De Haan is not De Panne. At the other end of the coast, De Panne has published maps, conditions and a deadline. De Haan publishes nothing specific: the Verordeningen, RUP's, BPA's and Belastingen sections of the municipal website were reviewed one by one on 8 September 2026, and nothing was found.
But the absence of a text does not mean the absence of a rule. Asked in writing, the Dienst Stedenbouw (planning department) replied on 11 September 2026. In a residential zone of an RUP, a BPA or a subdivision, no holiday home is allowed today. This position appears nowhere on dehaan.be. Yet it applies to every application.
Do you need a permit for short-term letting in De Haan?
Yes, and for the same reason as everywhere else in Flanders. Turning a dwelling into a holiday home changes the main use of the property, which requires an omgevingsvergunning under the Flemish Government Order of 14 April 2000. The municipality confirmed this in writing on 11 September 2026: regularising a residential dwelling as a vakantiewoning, or converting it into one, requires a planning permit.
The application, whether for a change of use or a regularisation, is assessed against the land-use designations of the gewestplan, RUP, BPA or subdivision that covers the plot. This is where De Haan differs from De Panne or Koksijde: no published policy, but a substantive rule applied when applications are assessed.
The municipality put this rule in writing on 11 September 2026 as follows: "In de bestemmingscategorie 'wonen' opgenomen in RUP's, BPA's of verkavelingen, worden op vandaag geen vakantiewoningen toegestaan." In plain terms: in a residential zone ("wonen") of an RUP, a BPA or a subdivision, no holiday home is allowed at present. A property in this situation will not obtain a permit today.
Two cases remain open, and we do not decide them on the municipality's behalf. First, plots covered only by the gewestplan (woongebied), with no RUP, BPA or subdivision: the reply does not mention them, and this point remains to be confirmed. Second, what happens to a regularisation application for a holiday home already operating in a residential zone: the wording suggests a refusal, without saying so. Both points still need to be clarified by the municipality.
The practical consequence for a buyer or an owner: only one question matters, the land-use zone of the property. A simple email to stedenbouw@dehaan.be with the property's address is enough: the municipality said so in writing on 11 September 2026. Make this request before signing the preliminary sale agreement, not after.
Can the 4 × 30-day exemption be used?
It exists, but it does not fit a serious letting business. Article 7.3 of the Vrijstellingenbesluit of 16 July 2010 exempts from the permit requirement a temporary change of main use limited to four periods of thirty consecutive days per calendar year, i.e. 120 days at most. Each period runs from its first day, even for a three-night stay, and is therefore used up in blocks.
A full season on the coast far exceeds this threshold. A property entrusted to a property management company and offered on the platforms all year round does not fit this category. So we do not base any management agreement on this exemption, in De Haan or anywhere else.
How much is the municipal tax in 2026?
This is De Haan's tax peculiarity, and it works in your favour compared with neighbouring municipalities: there is no separate lodging tax for holiday homes. It is the second-residence tax that applies. The municipality confirmed this in writing on 11 September 2026: a holiday home located outside a holiday park is taxed as a second residence, at €975 for the 2026 tax year.
| Item | What the regulation provides |
|---|---|
| 2026 rate | €975.00 per second residence, article 5 |
| Period covered | Tax years 2026 to 2031 |
| Adoption | Municipal council meeting of 18 December 2025, adopted unanimously, published on 19 December 2025 |
| Annual return | None. The tax is assessed by way of an assessment roll, based on the municipality's data |
| Municipal confirmation | Written reply of 11 September 2026: holiday homes outside holiday parks taxed as second residences, with no separate lodging tax |
Source: De Haan municipal regulation on second residences, tax years 2026 to 2031, adopted on 18 December 2025; written reply from the Dienst Stedenbouw of 11 September 2026.
No annual return does not mean no obligation. If the property ceases to be a second residence, or if it is sold, notify the Dienst Financiën in writing (article 6). The notification is made on your own initiative, with supporting evidence, before 1 January of the tax year. The regulation attaches no specific penalty to this notification. Keep proof of sending all the same.
An objection is a separate procedure. If you dispute the assessment, the objection must be lodged within three months, failing which the right to object lapses (article 8). The period runs from the third working day after the assessment notice is sent. The objection must be addressed in writing, signed and reasoned, to the municipal executive (college of mayor and aldermen). The municipality acknowledges receipt within fifteen calendar days.
For comparison along the coast, for equivalent capacity: €975 in De Haan, €1,062 in Bredene, around €1,300 in De Panne, €1,475 in Koksijde and €2,011 in Ostend. In De Panne, two taxes apply cumulatively under the regulations of 15 December 2025. Allow €185 lodging tax (1 to 6 people) plus €1,119 second-residence tax above 45 m². De Haan is, to date, the municipality with the lowest tax burden in the area we cover.
Which Flemish obligations apply?
They are the same as in the rest of Flanders, and they do not depend on any municipal decision:
- The aanmelding with Toerisme Vlaanderen, within fourteen calendar days of the property being placed on the tourism market (Flemish Government Order of 17 March 2017, article 14). The period starts as soon as the listing goes online, whether or not there is a booking. The registration number must be displayed on your listings.
- The fire safety certificate, issued by ACEG vzw for small accommodation (up to 9 sleeping places for an apartment in a multi-unit building), or by the mayor via Hulpverleningszone 1 depending on capacity. ACEG vzw took over this task from Vinçotte, whose collaboration with Toerisme Vlaanderen ended on 28 September 2025 (vincotte.be).
So a property can be in order for tax purposes in De Haan and still not comply with the Logiesdecreet. The two matters are unrelated.
How HOSTEA Conform' brings you into compliance
HOSTEA Conform' handles fire safety compliance, without a management agreement: audit of the property, ISO 7010 signage, evacuation plan, Benor fire extinguisher and detectors, preparation of the documentation and attendance at the ACEG inspection.
In De Haan, we always start by asking stedenbouw@dehaan.be for the zone. If the property is in a residential zone of an RUP, a BPA or a subdivision, we tell you so plainly: no permit can be obtained today, and bringing the property up to fire safety standards does not change that. Conform' puts the property in order; it does not replace a refused permit. We do not sign a management agreement in that case.
If the zone allows it, the permit application is prepared and Conform' takes care of the fire safety side. It is less spectacular than a promise of a quick listing, but it is what avoids a refusal after you have invested.
Frequently asked questions
Has De Haan banned holiday homes?
Can I let my apartment in a residential zone in De Haan?
Which municipal tax does a holiday home pay in De Haan?
Do you have to file a tax return every year?
Can you let for 120 days a year without a permit?
This article is for information purposes and does not replace professional advice. Have your situation checked by the municipality of De Haan, your accountant or your adviser before making any binding decision.
Is your property in De Haan? Request a HOSTEA Conform' quote: we start by asking for the zone.
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Sources
- Gemeente De Haan, Dienst Stedenbouw, written reply of 11/09/2026 to a request for confirmation from HOSTEA: permit mandatory, refusal in the "wonen" zone of RUPs, BPAs and subdivisions, zone request by email, 2026 second-residence tax.
- Gemeente De Haan, belastingreglement tweede verblijven, municipal council meeting of 18/12/2025, published on 19/12/2025, tax years 2026 to 2031.
- Gemeente De Haan, Verordeningen, RUP's, BPA's and Belastingen sections, dehaan.be, accessed on 08/09/2026.
- Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering of 14 April 2000 (functiewijzigingsbesluit), article 2.
- Vrijstellingenbesluit of 16 July 2010, article 7.3.
- Flemish decree of 5 February 2016 on tourist accommodation (Logiesdecreet), article 5.
- Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering of 17 March 2017 tot uitvoering van het decreet van 5 februari 2016 houdende het toeristische logies, article 14: aanmelding within fourteen calendar days of being placed on the tourism market (coordinated version, local copy reviewed on 14/09/2026).
- Vinçotte, Brandaudit toeristische logies, vincotte.be: end of the collaboration with Toerisme Vlaanderen on 28/09/2025; Toerisme Vlaanderen, Brandveiligheid in logies: designation of ACEG vzw.
- Gemeente De Panne, belastingreglementen toeristisch logies and tweede verblijven, municipal council meeting of 15/12/2025, tax years 2026 to 2031 (comparison).
Last updated: 14 September 2026. Changelog: 14 September 2026, municipality's written position on residential zones (no vakantiewoning allowed in the "wonen" zone of RUPs, BPAs and subdivisions), zone request by email, second-residence tax confirmed in writing, notification that the property is no longer a second residence (article 6) distinguished from the objection (article 8), comparison with De Panne on a 2026 basis, ACEG vzw takeover of fire inspections sourced, aanmelding deadline corrected (fourteen calendar days after being placed on the tourism market, Order of 17 March 2017, article 14), "outside holiday parks" caveat in the quick answer, ACEG threshold clarified for an apartment in a multi-unit building, 4 × 30-day exemption used up in blocks; 10 September 2026, article created, absence of a published municipal policy, 2026 second-residence tax, Flemish obligations.