Social Housing Agency
Rental guarantee SHA
The best way to quickly set up a rental guarantee for a property allocated by the Social Housing Agency is to subscribe to our online rental guarantee service. With our rental guarantee service, the tenant does not block the amount of the guarantee in a bank account – we act as guarantor.
What is an Social Housing Agency?
Social Housing Agency are Belgian associations (asbl) financed by the autonomous Belgian regions. These autonomous real estate agencies manage the rental of social housing in Belgium. Most of these units are privately owned. These homes are rented out at reduced rents to enable low-income households to find a place to live. The mission of these social housing agencies is to provide housing for the most disadvantaged in Belgium.
How an Social Housing Agency works
The Social Housing Agency is responsible for the relationship between the social tenant and the landlord of the property. The agency handles all aspects of the rental management of the rented property, including the inventory of fixtures and any renovations. The landlord is relieved of the day-to-day aspects of rental management, and benefits from all the services provided by SHA:
- Rent guarantee
- Property maintenance
- Renovation assistance
- Exemption from property withholding tax
The main advantage for tenants is that they benefit from well-maintained, low-cost social housing.
Who can benefit from SHA housing services?
The criteria for accessing social housing managed by an Social Housing Agency are based on several concepts. The future tenant:
- Cannot own real estate, whether freehold, usufruct or emphyteusis;
- Must have a household income that does not exceed the admission ceilings :
- 23,525.31 euros per year for a single person
- 26,139.25 euros per year for a single-income household
- 29,873.47 euros per year, for a household with several incomes
- This income is increased by 2,240.50 euros for each dependent child.
- Must be registered in the population register or foreigners’ register of a commune in Belgium;
- No previous disputes with SHA or SISP;
- Only one entry per household member.
What is the rent for a property offered by an Social Housing Agency?
The rent for a property offered by an Social Housing Agency is fixed in the lease and regulated by law at a level below the market price.
The rent is defined in relation to the rent agreed with the property owner. The Social Housing Agency guarantees the tenant a rent that is lower than the market price. The tenant therefore benefits from an additional reduction granted by the SHA compared with the rent set by the landlord, provided that he/she can prove each year that he/she meets the maximum household income conditions.
What assistance is available for setting up a rental guarantee?
There are several ways for tenants to set up a rental guarantee for social housing managed by an Social Housing Agency:
- He can apply for a rental bank guarantee from the bank where his salary is paid every month. The tenant then obtains a loan from his bank, which he repays over a maximum period of 3 years;
- The tenant of a social property can also sometimes obtain assistance from the CPAS for the rental guarantee. In this case, the CPAS acts as the tenant’s guarantor with the AIS social landlord.
How to obtain housing from a Social Housing Agency
Social Housing Agency regularly offer new properties for rent. People wishing to obtain one of these properties must submit their application to the SHA in charge of the property in question. To be selected as a candidate tenant, applicants must meet the financial and family conditions set out above.
What is SHA Brussels?
The Agence Immobilière Sociale de Bruxelles (Link to website) brings together over 8,000 social housing units managed by the 28 local social agencies in Brussels.
