Saint-Josse-ten-Noode shows a +118% increase in property tax over ten years, including the effect of cadastral indexation. Nine Brussels municipalities have again increased their surcharges for 2026. For property managers and landlords, this tax burden has become the largest cost item after mortgage repayment. A fully quantified overview.
How is Brussels property tax calculated?
Brussels property tax (précompte immobilier) consists of two components: a regional share (the agglomeration's additional centimes) and a municipal share (the surcharges set by each municipality). Both rates are applied to the property's indexed cadastral income. The regional share rose from 589 to 989 additional centimes between 2016 and 2026, a 67% increase applied uniformly across all Brussels municipalities.
This two-tier structure — regional and municipal — explains why the actual increase borne by property owners is far greater than the municipal figures alone suggest.
The full table: what property owners are actually paying
The combination of higher municipal surcharges and cadastral income indexation (which rose by 30.86% between 2016 and 2026) produces significant real increases. The table below combines both effects to show the actual impact on the tax bill.
| Municipality | Surcharges 2016 | Surcharges 2026 | Gross increase in centimes | Real increase (with cadastral indexation +30.86%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Josse-ten-Noode | 2,980 | 4,990 | +67% | +118% |
| Molenbeek-Saint-Jean | 2,848 | 3,890 | +37% | +79% |
| Berchem-Sainte-Agathe | 2,750 | 3,690 | +34% | +75% |
| Ganshoren | 2,990 | 3,880 | +30% | +70% |
| Woluwe-Saint-Lambert | 2,450 | 3,175 | +30% | +70% |
| Saint-Gilles | 2,680 | 3,450 | +29% | +68% |
| Anderlecht | 3,000 | 3,850 | +28% | +67% |
| Forest | 3,120 | 3,990 | +28% | +67% |
| Uccle | 2,700 | 3,400 | +26% | +64% |
| Schaerbeek | 3,390 | 4,191 | +24% | +62% |
Source: La Libre Belgique, 16/12/2025; Batibouw, 2026; calculations based on official cadastral indexation
On top of these figures, the regional agglomeration share has risen from 589 to 989 additional centimes — a 67% increase applied uniformly across all municipalities.
How to read these figures in practice
For a property whose indexed cadastral income was EUR 1,000 in 2016 in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, the property tax bill has increased by 118% over ten years. If this property generated rent of EUR 800 per month, the net yield after property tax has been significantly eroded — without the property owner necessarily having adjusted the rent accordingly.
Why property owners cannot pass on this cost
Article 226 of the Brussels Housing Code expressly prohibits landlords from passing the property tax burden on to tenants. Any contractual clause to this effect would be null and void.
This prohibition creates a structural asymmetry: municipalities increase property tax to fund public services (nurseries, social services, roads, schools) of which the occupants of properties — including tenants — are the main beneficiaries. The property owner bears the tax burden, but it is the tenant who uses the services funded.
The SNPC's argument for reform
The National Union of Property Owners and Co-owners (SNPC) proposes to share the property tax burden between the occupant and the property owner, following the model practised in other European countries. The dual objective is to make tenant-voters aware of municipal expenditure, and to restore coherence between who pays and who benefits from services.
This proposal remains at the political stage for now, but it illustrates the growing pressure that property tax places on Brussels rental returns.
Practical implications for property managers
Property tax is not merely a cost for the property owner: it is a central element of the profitability calculation that property managers must master to advise their clients effectively.
Calculating actual net yield
Gross yield (annual rent / property value) often masks the impact of property tax. Net yield must incorporate:
- Property tax (regional share + municipal surcharges)
- Non-recoverable charges
- Maintenance provisions
- Void periods
For a property in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode with rent of EUR 1,000 per month and a market value of EUR 200,000, the gross yield is 6%. But if the annual property tax amounts to EUR 3,000, the net yield falls below 4.5% before factoring in other charges.
Comparing municipalities when advising on acquisitions
Property managers who assist investor clients with acquisitions must incorporate municipal surcharges as a selection criterion. A difference of 1,500 additional centimes between two municipalities represents several hundred euros of additional property tax per year — a gap that, capitalised over the holding period, is not negligible.
| Municipality | Surcharges 2026 | Difference vs. Uccle (base) |
|---|---|---|
| Uccle | 3,400 | Reference |
| Woluwe-Saint-Lambert | 3,175 | −225 (more favourable) |
| Schaerbeek | 4,191 | +791 |
| Saint-Josse | 4,990 | +1,590 |
Anticipating future increases
The structural trend is upward: Brussels municipalities face growing budgetary constraints, and property tax is an accessible fiscal lever. Informed property managers build in an assumption of 2–3% annual increase in their long-term profitability projections.
What property managers should do in 2026
Recalculate the net yield of each Brussels property managed, incorporating the new 2026 rates. For property owners who have not revised their rent for several years, the tax pressure may have eroded the margin to a point that justifies reviewing the rent charged — in compliance with the reference grid and the current lease.
Centralise property tax notices for each property to maintain a history of tax charges. In the event of portfolio transfer or refinancing, this data is essential.
Inform property owners of the increases specific to their municipality. A property owner who discovers a +67% property tax increase at the time they receive the payment notice is less well equipped than one who has been informed and prepared to anticipate.
Verify correct allocation of property tax: some managers disburse property tax on behalf of the property owner. It is essential that this payment is correctly traced and accounted for in the property owner's tax returns.
With Seido, you centralise the tax documents for each property — property tax notices, receipts, charge history. You can compare tax charges across your properties and produce updated profitability analyses for your clients. Discover Seido →
This article is part of Property Essentials #2 — February 2026. Also read: Brussels rent reference grid: the disconnection confirmed — Second homes at the coast: the tax saga.
Sources and references
- Record increase in property taxes in Brussels, La Libre Belgique, 16/12/2025
- Property tax increase in Brussels: nine municipalities raise levies in 2026, Batibouw, 2026
- Ordinance of 18 December 2015 on the first part of the Brussels tax reform, Belgian Official Gazette, 30/12/2015
- Municipal surcharges on property tax, Brussels Local Powers
- Article 226 of the Brussels Housing Code: Ordinance of 17 July 2003
- Understanding property tax, SNPC