News Luxembourg | Vauban&Fort - Part 2
Just a moment...

House repair services: valuable tips for landlords

House repair services: valuable tips for landlords

What can we do?

At Vauban & Fort, we take care of your rental house maintenance. We work closely with house repairing companies such as Handyman Luxembourg to guarantee the best service for house repairs. Our partners are professionals in the field, and they will take care of your repairs as soon as possible. You don’t need to worry about anything!

How does it work?

Handymen are rare in Luxembourg, and they always keep you waiting, as none wants to take care of the minor repair because they are not lucrative. That’s when we can help!

Contracting home fixing services can solve your problems and efficiently guarantee a quick fix to your tenants. As a landlord, you don’t have to do anything. We call our partner, estimate the cost of the repairs and then arrange a date. We ensure maximum transparency throughout the whole process. 

Picture shows somebody fixing a broken window

Source: Unsplash

Some valuable tips for our landlords

Taking care of the rental property maintenance is a legal obligation for landlords, which requires investing time and money. But some tips can help you reduce the risk of severe damage:

  • Rely on trustworthy home repairing services

You can count on professionals that will fix what’s broken as soon as possible. You don’t have to waste time looking among different websites as we work closely with companies for different kinds of repairs. 

Moreover, our services are trustworthy and guarantee the quality of the work provided. It is not always the case with some handymen you hire on the spot.

  • Plan home improvements

Many owners want to renovate their property, but it is essential to plan it on time. We suggest renovating the property before you start renting. In this way, you will offer a better place to your tenants and ask for a higher rental fee.

  • Take care of home repairs on time

Smoke detectors, water leaks or heaters should be checked regularly for safety reasons and to avoid more severe damage. If everything runs smoothly, tenants will benefit, and you can reduce the risk of fractions.

Final thoughts on home repairing services

House repairs can be a nightmare if not taken care of on time. It’s a landlord’s responsibility to fix damages by themselves or hire home repair services. 

At Vauban & Fort, we offer home repairing services as part of the maintenance for the rental of your properties. Avoid more headaches by trusting professionals who will take off lots of worries from your shoulder!



Tips to get long-term tenants

Tenants looking for long-term rental houses or long-term rooms for rent have some expectations regarding the house and the relationship with the landlord.

Here are some factors that can have an impact on the duration of the rental agreement:

  1. Hire a property management company
    A property management company will contribute to the success of your letting property on the market. The work of professionals will guarantee the management and maintenance of the properties. Legal support is essential to ensure that both parties’ legal rights are respected in a dispute.
  2. Selection of good tenants
    A background check will be important to get an idea of the future tenants. Of course, this is a time-consuming task, but at Vauban & Fort, we will take care of it and present you only trustable candidates.
    In Luxembourg, it is widespread that tenants sign the lease agreement with a “diplomatic clause”, allowing them to leave the contract obligations. This clause can be a problem for landlords as they need to look for new tenants. Landlords can delegate a property management agency to deal with it.
    It is better to have a lower income but keep it in the long run with well-selected tenants.
  3. Guarantee long-term tenants’ rights
    If their rights are guaranteed, tenants will be living longer sharing a room in your flat. Landlords have to provide safe and in good state property. One piece of advice from us? Try to do all the repairs as soon as you get the request, and your tenants will be forever grateful!

    Source: Unsplash

  4. Aim for stability
    A wrong selection of tenants can bring a substantial financial loss. It can be common to have tenants that live in a shared house without the landlord having the time to look for a new one. It takes up to 2 months to find a new person in Luxembourg.
  5. Some nice-to-have
    Some tenants will stay longer if you allow pets or provide a welcome pack for the new tenant. It is nice to get a funny mug or toilet paper already available from the day they move in. Good relationships start from showing you care. Don’t you think?

Final thoughts on long-term rental house owners

We can help you get long-term tenants for your properties via different types of services, from recruiting tenants to the maintenance of the property and collection of payments.

If you’re a landlord or you’re thinking of becoming one, then have a look at our homes to see the kind of housing we propose. If you’re looking for a room to rent in a shared flat, then have a look at our listings of rooms.



This article looks into the landlord’s responsibilities, like keeping the properties and equipment in good condition. Indeed often, the work of a landlord is not over once the lease is signed.

To reduce the workload, some landlords hire companies like Vauban & Fort to take over the property management of their property. It is undoubtedly an excellent way to simplify landlords’ life by screening tenants’ applications, managing payments and taking care of the maintenance of the property.  

The five most common landlord responsibilities

1. Maintenance of the property

When you decide to rent your property, owners have to consider that some maintenance costs will fall under your responsibilities. For example, heating has to work all the time, and all windows should be in good condition to prevent cold air in the apartment. 

If a property is in good condition it is much easier to rent it for a share house option. If the flat looks good, people will be more willing to move into a flatshare. 

2. Insurance

Owners have to subscribe to the landlord’s insurance to protect their property which is absolutely essential and protects against worst-case scenarios like flooding, fire or burglary.

3. Repairs

A landlord must take care of most repairs needed in the flat or house. Some laws allow tenants to withhold rent if repairs don’t happen on time. 

Eventually, due to normal wear and tear stuff breaks down or stops working altogether. As a rule of thumb, if things break and can be repaired, the tenant must pay for these repairs. However, particularly with electronic equipment, like fridges and dishwashers, the device might be beyond repairs, in which case the owner will have to pay for a replacement.

Landlords need to take care of home repairs

Source: Unsplash

4. Building administration

The property owner is responsible for dealing with the syndic of the building on behalf of the tenant since the flat is in their name.

5. Breakdown of costs

In Luxembourg, the landlord must give the tenant a yearly breakdown of all utility costs. This process can be a bit more tedious as it ends up taking more time to prepare everything accurately for the tenant.

Hire a rental house property management

Rental house property management agencies can make a landlord’s life easier. They handle the daily operations of renting properties, such as fixing damages, covering the costs of repairs, doing all the paperwork as well as the day to day administration. 

Hiring a property management company is a good choice for those who don’t want to keep up with all of the above issues, many of which can be time and energy-consuming. Landlords can then rely on the experience of such agencies and forget about all that work, while tenants can search for their new accommodation via a listing of rooms.

 



Before giving you some tips on how to become a landlord, let’s talk first about some of stress points related to it.

What to know before becoming a landlord?

Renting your property as a shared house can turn into a good source of income, but you will have to take care of some costs and spend time on it.

There are a lot of factors that will have an impact on your first experience as a landlord, from rental agreements to tenants selection. Let’s have a look at some pain points for a landlord:

  • Taking care of delayed rental payments: This can be emotionally exhausting as you never know if and when you’ll get it paid;
  • Dealing with continuous maintenance: tenants can call you at any time to have their shower fixed. It can be a really stressful element for many landlords;
  • Knowing your tenants: you don’t really know who you have in your property until they have moved in and it can be hard, at some point, to get control of your property again.

To some extent, there is also a degree of luck involved but if you rely on a property management agency like Vauban & Fort, you won’t have to take care of anything and you can confide all the hard works to professionals.

Landlord working with a property management manager

Source: Unsplash

Five tips for becoming a landlord

Nevertheless, here are some tips if you’re already a landlord or if you’re thinking of becoming one:

1. Rely on professional help for your property management

the collection of payments, maintenance of the property, selection of tenants, and online presence of your home as we do at Vauban & Fort for all the properties in Luxembourg.

2. Be aware of your landlord’s rights

As a landlord, there are many obligations but there are also some rights. You can set the rent, know who is living in your property and be given access to the property on specific occasions such as when repairs are to be done or you would like to inspect it;

3. Arrange for a strong tenancy agreement / contract

The contract has to include basic information of the tenant, landlord and property together with the duration of the tenancy, payment dates and notice period to end the contract. It is essential to get the rental contract right as it can otherwise become tricky when things go wrong.

4. Check your landlord insurance

God forbid but over the long term it is likely that at some point or another things might go wrong and if you are really unlucky you might end up with costly repairs. This is particularly difficult for the grey zone of ‘wear and tear’ whereas a landlord you are expected to replace electrical equipment if it is broken but then what do you do if your tenants abuse these repeatedly. For this reason, it is essential to be covered by a good insurance and here in Luxembourg we’d recommend AXA and also FOYER.

5. Hire a property management company

As a landlord you have lots of things to do such as collecting payments and dealing with delays, taking care of the maintenance of the property sometimes even on Saturdays and knowing who is living in your house. If you hire an agency to manage your property all this stress is not on your shoulders anymore, so time to enjoy a cold beer and kick back while others do the hard work. Cheers to that!

Final thoughts on what landlords need to know

Renting a room or a shared house often requires a lot of time, expertise, and knowledge. At Vauban & Fort, we put in place everything you need to succeed in your job as a landlord. You don’t have to worry about anything!

Join our community of the best landlords and get listed on our homes ready to be rented out in Luxembourg.

Coliving is profitable for tenants and landlords. The first will save money on the rent, while the landlords will receive more rental income. It’s a win-win situation!

Four things to consider when renting a room

If you’re looking for boarding rooms for rent in Luxembourg, a good location and the price per month are just some aspects of your choice. There are some other factors to consider:

1. Legal Rights as a lodger and subtenant

You’re a lodger if you rent a room in a house where the owner lives. In this case, the owner can access all the house areas, and he can ask you to move out following a notice period.

If your contract is direct with the tenants of a house, then you’re considered a subtenant, and the owner has no legally binding agreement with you.

2. Your deposit is guaranteed

If you decide to rent a room via an agency, you’re putting yourself in the hands of professionals. You will be avoiding lots of scammers that might take your deposit and never return it to you. Particularly in Luxembourg, this is a recurring problem. Beware of rooms that are too good to be true, they probably are!

Things to consider when renting a room

Source: Unsplash

3. Lifestyle compatibility

Living with other people is certainly a great experience when your lifestyle matches your flatmates. In the selection process, pay attention to your future flatmates’ personalities and if they could be a good fit for you.

4. What is included

Ask all possible questions before renting a room in a shared flat: cleaning rules, food storage and work schedules and so on. It’s crucial to know if you have access to your private bedroom. The room is yours, but you should know in advance any other rules regarding standard utility bills, such as internet, electricity, the TV, and so on.

Conclusions on what to consider when renting a room

Coliving will enrich your life, but before deciding which room to pick, there are some things to consider when renting a room in a flatshare. Some of them are related to legal aspects and others are purely for your own sake.

On Vauban & Fort, you can count on many community reviews to get a first idea about how it would be to live in one of the properties listed on our site.

What does flatshare and coliving mean?

Let’s first define what the two words stand for as it can get confusing.

A flatshare is when a group of people rent a house together under a shared house agreement. Each tenant is responsible for paying their part of the rent and sticking to the signed contract terms. Moreover, they can benefit from tenant support in case of issues or needs during their stay.

Coliving is a form of accommodation where people get a room in a furnished flat or house. It’s an excellent living experience mostly widespread among students, international professionals or people moving to a new city or relocating from another country.

How to find a flatmate?

Looking for a shared house for rent can be tricky, and the same goes for finding the right flatmates. Vauban & Fort provides many properties to find what you’re looking for to make your life easier.

You can count on our experienced staff to find the best room in a flat with selected flatmates. They make your choice more straightforward thanks to the reviews from people that have already been living in the flat you’re interested in.

Our mission at Vauban & Fort is not only to help you find your coliving space but create a community so that you can enjoy moments together.

What is the reality of living in a flatshare?

Living in a flatshare can be a great personal experience, where you can meet new people with different backgrounds.

Sharing a flat is for sure a cheaper alternative to renting a house or studio by yourself, but that’s not all! It can be some challenges as living with others also means compromise. It can happen that the kitchen is not as clean as you would like it to be or that you don’t get along with a flatmate.

Good and bad things will happen, but it’s a chance to grow and get to know yourself better.

However, if you have a good coliving operator many of the above issues can be much simplified as they have experience how to manage expectations and they make sure that the properties are run in a good and efficient/fun way.

Flat mates sharing moments together

Source: Unsplash.com

Cons and Pros of Coliving

As we already mentioned, living with other people has pros and cons. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Three Cons of coliving

Now it’s time to talk about some disadvantages of renting a room in a shared flat.

1. Some interpersonal issues

Conflicts may arise in coliving apartments. You have less privacy, and the connection with other flatmates might not be perfect.

2. Respect of ‘house’ rules

Rules can be tricky sometimes, but most of the time, they come from common sense. You have to respect them if you want to live together with other people. Here are some fairly common ‘house’ rules which help to make it happen:

  • Housekeeping shifts;
  • Respect of the common quiet;
  • Know what’s shared and what’s not;
  • Be respectful;
  • Solve problems as soon as they arise

3. Challenges of Landlords’ arrangements

Dealing with landlords can be challenging. Some of them might take good care of the house while others might not. Getting your deposit back when you leave can create headaches. To avoid all these troubles, you can rely on operators like Vauban & Fort to guarantee your rights.

Five Pros of coliving

There are some great upsides to sharing a house/flat together:

1. Reduce rental costs

Coliving spaces offer the chance to reduce rental costs as you will be sharing a flat and the overall costs with other people.

2. Fight loneliness and isolation

Choosing a flatshare allows you to make great experiences and to integrate quicker. It is the best solution if you don’t want to live alone.

3. Make new friends

Independently if you’re moving to a new country or city, choosing to rent a room in a shared flat will make it easier to get to know new people who might become your friends.

4. Be part of a community

Most of the time, the people you will be living with will become part of your life. It’s an excellent opportunity to get together and make new experiences.

5. Taste food from other nations

Cooking and sharing food with your flatmates is a great opportunity to taste new recipes from all over the world. Yummy!

Taste new food while you live in a flatshare

Source: Unsplash.com

Conclusions about living in a shared house

We’ve seen that coliving is not only a cheaper option but mostly also a chance to meet new people and share great moments. If you rent a room via Vauban & Fort, you become a member of a larger community of incredible people, too.

While there are some disadvantages to flatsharing, once you take the plunge, we believe that it will undoubtedly lead to unforgettable life experiences.

We have over 15 years of experience in flatshares for professionals in London, New York and Luxembourg.

Subscribe to our newsletter with the latest vacancies

We’ll send you a monthly letter. No spam, we promise.

    By submitting this form, you accept our privacy policy.

    Get started!

    Complete a quick registration to find an awesome room in Luxembourg.
    Password must be 8+ characters

    Welcome back!

    Hello there, how are you today?
    Forgot your password?

    Enter the email address used with your account

    We'll send you a code to reset your password.
    Forgot your password?

    Create a new password

    For the account:
    Password must be 8+ characters

    Enter the 6-digit code we just sent to :
    Didn't get a code?
    Create your account

    Your email address has been confirmed!

    Your password has been changed!

    Welcome to Vauban&Fort

    Let's find the perfect room for you!