Premium bedding, equipped kitchen, fast connection: the amenities that make the difference in reviews and let you justify a 20% higher rate.
Furnishing an apartment for short-term rental in Belgium is not something to improvise. According to 2025 AirDNA data, well-equipped properties earn on average 23% more revenue and show an occupancy rate 18 points higher than minimally furnished properties.
In 2026, slow WiFi is the number one cause of poor reviews in the amenities category on Airbnb. Business travellers, who account for 42% of short-term stays in Brussels according to Statbel, need a reliable connection. Fibre optic is now non-negotiable.
Recommended providers in Belgium: Proximus Fiber (Brussels municipalities, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège), VOO (Brussels and Wallonia), Telenet (Flanders). Budget 40 € – 65 € per month. Go for at least 200 Mbps symmetric.
Router placement: Place it at the geometric centre of the property, never inside a closed cabinet. For properties over 70 m², invest in a mesh system such as the TP-Link Deco (79 € – 149 €) or the Google Nest WiFi Pro (199 €).
Displaying the credentials: Make a small laminated card with the network name and password, placed on the bedside table AND on the desk. Add a QR code via qr-code-generator.com for instant connection.
What guests notice when it's missing: A speed under 50 Mbps generates negative comments in 67% of cases, according to an analysis of 800 Belgian Airbnb reviews carried out by Hexuvium.
A study by AirDNA on the Belgian market shows that apartments explicitly mentioned for a quality mattress in reviews charge an average nightly rate 19% higher than competitors.
The mattress: Invest in a hotel-quality, medium-firmness mattress. In Belgium, Beter Bed or IKEA Belgium (Hovag or Valevag mattresses) offer excellent value for money. Budget: 250 € – 600 € for a 160x200 cm. Protect it with a waterproof mattress protector (35 € – 60 €).
Three-set linen rotation: This is the professional golden rule. Set 1 on the bed, set 2 at the cleaners, set 3 as a clean spare. Van Dyck (Belgian brand) or Zara Home offer excellent options between 40 € and 90 € per sheet set.
Pillows: Offer two types: firm and soft. One traveller in three has a strong preference. Investment: 4 quality pillows (IKEA Majros, 15 € – 35 € each). Spare covers are a must.
The duvet: Two weights depending on the season (light 200 g/m² for summer, warm 400 g/m² for winter) or an all-season duvet. Budget: 60 € – 120 € per duvet.
Guests in short-term rental in Belgium are cooking more and more: 54% report preparing at least one meal per stay, according to a 2024 Booking.com survey. A well-equipped kitchen justifies a higher rate.
The coffee machine: A Nespresso Essenza Mini (99 € – 150 € at Fnac Belgium) with an assortment of 20 varied capsules (6 €) transforms your guests' mornings. Total coffee budget: 160 €.
Cookware set: A set of 3 pots (16, 20 and 24 cm) + 2 non-stick pans. Recommended brands: Tefal or IKEA 365+. Budget: 80 € – 130 €.
Knives: A decent 5-knife block is enough. The Zwilling brand offers sets from 60 € – 80 €.
Full tableware: For 4 guests, provide 6 dinner plates, 6 soup plates, 6 bowls, 6 water glasses, 6 wine glasses, 6 cups. IKEA Belgium (365+ or Dinera range): 80 € – 120 € for a full set.
Consumables to leave: Salt, pepper, olive oil, sugar, coffee, tea, a roll of paper towels. Cost: 15 € – 20 €. Impact on the review: considerable.
The bathroom is often the first place a guest inspects. A clean, well-equipped bathroom that smells good creates an immediate positive impression.
Hairdryer: Mandatory. A hairdryer of at least 1800 W (Remington or BaByliss, 25 € – 40 €). Wall-mount it if possible. Without a hairdryer, female guests almost always take off a star.
Towels: At least 2 bath towels and 2 face towels per person. Choose cotton of at least 500 g/m². Van Dyck offers sets for 30 € – 50 € per person.
Soaps and toiletry kits: Shower gel (200 ml), shampoo (200 ml), conditioner (100 ml), hand soap. For a premium positioning, choose local Belgian brands. Toiletry kit budget per stay: 4 € – 8 € when buying in bulk.
The lack of a hairdryer is cited in 34% of negative reviews of Belgian apartments, according to our Hexuvium analysis.
Belgium is experiencing increasingly hot summers (heatwaves in 2019, 2021 and 2024). Thermal comfort is a baseline expectation for professional short-term rental management.
Reversible air conditioning: A reversible Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric or Panasonic system represents an investment of 1 200 € – 2 500 € supplied and installed. In Brussels properties, check the co-ownership rules.
Smart thermostat: Google Nest Thermostat at 129 € or Netatmo at 99 €. Remote control and energy optimisation between stays.
A guest who has nowhere to put an open suitcase feels immediate frustration. Yet this point is rarely considered when furnishing.
The luggage rack: One or two folding luggage racks (IKEA Hemnes or similar, 20 € – 35 € each) placed in the bedroom or in a dedicated space. They stop suitcases being put on the bed.
Wardrobe space: Set aside space in at least one wardrobe: at least 50 cm of rail with 10 hangers, plus 2 empty drawers. Do not store your own belongings there — if you do, lock the space with a combination lock.
A safe: For business travellers, a small built-in safe (40 € – 80 €) to protect passports and valuables is a real plus. Mention it in your listing.
A well-designed digital house guide cuts guest messages by 70% during the stay, according to Hexuvium's operational data across 150 managed properties in Belgium.
Recommended tools: Hostfully ($12–25/month, professional guidebook), Notion (free), or Google Sites (free). Share the link in your pre-arrival message and display it as a QR code in the property.
Essential guide content:
Belgian specifics: Waste sorting rules vary by municipality. In Brussels: orange PMC bags (recycling), white bags (residual waste). In Flanders, bag colours differ by municipality. Explain these rules clearly.
With the rise of remote work, a dedicated workspace has become an active filter criterion on Airbnb. It puts you in a category of your own, typically generating 15 to 25% more revenue on stays of 3 nights or more.
The desk: At least 120 cm wide x 60 cm deep. A height-adjustable desk (Flexispot or IKEA Bekant, 150 € – 400 €) is a premium selling point. Position it facing a window to avoid glare during video calls.
The ergonomic chair: Don't cut corners here — a bad chair causes pain after 2 hours of work. An IKEA Markus at 229 € is essential. Avoid dining chairs in front of a desk.
The second screen: A 24-inch external monitor (Dell or LG, 150 € – 250 €) with HDMI and DisplayPort cables turns your apartment into a business apartment. Mention it in your listing title.
Families with young children are an underexploited market segment in Airbnb concierge services in Belgium. They look for properly equipped properties, struggle to find them, and book earlier for longer stays.
The travel cot: A folding travel cot (Chicco or Maxi-Cosi, 80 € – 180 €) with a hygienic mattress and washable sheets. Mark it as available on request in your listing and charge 10 € – 15 € per stay, or include it free as a marketing point.
The high chair: IKEA Antilop (25 €) — light, washable, the global standard. A high chair increases your appeal to families at negligible cost.
Safety accessories: Socket covers (5 €), stair gate if applicable (30 € – 60 €), foam table corners. These small details show a level of care that translates into trust and bookings.
Only 3% of Belgian short-term rental properties are adapted for people with reduced mobility, even though this segment makes up 15% of the adult population. Accessible properties are booked on average 28 days in advance (vs 14 days for standard properties) and their cancellation rate is half as high.
Low-cost adjustments: Grab bars in the shower (20 € – 40 € each), folding shower seat (30 € – 50 €), raised toilet seat (25 € – 40 €), non-slip mats. Total budget: 100 € – 200 € to make a ground-floor apartment accessible. Mention it in your listing to maximise visibility in filtered searches.
safety equipment is checked and mentioned by conscientious travellers.
At least one per floor, one in each bedroom. Reliable brands: Kidde or EI Electronics, 15 € – 25 € each. Choose 10-year battery models.
Fire extinguisher: A 1 kg ABC powder extinguisher in the kitchen (30 € – 45 €). First-aid kit: Plasters, disinfectant, gauze, thermometer, paracetamol. Budget: 30 € – 50 €.
Your listing photos are your first sales pitch. Consistent, professionally photographed decor can increase your conversion rate by 40%, according to Airbnb.
The style: Choose a defined, consistent style: Scandinavian (neutral tones, light wood, green plants), industrial (metal, exposed brick, grey), or cosy Belgian (warm fabrics, filled bookshelf, retro touches). Avoid mixing styles.
Professional photos: Invest once in a professional real-estate photographer (150 € – 300 € in Belgium). Properties with professional photos get 2.5 times more clicks.
Home automation transforms the operational management of your rental and improves the guest experience. It is a strong differentiator in the Belgian market.
The connected lock: Nuki Smart Lock (229 € – 299 €, available at Fnac and MediaMarkt) fits over your existing lock without replacing it. You generate unique temporary codes for each guest. Igloohome (199 € – 249 €) is a popular alternative.
The secure key box: If a connected lock is not possible, a code-based key box (Master Lock, 30 € – 60 €) fixed near the entrance allows full self-check-in. Change the code between each guest.
In Brussels, Liège or Antwerp, noise is the second most common guest complaint after lack of cleanliness.
Blackout and soundproof curtains: Thick curtains (IKEA Majgull or Merete, 40 € – 80 €) reduce both noise and light. Mandatory in every bedroom.
Earplugs: Offer a small box of earplugs on the bedside table — it costs 3 € and avoids a poor score on the Quietness criterion. Mention it in your house guide.
The 15th essential is often the most overlooked: a system for continuously improving your property based on guest feedback.
The internal feedback form: When each guest departs, send a message including a link to a Google Forms survey with 5 simple questions: What did you miss?, What did you enjoy most?, Was there a technical issue? Review this feedback monthly.
The monthly improvement budget: Set aside 50 € – 100 € per month for small improvements identified through this feedback. Over a year, 600 € – 1 200 € invested in a targeted way has a far greater impact than a poorly targeted 2 000 € upfront investment.
Furnishing your apartment for short-term rental in Belgium is above all a marketing investment. Every euro spent on the right equipment translates into better ratings, higher occupancy and justified nightly rates. The 15 essentials detailed in this article represent the roadmap Hexuvium applies to every property it manages in Belgium, from Brussels to Namur, via Bruges and Antwerp.
If you would like to hand this optimisation phase to professionals, or entrust the full management of your property to an Airbnb concierge in Belgium, contact the Hexuvium team for a free audit of your apartment.
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