The beguinage of Our Lady ter Hoyen, popularly known as the small beguinage, is
4 hectares in size and includes the church, a number of chapels and the Great House, around 100 houses and seven convents.

100 buildings:

87 houses

7 convents

The Great House (235)

The infirmary (237)

The rectory (277)

The rectory (275)

The Godelieve Chapel

The church 👉🏻

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146 mailboxes:

137 active

68 social housing units:

(49 houses : 35 houses + 14 houses
with 33 apartments)

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All individual houses and convents will be thoroughly restored. Parasitic and disruptive structures will be removed, and the main buildings will be restored to their original condition and volume. Since the Beguinage, in its entirety, is protected as both a monument and a landscape, and has been declared a World Heritage Site and recognized by UNESCO since December 5, 1998, the restoration work is subject to the guidelines and supervision of the various Monuments and Heritage Services. Together with the non-profit organization and the designer, they ensure that the restoration and renovation are carried out according to professional standards and that the historical character of the site is respected.

The houses and apartments in the beguinage are leased for a period of 66 years.

A leaseholder acquires his house or apartment at a considerably lower cost than a buyer: registration fees amount to only 5% compared to 10% for a private sale.

Like an owner, the leaseholder has full enjoyment of their home. This home may only be used as housing, and upon their death, the leasehold rights for the remaining period pass to their heirs. Furthermore, with the consent of the owner of the non-profit organization, a leaseholder can sell their rights or otherwise transfer them to third parties. Of course, the leaseholder does not acquire full ownership.

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Calculations have shown that, based on past investment returns, the leasehold of a house in the beguinage is financially more attractive than purchasing a comparable house or apartment. The combination of lower registration fees and favorable restoration conditions leads to this result.

Taking a house or apartment on a leasehold basis involves paying a sum to the non-profit organization Begijnhof. This sum, identical to the "Initial Rent," is a loan to this non-profit organization that will be used exclusively to finance the renovation of and related to the house or apartment.

There is a legal requirement to charge an annual rent. This annual rent is indexable. Furthermore, there are costs associated with the maintenance of the common areas. These are distributed according to the distribution key of 100,000ths. Each apartment within the beguinage represents a number of 100,000ths of the total. These variable costs, on an annual basis, were estimated at €0.62 per 100,000ths for the previous phase, or approximately €138 for the smallest apartment and approximately €635 for the largest apartment.

The houses with house numbers 79 to 175 (odd house numbers) are rented out by the Housing Company Dimensa.