u/Adrisab16

Hi everyone,

I’m writing this out of sheer frustration and exhaustion. I am permanently relocating to Ghent from Spain on June 15th, and trying to secure a place to live and a job from a distance has become an absolute nightmare. I feel like I've hit a brick wall and I'm running out of options.

I have spent weeks scraping through Facebook groups, Immoweb, co-housing platforms, and contacting every interim agency (ETTs) I could find online. Every time, I run into the same hopeless Catch-22: landlords ask for a Belgian employment contract or Belgian payslips, but agencies tell me they need my fixed Belgian address (domicilie) to formalize everything properly.

I am not looking for a handout, just a fair chance to start my life in this beautiful city. Here is my actual situation:

• Financials: I have over €12,000 in personal savings as official proof of solvency. I can provide the bank statement immediately and am more than willing to pay a few months of rent upfront if that gives a landlord peace of mind.
• Profile: 22 years old, calm, clean, organized, and a non-smoker. I speak native Spanish, I have a B2 in English (and worked entirely in English with international customers at a well-known shop in Gibraltar), je parle un peu français (A2), and I'm currently learning Dutch.
• Housing Need: I am looking for a room in a shared house (co-housing) or a small studio. The only non-negotiable requirement is allowing domicilie (official registration), as it is legally mandatory for my future work contract.
• Employment: I am actively looking for entry-level positions in logistics, warehouse operations, production or honestly, pretty much anything. I have my EU passport, a driver's license, and I am ready to work hard from day one.

If anyone here knows of an empathetic landlord, a co-housing space looking for a reliable housemate, an interim coordinator who is used to helping expats settle in, or just has some genuine advice on how to break this bureaucratic loop, I would be endlessly grateful.

Thank you so much for reading. I genuinely want to make Ghent my home, but the distance and the red tape are making it incredibly tough right now.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently considering moving to Ghent and I found a coliving house at Kasterbant 3, near Dampoort/Macharius-Heirnis. I wanted to ask locals and students what they think about that area for a young person/student/international.

My main priorities are:

• being relatively close to student life and social areas
• having a good atmosphere
• safety
• being able to move around easily by bike/public transport
• not being completely isolated from the city life

Would you say the Kasterbant/Dampoort area is good for someone young who wants to experience the social/student side of Ghent? Or would areas closer to Overpoort/Sint-Pieters be much better?

Also, how is the atmosphere there at night? Safe enough to come back home by bike/walking?

Thanks a lot 😄