House left vacant for 10 years seized by commune for first time

The municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre has taken control of a private rental property for the first time at the request of Brussels Housing, citing the reason that it had been vacant for too long.The property will now be rented out for a minimum of nine years – “a measure to urge landlords with vacant properties to take action”, said Mathieu Nguyen, a spokesperson for Brussels' outgoing state secretary for housing Nawal Ben Hamou (PS).Since 2022, landlords may be required to temporarily surrender their empty rental property to the municipality through the renewed public management right. The rule aims to encourage landlords to offer their p…