Which municipalities have the most building rules of their own?
Middelkerke has the most planning regulations of its own in Flanders (10), followed by Blankenberge (8) and Ypres (8). 210 of the 285 Flemish municipalities have at least one regulation of their own; on top of that, 6 regional regulations apply across Flanders, such as the one on rainwater.
What stands out
- 75 of the 285 Flemish municipalities have no regulation of their own in the register.
- The topics that come up most often: parking and cycling (69 municipalities), dwellings (66) and trees and planting (60).
- In the province of Antwerp, 56 of the 67 municipalities have a regulation of their own; in the province of Limburg, 21 of 38.
What you may build also depends on other rules, such as what you may build without a permit in Flanders and the zone on the regional zoning plan. For one address, the free Perceelscan preview brings it together.
What a municipal regulation covers
A planning regulation sets rules for the whole municipality or part of it, alongside the zoning plan. Common topics:
- parking: how many parking spaces a home or a project needs;
- housing quality and splitting: the minimum size of a home, and whether you may divide a house into several homes;
- charges: what a larger project has to contribute to the municipality;
- a building code: rules for building and renovating across the whole municipality, as in Antwerp;
- rainwater, greenery and paving, advertising and antennas.
Why it matters if you buy a house
Anyone who wants to renovate, split up or extend a house has to meet the municipality’s regulations as well as the zoning plan. More rules of its own does not necessarily mean stricter, but more specific: read them before you draw up a plan.
The municipalities with the most regulations of their own
| Municipality | Municipal regulations |
|---|---|
| Middelkerke | 10 |
| Blankenberge | 8 |
| Ypres | 8 |
| Lievegem | 8 |
| Diksmuide | 7 |
| Nieuwpoort | 7 |
| Tessenderlo-Ham | 7 |
| Veurne | 7 |
| Wingene | 7 |
| Aalst | 6 |
| Antwerp | 6 |
| Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht | 6 |
| Brasschaat | 6 |
| De Haan | 6 |
| Halle | 6 |
| Koksijde | 6 |
| Alveringem | 5 |
| Asse | 5 |
| Duffel | 5 |
| Evergem | 5 |
All 285 Flemish municipalities
The regulations of the Flemish Region
These 6 regulations apply in every Flemish municipality, alongside those of the province and the municipality.
How we count
We count the municipal planning and building regulations in the register of the Departement Omgeving (DSI), without drafts and without repealed regulations. A regulation of a municipality that merged in 2025 still applies on its former territory and counts for the new municipality.
For 90 municipalities the register does not state that it is complete: a regulation may be missing there. No regulation in the register is therefore no proof that there is none. Status on 5 October 2026.
What the Perceelscan shows
For each address, every regulation that applies to the plot, from the municipality, the province and the region, with a link to its record in the register.
What is a planning regulation?
A regulation of the municipality, the province or the region with rules for building and renovating, alongside the zoning plan: on parking, housing, greenery, rainwater or charges, for the whole municipality or part of it.
Which municipality has the most building rules of its own?
Middelkerke, with 10 regulations of its own in the register, followed by Blankenberge (8) and Ypres (8).
Which regulations apply to a plot?
A regulation can apply to the whole municipality or to part of it. The Perceelscan shows per address which regulations of the municipality, the province and the region apply to the plot, with a link to their text in the register.
Sources
Updated on