How do you find temporary housing for relocating employees in Antwerp?

A new colleague starts in Antwerp soon, and they need somewhere to live from day one. Finding a long-term rental from abroad is slow, so the first weeks need a furnished place that works straight away.

Temporary housing for relocating employees: what do the first months look like?

Temporary housing for relocating employees covers the gap between arrival and a permanent home. The gap can be a few weeks or several months, depending on how fast a lease is found and when it starts. The employee needs a furnished place that is ready on arrival, close enough to work, and flexible enough to extend.

A typical sequence looks like this:

1. Before arrival: the employer arranges the work permit if needed, and books the first stay.
2. Week one: the employee settles in, starts work and visits homes in the evenings.
3. The following weeks: they sign a lease, wait for the start date and arrange registration at the new address.
4. Moving day: they leave the temporary home and move into the permanent one.

For the wider context of business stays, areas and arrival, see where to stay in Antwerp for work.

How long should temporary housing for an employee last?

Temporary housing for an employee should last until the permanent lease starts, plus a small buffer. Book the first stay for the time you expect, and agree up front how extensions work. Leases often start on the first of a month, so a stay that ends mid-month can leave a gap.

At Hoost, one booking runs from 2 nights to 6 months. Dates can be changed if the new dates are free, and longer stays continue with a new booking. Leaving early is the risk to plan for: remaining nights are not refunded, except in an emergency. So book the expected length, then extend if needed.

Location matters as much as length. A temporary home near the workplace makes the first weeks easier, while the employee learns the city. The Hoost building suits jobs on the south side. Antwerp Expo is about 1.2 km away and ZAS Middelheim about 2.1 km. The Kennedytunnel is about 3.2 km by road. For an office near Antwerpen-Centraal, about 4.3 km away, trams 2 and 6 cover the trip.

Can a relocating employee register their address in temporary housing?

A relocating employee usually cannot register their address in short-stay accommodation, and at Hoost it is not possible. That matters, because registration is how a non-Belgian employee gets their residence sorted in Antwerp. Plan it around the permanent home, not the temporary one.

Stad Antwerpen asks non-Belgians who want to stay longer than 3 months to apply for long stay. After the application, a neighbourhood police officer visits to confirm that the person lives at the address given, according to the city’s long-stay page. For stays up to 3 months outside a hotel, the city asks non-Belgians to report their short stay. EU citizens do so within 10 days of arrival in Belgium, others within 3 working days.

Important

Hoost provides the stay, not the registration. The domicile stays elsewhere until the employee moves into the permanent home. Our guide on registering your address in Antwerp explains the steps.

Work permits are a separate track. Vlaanderen.be says an employer must apply for a work authorisation or single permit in advance for a foreign worker, though some workers are exempt.

What should temporary housing include for a new employee?

Temporary housing for a new employee should let them live normally from the first evening. That means a kitchen, bedding, a place to work, laundry and a simple arrival. Anything missing becomes a shopping trip in a city they do not know yet.

Every Hoost apartment has:

• a kitchen with cooking basics and a dining table;
• bed linen and towels, and a double bed in every bedroom;
• a dedicated workspace with Wi-Fi and Ethernet;
• heating and a TV, with electricity, heating and water included.

A shared washing machine and dryer are in the building. Arrival is by self check-in with a lockbox, from 15:00, which helps after a long flight. The building is in Antwerp South, near trams 2 and 6, and outside the low-emission zone. For a family, the two-bedroom apartments sleep up to 4, with a cot and high chair on request.

Accommodation that can be invoiced to your company

Accommodation that can be invoiced to your company saves the employee from paying upfront and claiming it back. It also keeps the cost visible for HR and finance. Ask any provider early whether they invoice the company, and what the invoice shows.

Hoost offers company invoicing and asks for no deposit. Cleaning is charged per booking, and city tax is charged separately. If you relocate several people, the four apartments are in one building, with one contact. Companies booking business trips as well can read about corporate housing in Antwerp. The comparison with hotels is in corporate housing or a hotel.

When Hoost is not the right choice

Hoost is not the right choice if the employee must register their address during the stay. It also cannot take one booking longer than 6 months. It also does not suit people who bring pets or need parking on site.

Hoost does not arrange visas, permits, schools or permanent housing. A relocation agency or your HR team handles those steps. For the rest of the business-stay picture, read our guide to staying in Antwerp for business.