Housing is plentiful for Americans looking for a house to rent. Rental prices are high. Surveys are done every year to set average housing costs by grade or rank. Personnel attempt to find housing within their ceiling amount so that the cost is covered by their housing and supplemental housing allowance.

There are no housing areas maintained as U.S. government property. All housing is either leased individually by military and civilian employees or is part of a lease program by the Embassy.

Brussels, Belgium does not have Government guest housing or transient facilities. In order to facilitate your move, the housing office has established three Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) with local hotels. Most have kitchen facilities and are conveniently located throughout the area.

The purpose of the BPA is to get a Government preferential rate and to avoid out of pocket expenses for lodging (the bill is sent directly to the housing office that takes care of the payment through the fund citation on your orders). If you wish to make use of these facilities through the BPA, you must provide a copy of your orders to the USAG – Brussels Housing Office.

Without orders, no reservations can be made. The Housing Office is the sole point of contact for making reservations (e.g. you cannot make your own reservations and ask the hotel to send the bill to the Housing Office). Any reservations made by the service member in one of the above or any other lodging option will be at personal expense. In this case you will have to bring a paid invoice to the Housing Office and request reimbursement. Please note that reimbursements will only be paid up to the maximum applicable per diem.

For those responsible for finding their own quarters, it is important to consider some of the differences between American and Belgian houses. Location within the school bus boundary will be important if you have school age children. The list of houses available for rent given by housing to newcomers is usually within the school bus boundaries. Access to public transportation is also something to consider if you will have only one car or prefer to have the convenience of public transportation. You can check with ACS for information on public transportation.

Most Belgian homes are completely unfurnished which means no carpets, closets, appliances, light fixtures, drapes, or drapery hardware. Many of the homes that pass from American to American have become more Americanized as improvements have been made and remain. Military and DoD civilian personnel may hand-receipt appliances (stoves, refrigerators, washers, dryers, and dishwashers) from Chievres Air Base. Wardrobes are also available, but limited to one per family member and two per sponsor. There may be a waiting list for some of these items. Families should also consider purchasing 220-volt (everything is actually 230 volt but everyone still calls it 220) appliances for those appliances used often. Used appliances are available for sale through the local Consignment (Thrift) Shop or listed on the Community Bulletin Board at USAG-Brussels or in the "Brussels Weekly" newsletter.

Unique to Belgium is the practice of a detailed inspection of a house prior to moving in and upon moving out. Sometimes the landlord will do this inspection with the tenant, but many landlords have an inspection company do this and prepare a detailed written report. If you have any problem with this report, Housing Office personnel provide you a courtesy translation into English. However, please note that this translation will not be as detailed as the original document. If needed, a housing staff member can also visit your house. The inspection cost, which can be anywhere from $50-500, is split between the landlord and tenant. What Americans consider fair wear and tear on a house may be considered damage in Belgium. Example: Room paint has a life of 9 years by Belgian standards; a family lives in a house that is newly painted when they move in. When the family moves out after 3 years, if there is damage to the paint that requires repainting, the family will be responsible for 66% of the cost of another paint job. (33% of the cost is considered the yearly depreciation of the paint.) It is best to be on good terms with your landlord and clear any improvements or maintenance with him or her. Moving costs are considerable for those coming to Brussels. Landlords require rental deposits of up to 3 months rent in addition to the first month's rent. Some service members and civilians can get a rental guarantee from the Belgian bank at NATO. This insurance policy (approx $100 yearly) is in lieu of paying a deposit. In case you do need to deposit the three months' rent in a joint tenant/landlord account, check with Finance at USAG-Brussels to see which solution is best for you. Otherwise, as you close that account after your lease is up, you may lose money due to currency fluctuations!!!! A Tenant Liability insurance policy is usually part of the lease agreement and is at the tenant's expense (est. $300-500 depending on the value of the house). Please note that US insurance policies are generally not accepted to insure your home. Check with your insurance company for details.

Deposits for gas and electricity are paid in your first month's bill and are set at 2-months expected usage (previous tenant's use) and estimated at $300. Those who rent homes using oil heat may have to purchase the oil remaining in the tank from the previous tenant. Basic telephone installation charges are $90 minimum. Telephone is usually hooked up quickly (between 2 and 5 working days). It is recommended that soldiers have at least $3,000-$4,000 available when arriving in Brussels for the many moving-in costs associated with Belgium. Some of the moving-in costs are offset by the MIHA (moving-in housing allowance), approx. $750, but this allowance is paid through your LES, usually after you have paid the costs. There is also MIHA-Rent, which will reimburse the costs incurred to register a private lease and to pay the professional inspection company fee, but this allowance is paid after bills are paid.

Military members receive a monthly utility allowance ranging from around $479-$639 depending upon rank and number of family members.

Gas and electric meters are read only once a year in Belgium. Meters are read by an official meter reader or by the tenant (who will receive a postcard which must be completed and mailed back). Tenants may also bring in their meter readings to the Housing Office, who will call in your figures. There is also a web service to do this, but it is currently not available in English. The time of year when this is done varies from commune to commune. The bimonthly bills are only estimates based on your average usage of the previous year, or in the case of a new tenant, based on the usage of the previous tenant. After a maximum of one year, a catch-up bill follows. For many newcomers to Belgium, the first annual catch-up bill can be a financial shock! If you happen to follow a non-American or someone with considerably different heating and electrical habits, the difference between what has been paid over the course of the year and what is actually being used can be enormous. Note: for some communes, the yearly catch-up bill includes the TV cable charges for the coming year.

After receiving the first catch-up bill, the bimonthly estimates will be adjusted to reflect actual usage. This amount will be divided by 12 and the company will set your new estimated payment for the next year. For the average American living in Belgium, this means that while bimonthly payments may increase considerably, the amount owed the second year when the end-of-year bill arrives will not be excessive since your estimated bills for the second year are closer to your actual usage pattern.

How can you avoid an unpleasant (and expensive) surprise when the first catch-up bill arrives?

1. Note your original meter readings (gas, electricity, and water) when you take occupancy. Send a copy to the Housing Office and keep a copy at home for reference.

2. Monitor your usage each month. Take a new reading when you receive your first estimated bill. Subtract your original reading or previous reading to determine your actual consumption.

3. Compare the consumption amount to the estimated amount the company has set for your home.

4. If the monthly consumption is close to what you are paying, you are within range of your bill.

5. If you are considerably over, set money aside every month to be prepared to pay for a large catch-up bill.

6. Keep all receipts to prove how much you have paid.

Since July 2003, the supply market for electricity has been liberalized. Although Electrabel is still the owner of the network, there is a plethora of suppliers that customers can choose from. Due to a complicated system and the many different rates with different suppliers, it is impossible to list all rates here. Furthermore, your rates also depend on the commune you live in and how much electricity you use (e.g. if you use little electricity the price per kilowatt is higher but you pay less fixed annual fees). We will only list some rates as a guideline. Prices quoted include a 21% Value Added Tax (BTW or TVA) and environmental taxes. Your HSO can provide you with more information about the different suppliers and energy rates.

Utility companies in Belgium also assess a yearly charge for environment, reusable energy, network transport, etc. These charges are directly proportional to your energy consumption and are added to your utility bill. Utility prices are directly connected to the oil price (i.e. if the oil price goes up, you can expect an increase in utility rates).

For more information on utility tariffs, please visit www.electrabel.be (in English), or see your HSO.

What happens when you don't pay your electricity bill? First, you will receive a reminder which will contain information in case you need help or need to set up a pay plan to settle your debt. If within 15 days after receiving the reminder you still haven't paid, you will receive a registered mail informing you that your electricity will be cut off on a specified date. This letter will again propose a pay plan to settle your debt. If you decide for a pay plan, your file will be forwarded to an agency specializing in these matters or to a debt mediator. You will have to accept a pay plan and make regular deposits to settle your debt. Your supplier has the right to terminate your supply contract if:

You do not pay your invoices in accordance with the pay plan
If you do not accept a pay plan
In this case, you will have to find a different supplier. If you find another supplier at least 10 days before termination of your previous contract, the new supplier will continue to supply your electricity. Your debt with the previous supplier will still need to be paid. If you do not establish a contract with another supplier, Electrabel will proceed with the installation of a budget meter.

How does this work? Your normal electricity meter will be supplemented with a budget meter. Note that the installation of a budget meter is not free of charge! This meter has a card slot. The occupant will have to buy a prepaid card and put it in the meter (Electrabel will provide a list with addresses where the card can be purchased/recharged). There is a display on the meter that will tell you how much credit you have left on the card. If your credit is running low it will warn you. If you use up all the credit without recharging the card, your electricity supply will be shut down. Since electricity is a necessity for living in humane circumstances, and everyone’s right for a household, the meter is equipped with an emergency power supply button. When this button is activated you will receive electricity again, but it will be limited to 6 amperes (= 1380Watts). With the emergency reserve you can manage, but it is by no means comfortable. It is just enough to provide you with light, heating, and a little cooking. Consider that one hot plate on your electric stove uses about 1000 watts. If you are misfortunate enough to have electric heating (most electric radiators use about 1000-2000 watts), you can imagine the discomfort this may create during the winter time. Additionally, be aware that the emergency credit and the 6 amperes limitations are not free of charge. You can pay these with your budget meter card. You can refund 35% of your recharge at the time.

Example: If the amount of your emergency supply is 50 Euro, and you recharge your card with 100 Euro, you can only pay back 35 Euro. This means that your card was only recharged with 65 Euro. On your next recharge you can reimburse the remaining 15 Euro. Your budget card cannot be used to settle debts with a previous supplier, nor can it be used to pay gas and/or cable TV. And last, even if you have a budget meter, you will still receive an annual invoice which may include remaining amounts due.

If you need assistance with budgeting, investing or consumer advocacy issues, contact your ACS Financial Readiness Program Manager at USAG-Brussels, DSN 368-9698 or CIV 02 717-9698.

-Be energy aware!

-Pay close attention during the Housing In-Briefing.

-Attend Army Community Service's "Survival Skills" for information, too!

-Read your meters! Know what you are using!

-Locally-generated bills come, of course, to your local Belgian home address. Do not ignore ANY bill, even if it is not in your name! Take it to Housing or ACS if you would like clarification on a certain bill. NEVER assume a certain bill is erroneous! We know of service members whose furniture was taken away to pay off a bill they thought was not theirs to pay!

-There is no waiver of deposit program on utilities in Belgium.

Dismantle the light fixtures that you installed unless your landlord wants to take them over.
Do NOT cut the wiring!
Replace all worn out or damaged fuses
Replace all damaged or missing outlets and/or switches
Remove any wiring that you installed that was not there when you moved in
GARAGES, CELLARS, BALCONIES, DRIVEWAYS AND STORAGE AREAS:

These areas must be clean and free of dust
Oil stains and moss must be removed!
Water grids must be free of dirt, leaves and other debris
Use bleach water and a scraper to remove moss