Guide to Renting a Flat in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is one of the most prosperous countries within the European Union. One that lays comfortable in the centre of Western Europe, and is well connected to all European countries. Its super strong economy is also one of the best in Europe.

As a result, almost half of Luxembourg’s population (47%) are from different nationalities. To be more precise there are 147 nationalities living in Luxembourg presently. From the look of things, there are even more people that want to work and live there.

The constant surge of new people creates massive pressure on the residential real estate market. The prices are already high, there is not much space for new developments and the demand is strong.

How to find a flat in Luxembourg?

Before renting a place comes finding one. There are two ways to find a flat in this country. One is through rental agencies. The other one includes browsing real estate ads, both online and in newspapers. Don’t expect to find any street rent signs as rarely there are. The thing is that residential real estate in Luxembourg is a rare commodity that is in high demand and there is no need for street signs or anything like that. Aside from rental agencies and ads, ask locals or friends that live there and know someone that is about to move out from their apartment.

What to do after you find a flat?

After you find one, you need to talk to the landlord or the owner of the place. If you come to some verbal agreement on the general terms, he or she will give you a written contract to sign. Other than the contract you will also need to sign an inventory list of all the furniture and things in the flat, get home insurance, and make a bank deposit. That’s how you rent a flat in Luxembourg.

Tennant’s rights and real estate laws in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has pro-tenant laws, but the landlords also enjoy quite a few rights as well. Plus, they are the ones that draft the contracts and that have the power to add various clauses. Therefore, before you sign anything make sure you understand what’s in it. If you don't speak any of the official languages (German, French, or Luxembourgish) you better hire a translator to help you out with that.

The landlords can terminate the contract if you fail to pay rent on time or damage the property, the landlord wants to accommodate themselves or the property is taken over by government. It’s also good to know that in most cases disputes are solved via a mediator. Only in rare cases, disputes get to a court where the expenses are quite high, for both parties.

In conclusion

Searching for a flat in Luxembourg at times might look like a Herculean task. But once you find it all the effort will be forgotten. Luxembourg is truly worth the effort and sometimes the wait. It is a small country, but with huge potential and a thriving community. Not many people leave Luxembourg once they find a place there.