{"id":6649,"date":"2024-11-08T15:04:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T13:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/living-above-stores-according-to-legislation\/"},"modified":"2024-11-08T15:04:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T13:04:32","slug":"living-above-stores-according-to-legislation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/living-above-stores-according-to-legislation\/","title":{"rendered":"Living above stores according to legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Want to live above stores? Then consider what the legislation says, what the pros and cons are. You can read about it here!  <\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>What does &#8220;living above stores&#8221; mean?<\/li>\n<li>What does Flemish legislation say about living above stores?<\/li>\n<li>Benefits of living above stores<\/li>\n<li>Disadvantages of living above stores<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>1. What does &#8220;living above stores&#8221; mean?<\/h2>\n<p>Living above stores is a popular form of housing in urban areas. You live in a residential unit above a store. Stores include clothing stores and supermarkets.  <\/p>\n<h2>2. What does Flemish legislation say about living above stores?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>If the owner still needs to convert the retail space to residential, it requires an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/waarvoor-heb-je-een-omgevingsvergunning-nodig\/\">environmental permit<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If the owner applies for an environmental permit, it must comply with local city planning regulations such as zoning and building codes.<\/li>\n<li>As an owner, you must ensure that your store and residential unit meet strict fire safety standards. This includes the presence of fire-resistant partitions between the store and the residential unit, smoke detectors, emergency exits and fire extinguishers. There is also regular inspection and mandatory maintenance of fire safety equipment.  <\/li>\n<li>The housing unit must meet the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/woningkwaliteitsnormen\/\">latest housing quality standards<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The Flemish government encourages living above stores through the &#8220;Commercial Core Strengthening&#8221; program. Through this program, municipalities or cities receive subsidies to convert vacant floors above storefronts into residential units. <\/li>\n<li>Access to the residence must be separate from the retail space and may not pass through the store unless a special permit is granted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>3. Benefits of living above stores<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>If you live above stores, you often live in a central location in the heart of the city, close to amenities such as supermarkets, restaurants and public transportation.<\/li>\n<li>Living in a residential unit above a store may be cheaper in terms of rent or purchase price.<\/li>\n<li>Energy costs are sometimes lower because stores are often well insulated and heated and sometimes have shared heating or cooling systems.<\/li>\n<li>Living in an urban environment creates a sense of community. You live in a vibrant atmosphere with easy access to social and cultural activities. <\/li>\n<li>Stores often have well-equipped <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/12-tips-tegen-inbraak\/\">security systems<\/a> such as cameras and alarm systems. Those systems also provide some security to the living areas above. <\/li>\n<li>Living above stores contributes to a more efficient use of space in cities and helps make the city center more attractive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>4. Disadvantages of living above stores<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Since you most likely live in the city center, you are more likely to experience noise pollution. Not only from store activities (customers, suppliers and music), but also from passers-by. Since stores do not cause these noises on purpose, it is difficult to do anything about it due to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/huurwoning-regels-volgens-wetgeving\/\">rent law<\/a>.  <\/li>\n<li>The central location and proximity to commercial activities may limit your privacy. If you are sitting on your balcony, there are a lot of passersby who may be able to see into your apartment. <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/toegankelijke-woning-of-appartement-verhuren\/\">Accessibility<\/a> to the living space can be limited, especially if the entrance is shared with the store. In addition, there is often no separate elevator or stairs for residents, further limiting accessibility. <\/li>\n<li>Living spaces above stores often do not have a garden or balcony, which can be a disadvantage for people who value outdoor space.<\/li>\n<li>If you live above stores, you are more likely to experience odors. These are odors from eateries, large garbage cans, litter, etc. <\/li>\n<li>When purchasing a property over a store, obtaining a mortgage can sometimes be more difficult. Banks often view this type of property as riskier. In addition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wat-is-de-waarde-van-je-huis-of-appartement\/\">valuation<\/a> is more difficult since the residential unit is above stores.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4059\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4059\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4059 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wonen-boven-winkels_-appartement-boven-winkel-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Living above shops_ apartment above store\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wonen-boven-winkels_-appartement-boven-winkel-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wonen-boven-winkels_-appartement-boven-winkel-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wonen-boven-winkels_-appartement-boven-winkel-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wonen-boven-winkels_-appartement-boven-winkel-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wonen-boven-winkels_-appartement-boven-winkel.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4059\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Building with store area and residential unit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nieuwsblad.be\/cnt\/dmf20220519_97689717\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nieuwsblad<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiezoeker.be\/premie\/Aalst\/Premies-wonen-boven-winkels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stad Aalst<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vlaio.be\/nl\/vlaio-netwerk\/de-vitrine\/wonen-boven-winkels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vlaio<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you like to cite this article as a source? Then use: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Stiasteny, L. (2024, Nov. 8). Living above stores according to legislation. Apartment.be. Consulted on (date XX\/XX\/202X), from https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wonen-boven-winkels-volgens-wetgeving\/   <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/zorgwonen-volgens-wetgeving\/\">Care living according to legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/cooperatief-wonen-wetgeving\/\">Cooperative living according to legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/tiny-houses\/\">Living in a tiny house according to legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/wonen-op-een-woonboot-volgens-wetgeving\/\">Living on a houseboat according to legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wonen boven winkels volgens wetgeving (2024)\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/ext\/embed.html?id=657947826842432598&#038;src=oembed\" height=\"775\" width=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" ><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to live above stores? Then consider what the legislation says, what the pros and cons are. You can read about it here! Contents What does &#8220;living above stores&#8221; mean? What does Flemish legislation say about living above stores? Benefits of living above stores Disadvantages of living above stores &nbsp; 1. What does &#8220;living above [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6274,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1120,1127],"tags":[1121,1452,1451,1129],"class_list":["post-6649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buy","category-rent","tag-buy","tag-living-above-a-store","tag-living-above-stores","tag-rent"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.appartement.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}