In the Belgian capital, it is illegal to have an empty home that allows people to live, according to the Housing Code in force in the city. This regulation, which had been in force for more than two decades, was never applied, since when a city council required a good and reformed it for rent, the owner could claim it immediately after the reform. Regulation was amended in 2022, which also changed the rules of the game.

Thus, the "right to public management" enshrined in the regulations allows the authorities to require, renew and market as social rent empty or unhealthy properties. If a municipality detects a case of non-compliance with the regulations, it can pay the costs of the housing reform and market it as a social rental, and the owner will not be able to claim until it recovers what is invested by the city council, which can last decades.

According to a report by the Institute of Studies in Brussels, composed of several universities, there are 4,500 homes in the capital, to which this procedure can be applied. In general, in the European Union there has been an average increase of 50% in the price of housing in the last decade.