The second-home market on the Belgian coast in figures
46% of overnight stays come from second-home owners (2025 study)
According to the Westtoer study published in 2025, second-home owners (tweedeverblijvers) account for almost 46% of all overnight stays on the Belgian coast. That is almost one stay in two. By comparison, hotels account for only 18% of overnight stays and campsites for 22%. Conclusion: your property is part of the main engine of local tourism, not a marginal segment to be treated as an afterthought.
Around 24,000 second homes in Knokke-Heist
Knokke-Heist alone has almost 24,000 second homes (municipal register, 2024 data). Across the whole coast, the stock exceeds 90,000 units. This density explains why competition on Airbnb, Booking and Vrbo is tougher here than elsewhere in Belgium: your listing is competing against hundreds of similar properties within a 2 km radius.
Seasonality is less linear than the market thinks
Many owners accept the idea that “the coast means July and August”. That has not been true since 2022. The shoulder seasons (April-May, September-October) now bring in 32% of Airbnb revenue on the Belgian coast, compared with 19% in 2019. Long weekends, Belgian and Dutch school holidays and the continued rise of remote working have lengthened the curve. A property marketed only for the high season misses out on a third of its potential.
Real yield figures in Knokke and Ostend (Airbtics, May 2026)
Knokke-Heist: 853 listings, ADR €164, occupancy 50%
Airbtics data from May 2026 put Knokke-Heist at an ADR (average daily rate) of €164 and annual occupancy of 50%, i.e. around €30,000 in gross revenue per property per year. This average hides a considerable spread: the bottom quartile is around €16,000, while the top quartile exceeds €48,000. Three times as much, for properties that are sometimes less well located.
Ostend: 1,209 listings, ADR €148, occupancy 59%
Ostend shows a slightly lower ADR (€148) but higher occupancy (59%), which produces comparable gross revenue. The market there is more active in the low season thanks to cultural tourism (museums, events) and business travel. The peak-to-trough curve is less extreme than in Knokke.
Why the “average” is not an acceptable goal
A market average is not a goal, it is a midpoint. Half of all properties do worse. For an owner who invests capital, time and energy in their property, aiming for the average means settling for being halfway up the slope, even though the management levers needed to reach the top quartile cost no more. The difference lies in the method, not the property.
Three levers that lift a property above the average
Dynamic pricing based on real demand
A fixed weekly price, or a rate grid copied from the previous year, leaves 15 to 25% of revenue on the table. Dynamic pricing adjusts the rate every night according to local demand, events (Knokke Hippique, Ostend festivals, races), booking pace and direct competition.
Off-season letting designed as a product
The shoulder seasons call for a different positioning: workations, wellness breaks, gourmet weekends, family getaways with pets. Adjusting the minimum price, shortening the minimum stay, segmenting the photos, adding a pitch on heating and winter comfort: on average, this work produces 4 to 6 extra weeks of bookings per year.
Logiesdecreet compliance as a competitive advantage
The Flemish Logiesdecreet requires a brandattest for every tourist accommodation. A significant part of the stock is not compliant. Being compliant means avoiding administrative closure, but it is also a differentiating argument to highlight in your listing. Our HOSTEA Conform' service handles the audit, the compliance work and the declaration.
A missing brandattest is holding back more than half of Flemish second-home owners
According to CIB Vlaanderen (2025 sector report), more than half of Flemish second homes let occasionally on platforms do not have an up-to-date brandattest. Sanctions start with a formal notice and can escalate to administrative closure and a fine. Less visibly, your home insurance may refuse to cover a claim if the commercial use has not been declared and fire safety compliance has not been checked. It is a silent but costly risk.
What HOSTEA can change for your property
HOSTEA is a short-term rental property management company based on the Belgian coast. We operate as a full-service manager or as an Airbnb co-host: dynamic pricing, multi-platform listing optimisation (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo), check-in and check-out management, cleaning, linen, Logiesdecreet compliance. Our goal is not to manage as many properties as possible, but to bring every property we take on into the top third of the local market.
Free 20-minute audit
If you want to know where your property stands against the Knokke or Ostend benchmark, book a free 20-minute audit. We look at your listing, your 2025 figures, your rates and your compliance, and tell you what can be recovered and what is harder to recover. No disguised sales pitch.
How much could your property really generate?
20 minutes with Victor to benchmark your yield against the Airbtics market data and identify the levers that unlock the most value.
Book an appointment Free estimateFAQ - Second-home owners (tweedeverblijvers) and rental performance
How much does a second home in Knokke earn on average as a short-term rental?
According to Airbtics (May 2026), an average Airbnb in Knokke-Heist generates around €30,000 in gross revenue per year, with an ADR of €164 and annual occupancy of 50%. The top quartile exceeds €48,000.
What is the average occupancy rate of an Airbnb on the Belgian coast?
Average annual occupancy is 50% in Knokke-Heist and 59% in Ostend (Airbtics, May 2026). The differences are mainly explained by the share of off-season tourism, which is higher in Ostend.
Do you need a brandattest to let your second home (tweedeverblijf) on the Belgian coast?
Yes, in Flanders the Logiesdecreet requires a fire safety certificate (brandattest) for all tourist accommodation. According to CIB Vlaanderen (2025), more than half of the properties let on platforms are not compliant, which exposes them to administrative closure and to your insurer refusing cover.
What is the difference between letting my property myself and using a property management company?
If you do it yourself, you handle pricing, communication, check-in, cleaning, linen, the unexpected and compliance. A property management company such as HOSTEA takes care of everything in return for a commission, aiming for the top quartile of the market through dynamic pricing and multi-platform listing optimisation.
How many second-home owners (tweedeverblijvers) are there on the Belgian coast?
The total stock exceeds 90,000 dwellings across the whole coast. Knokke-Heist alone accounts for almost 24,000 of them (municipal register 2024). Second-home owners account for 46% of all overnight stays in coastal tourism (Westtoer 2025).
Sources and methodology
- Westtoer, Trendrapport Kusttoerisme 2025
- Airbtics, market data for Knokke-Heist and Ostend, queried in May 2026
- CIB Vlaanderen, 2025 sector report - vakantiewoningen
- VRT NWS, special report on second-home owners on the Belgian coast, 2025-2026
- Knokke-Heist municipal administration, second-home register, 2024 data
Article written by Victor Timmermans, founder of HOSTEA. The figures cited date from May 2026 and will be updated every quarter. Properties in the HOSTEA portfolio are tracked with internal performance indicators cross-checked against Airbtics benchmarks.