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Contemporary evolution of the patterns of residential occupation of town centres is marked by the growth of diverse household forms distinct from the nuclear family model. Some draw the conclusion from this that this is evidence of a new phase in advanced capitalist societies, that of “reurbanisation”. This article puts the emphasis on the growing presence of young adults in town centres, either living alone or with a partner, and links this evolution to contemporary mutations of the ways by which young people enter adult life. The analysis attempts to identify the nature of the territorial dynamics initiated by this type of socio-demographic evolution and to raise questions concerning it through the conceptual prism of gentrification. The empirical observations resulting from the Bruxelles case give grounds for drawing attention to the particular importance of a marginal gentrification process affecting the market for private rented properties.