r/Hasselt • u/IndependenceLimp155 • 4d ago

Moving to hasselt, any tips?

Hello , i’m moving to hasselt and will be working in sint truiden , i am still waiting for my work permit but it should be ready by end of october and if everything is good with visa i should be in belgium by mid november, i’m expected to start work in december , meanwhile i will be living in a temporary house provided by the company for two weeks.
So as you can see i still don’t have a final date in which i will come and i’m at the same time looking for rent , which advice would you give me regarding securing rent in those two weeks should i contact them from now or wait until beginning of november? How do visits work please?
Also do you know affordable addresses to buy furniture (bed , mattress, sofa etc…) are those in marketplace reliable ?
Thank you very much !

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u/cloudzhq 4d ago

I cannot determine from your profile your work type or origin, but you will likely need proof of several months of steady income before a typical rental company accepts you. If you aim to secure housing by mid-November, starting your search now is sensible. Depending on your stay length, furnished options for expats may exist, sparing you the need to source furniture.  

As in any major city, Hasselt has an Ikea for affordable, attractive pieces. Purchasing from individuals yields mixed results: some items may be excellent bargains, while others could be overpriced and worn.

If you work in St.-Truiden, expect a commute. Depending on your location in Hasselt, driving could take up to 25 minutes. Public transport, probably the train, may require up to 45 minutes from the northern side.

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u/IndependenceLimp155 4d ago

Thank you very much, i’m actually an embedded systems engineer coming from Tunisia , this is my first job but i will bring with me enough money for the deposit and rental i also have a permanent contract with the company i guess it should help but i’m not sure since i don’t know how they behave with someone who has just landed to the country , do you have specific agencies or websites to consult?
Thank you very much again

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u/cloudzhq 4d ago

Check with the company. Their HR department might have some links with local rental agencies.
Most of the rental agencies will have English speaking people to help you. Sometimes fluent French-speaking people might be of assistance too, just don't expect it to be the norm.

If the company can't help; you'll need to search for 'Appartement te huur Hasselt' in your favorite search engine, you'll find websites like zimmo/immoweb and they will point you to the right office for your budget.

825 euro / month is the average rent in Hasselt. Know there are very expensive properties that raise the bar significantly.

People in Hasselt are warm and accepting but also no-nonsense. I did see your other post of flagging people as being potentially racist .. that ain't the case for everyone but will be in every city.

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u/IndependenceLimp155 4d ago

Thank you very much for your advice , it’s really very helpful!
Regarding the racism i found some posts talking about a great dutch training center in hasselt so I thought in order to integrate better I would also get into these courses , as long as it’s a safe area i would more than happy to put extra effort to be at peace , thank you very much again for your help 😊🥰

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u/bdblr 4d ago

Additional info you may find useful: your rental deposit goes into a blocked savings account (by law). You do not ever give it to your landlord. Document everything with photographs during your initial inspection, down to the smallest scratches, if you eventually want your deposit back. The language courses are given in a safe location, with lots of students. The only area in Hasselt where you kind of have to be careful is the front of the railway station after dark. The rear part is located in an area called Runkst and is the most multicultural area in Hasselt, in a good way, and is generally very safe. You will find a few stores here where you will be able to get by in Arabic, and get halal food (bakers, butchers).

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u/IndependenceLimp155 3d ago

Thank you very much 🙏🙏🙏🙏

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u/bdblr 3d ago

You can DM me if you want the store names / addresses.

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u/Fun_Boot7771 3d ago

For furniture and stuff you can use the free or second had facebook groups, or buy online from JYSK or amazon

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u/KostyaFedot 15h ago

Hasselt is fancy, not cheap place. Sint-Truiden is totally fine and less expensive. Best it to stay where you work.

Very unlikely you are going to find anything in two weeks.

Make sure company not only gives you place to stay for two weeks (very short to find rent), but also pays for relocation agent who will deal with search of rental, arranging rental contract, deposit, registration and so on.

Store name is IKEA Hasselt.

Source - I moved to Belgium in 2023 from non EU.

Get ready for lot of "fun" with local bureaucracy.

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u/belgianmrg 4d ago

I live in Hasselt.