Glain, Grivegnée, Jupille-sur-Meuse, Liège, Rocourt, and Wandre.
Angleur
This district is located in the southern part of Liège. Right next to Angleur is a small hill and the rivers Ourthe and Meuse. This location offers you a lovely view.
In Angleur is the railway station Gare d'Angleur, making travel easy. This district is also known for its Liège Science Park, which is a massive business hub.
Bressoux
You'll find Bressoux in the northeast part of Liège. If you enjoy suburban life, you'll feel at home here. There are many high-rise apartments, so housing is also easy to find.
There is a railway station on line 40 in Bressoux, so travel is convenient in this district.
Chênée
This district is located right at the mouth of the rivers Vesdre and Ourthe. Its past is rich in glass manufacturing, with three leading manufacturers in the 1700s. In the end, just one manufacturer remained.
Glain
Glain is located southwest of Liège. It used to be a coal mining area. This district has its coal mining history to thank for its connections to Brussels (namely, a railway and two motorways).
Grivegnée
Here's another district to consider if you like urban living, as Grivegnée is right in the middle. This is the largest sub-municipality after the community of Liège, so if you want urban living that's a little less intense than in Liège, you'll like it in Grivegnée.
Jupille-sur-Meuse
Do you like beer? Then, you'll be happy to learn that Jupille-sur-Meuse is home to the Juliper brewery Piedboeuf or InBev group.
This district's industry history includes two paper mills in addition to breweries.
Liège
Liège involves the actual city center, where you'll find the hustle and bustle of city life. This is also where you'll find the University of Liège, which means this is where you want to be if you plan on going to university or have children who will pursue higher education soon.
Rocourt
Rocourt was previously known as Rocoux or Roucoux. Today, it's well-known for having one of the largest maternity hospitals in Belgium. So, if you plan on starting or expanding your family, you'll get the best care here.
This district is also known for its stadium, which hosted RFC Liège from 1921 until 1995. This soccer club resumed playing in Rocourt ever since the new stadium was built in 2015.
Wandre
There are actually three parts to this district: Wandre itself, Souverain Wandre, and La Xhavée. In addition, you'll find a hamlet called Rabosée.
Wandre is another district that has a vivid coal mining past. There are also several storage tanks for petroleum products located here.
Wandre is connected to land over the Meuse River through the Pont de Wandre, the A3 motorway, and the A25.
How to find a place to live in Liège
You can get help from online websites, newspapers, real estate agencies, networks, and even signs displayed outside accommodations to rent. For the last point, you'll want to look for “à louer”, which means “to rent” in French.
If you already have friends and family in Belgium, you should utilize this inside network. Word of mouth works great for finding accommodations, so start talking to people and see what connections you can get.
Before you fly to Belgium, though, we suggest joining online groups, such as those on Facebook. You can browse accommodations and schedule viewings for when you arrive.
The city also has institutions that help landlords and tenants get in touch: The Habitat House, ZIP/QI, and Housing Management. Social accommodations are available depending on resources and family situations.
Temporary accommodation in Liège
You'll need somewhere to stay temporarily when you first arrive in Belgium. For most expats, they opt to stay in hotels. Luckily for you, there are plenty located in the central Liège area. They are a bit pricier, with rates of over $100 per night, depending on when you arrive in Liège.
If you need something cheaper, there are some hostels here: Liège Youth Hostel, Jeugdherberg Van Luik, Student Hotel, and Chick & Kot. As you can guess from the names, hostels are more geared toward the younger crowd, so it's possible you might not fit in. Also, there's less privacy here because you usually have to share a room or dormitory with strangers. For some people, this is a great way to make friends, but most who stay in hostels aren't residents of Liège; they'll be moving on to their next adventure soon after. In addition, you usually have to share bathrooms and showers, which isn't pleasant at times. It might be worth staying in other temporary accommodations, especially if you have valuables you want out of reach.
Another thing to consider is renting an Airbnb. This is great for more extended stays and lets you see what actual Liège apartments and houses look like. Prices are usually cheaper than hotels, and you might have access to a kitchen, which can cut costs. You can also negotiate with the owner if you need to stay longer.
A similar alternative is aparthotels. You have several choices here: Aparthotel Liège, Appart-Hotel Léopold Liège Centre, Smartflats Design - Opera, Smartflats City - Perron, Residence Place Saint-Lambert, Appartement Au Coeur de Liège, and Aparthotel Les Eléphants. These also allow you to live in an apartment with a kitchenette and washer. But you don't have to do chores because the property will be serviced. This can take a load off your shoulders as you search for more permanent accommodations.
If you'd like to enjoy the nature of Liège, you can also consider camping as temporary accommodation. There are several campsites, but they're all pretty remote, so it won't be easy going to apartment viewings, especially if you prefer to live in the city center. But still, it can be a unique experience!
Student accommodations in Liège
If you've enrolled in the University of Liège, you might wonder how to get student accommodations. The university has student residences located on their Sart Tilman campus. You can rent out rooms either temporarily or for an entire academic year. These rooms are available to all students, including those getting their bachelor's degree, interns, researchers, and exchange students.
If you want to rent a room with the university, you should know that the contract spans the ten months of your academic year. They'll prioritize those who are registering for the first time and are in their first year for their bachelor's degree. If you're about to wrap up your master's degree, you'll not likely secure on-campus housing, as you'll be at the bottom of the list, and the demand for dorming is high.
If your chances of getting dormitory accommodations are low, or you don't want to live on campus, then it's possible to rent out a room or apartment from private landlords, just like other expats and Belgian citizens do. You'll want to watch for “kots”, which are student rooms. The university provides a kots database, where you can search for potential places.
While you're looking for long-term accommodations, it might be an idea to stay in a hostel temporarily. This can help keep costs down before you move into your kot.
Accommodations in Liège
As mentioned, living in a room is an option, even for non-students. If you aren't planning on spending much time at home and need to save money, you can always rent a room, especially if you're single and/or living a minimalistic lifestyle. Rooms can be as small as 10 square meters (the norm) and up to 40 square meters if you're lucky. More commonly, you'll find rooms 15 to 20 square meters big.
You can also rent out a studio. This is a place of residence that's similar to a one-bedroom apartment but without walls throughout. This is also optimal for singles but also couples. You'll get around 40 to 50 square meters to work with.
Consider renting a one-bedroom apartment if you want something more like home. These will have walls between the kitchen and bedroom, and possibly the living room. These are typically around 60 square meters, which gives you more space.
Moving in with your significant other and/or friends? Then a two-bedroom apartment might be better. You'll get around 120 square meters of space here.
You can also rent out a house if you have a small family. This will give you at least 120 square meters. However, you'll likely have to rent in more remote places for better prices.
Unfurnished vs. unfurnished shell apartments
Something that's commonly seen in the Netherlands and Belgium is unfurnished shell apartments. Please don't mistake these for unfurnished flats because they're different.
Unfurnished apartments don't come with furniture, and neither do unfurnished shell apartments. However, with the latter, you also won't get appliances, such as a stove, oven, washing machine, or refrigerator. In addition, the property won't have carpet, curtains, or light fixtures. It'll be a “shell”, so you'll have the extra step of shopping for necessities before moving in. But the good news is, you can take these things with you when you move out to furnish your next place.
Rent prices in Liège
Rooms are the cheapest type of accommodation to rent out in Liège. You can usually find one for €500 to €600 a month.
If you can stretch your budget a little, opting for a studio instead can be worth it. These cost around €700 a month, on average. Not only do you get more space, but you'll also have privacy, so it's better value for money.
For apartments, a one-bedroom will cost around €850 per month, and a two-bedroom will cost approximately €1,150. And for renting out a house, it'll cost upwards of €1,200. However, this price is for more remote areas; if you rent in the city center, the price will undoubtedly be significantly higher.
How to rent an apartment in Liège
The renting process in Liège is similar to that in most parts of the world.
If you see a property you like, feel free to contact the landlord by phone. This is the customary way to do so, but nowadays, email is accepted as well, especially since Liège is a college town.
The landlord then has to describe the property in full to you. If it sounds appealing, you have the right to schedule a viewing.
When you go to view the property, make sure you investigate every inch of it. Don't be afraid to ask the landlord questions. They should have nothing to hide, after all.
After viewing, you can ask to sign a rental contract if you want to move in. There needs to be two copies, signed and dated by both you and the landlord. In addition, you'll have to take inventory. This document will compare the state of the property when you move out. If there are any damages, you'll pay for it out of your deposit.
Do note that, in Belgium, the landlord must register your rental contract within two months. If they don't do so for another month afterward, you can legally leave without giving notice or compensation. In normal circumstances, you must provide at least three months' notice before you move out.
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