Hasselt
Student housing management in Hasselt and Diepenbeek
Hasselt and Diepenbeek together form Limburg's student hub, with around 23,000 students at UHasselt, PXL and UCLL. If you let rooms here, you deal with two municipalities and two different approaches to the kotlabel. Here is how to keep track.
Studying in Hasselt and Diepenbeek
According to the City of Hasselt, around 23,000 students attend the campuses in Hasselt and Diepenbeek. They study at three institutions: Hasselt University (UHasselt), PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts and UCLL. The university has campuses in both Hasselt and Diepenbeek, and much of student life takes place on the Diepenbeek campus.
For landlords, this means a market spread over two municipalities. A room in central Hasselt and a room next to the Diepenbeek campus attract different tenants, and they also fall under different local rules.
The Limburg room database
UHasselt, PXL and UCLL jointly offer a free room database at kotatlimburg.be, with more than 2,500 rooms from private owners. For each room, students can see whether the owner has an operating permit or conformity certificate, an EPC, a recent fire safety certificate and valid fire insurance. The more complete your file, the stronger your listing.
The institutions recommend a standard model lease that is fully in line with the Flemish Residential Tenancy Decree. According to UHasselt, March to April is the ideal time to search, and the average rent is about 400 euros for a room and 510 euros for a studio.
The Flemish kotlabel: mandatory in Diepenbeek
Since 1 January 2025, the Flemish kotlabel has combined housing quality, fire safety and the correct permit in one label. Each municipality decides whether it issues the label and whether to make it mandatory. Hasselt is not (yet) on the list of municipalities that issue it.
In Diepenbeek, it is mandatory. The municipal regulation took effect on 1 January 2026 and replaces the mandatory operating permit. Existing operating permits remain valid until they expire. The obligation is phased in according to the building's construction year: first for new student housing, and by 2035 at the latest for all student housing. If you own a room in Diepenbeek, check with the municipality which deadline applies to your building.
The lease rules for your student room
The Flemish Residential Tenancy Decree applies in both municipalities. You can ask at most two months' rent as a deposit, at the earliest three months before the start. The lease ends on the agreed end date, without tacit renewal. A student can cancel free of charge up to three months before the start; after that, a fee of two months' rent is due.
A detailed inspection report at move-in and move-out is mandatory, and you register the lease free of charge within two months via MyRent. Our guides on the inspection report and registering via MyRent explain step by step how to do it.
Multi-year leases and indexation
If a student stays in the same room for several years under a multi-year student lease, you may index the rent annually from the anniversary of the start date, based on the health index. It is not automatic: you notify the student in writing, and if you notify late, you can index retroactively for at most three months.
Mind the past as well. Between 1 October 2022 and 1 October 2023, rent for energy-inefficient homes could not be indexed. On 21 March 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that this restriction should also have applied to student leases. Students with a lease from before 1 October 2022 who rented an energy-inefficient room may therefore be able to reclaim part of their rent. Read more in our guide on calculating rent indexation.
How Kotmaster helps landlords in Limburg
With Kotmaster you manage rooms in Hasselt and Diepenbeek in one overview, with your permits, EPC, fire safety certificate and insurance documents stored per building. That way you are ready for the room database and, in Diepenbeek, for your kotlabel application.
You create leases digitally from your own templates and have them signed with itsme®, you do the inspection report on your smartphone and register with one click via MyRent. Payments are followed up automatically and rent is indexed by the health index. See all features or request a demo.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Flemish kotlabel mandatory in Hasselt?
At the time of writing, Hasselt does not issue the Flemish kotlabel, so it is not mandatory there. In neighbouring Diepenbeek the label is mandatory, phased in according to the building's construction year.
How do I offer my room to students in Hasselt?
Many students search on kotatlimburg.be, the free room database of UHasselt, PXL and UCLL. There they also see which certificates and insurance your room has.
What is a typical rent for a student room in Hasselt?
According to UHasselt, the average rent is around 400 euros a month for a room and 510 euros for a studio.
Does Kotmaster work in other student cities too?
Yes, across Belgium. See for example student housing management in Leuven or the overview of all cities.