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So how much will a room in Luxembourg city set you up on average. Well this is a question harder to answer but it might be anywhere between 700-950€ all charges and any additional expense included.
Tip: Be careful but many privately rented rooms do not tell you about added electricity and Internet charges which are often at the cost of the tenants.
Peak periods are in January, February but also in September. It is better to sort out your accommodation early and start at least 4-6 weeks before than risk being disappointed or come under pressure.
Many interns that traditionally start in September and then again in February put additional pressure on the market.
It is customary in Luxembourg that owners ask for 3 month rent as deposit on a new flat. Sometimes you might be lucky and find somebody who only asks for 2 but normally it is 3. Additionally you normally need to have a CDI (Contrat a Duré Indeterminé) to be considered as a potential tenant.
But, not to despair, most flat sharing companies ask for only 2 month deposit. Even so this is a cost to factor into your moving plans.
Tip: Make sure you demand a receipt of the payment for the deposit.
Whether you need an agency or not is ultimately up to you but agencies normally guarantee quality standards. This should make the whole process a lot easier and faster.
It is customary for an agency to ask you for 1 month rent as a fee for their services in helping you to find a room. The cheapest we have found were Vauban&Fort whose reduced agency fee was substantially cheaper than its competitors while also offering additional services like professional maintenance and additional insurance.
Whether you are an intern or have been offered a CDI (Contrat a Duré Indeterminé) there is a difference whether you will be staying short term (under 6months) or long term (generally anything over 6 months). This is particularly relevant when you search for rooms. People that stay long term have different expectations than those staying short term.
Tip: If you are looking for short term you should really start early because this can limit your options
While many privately offered rooms are not a scam be aware that renting privately has some risks and in some cases people do not see their deposit again.
Rooms are often rented out without the consent of the property owner and it can get hairy once this is found out, as it is illegal.
Tip: Warning signs to find out about this is if you are not allowed to register at the townhall for instance
Everything is about location and with all the traffic in Lux City it is important to be close to your work. Rent in the capital for example in Belair or Kirchberg is a lot more expensive than outside the city. If you wanted to rent a decent room for under 700€ consider locations outside of the city like in Leudelange. Inside of the city a decent room/flat normally starts at 700€.
A good place to start looking for rooms is appartager.lu the main flat share platform in Luxembourg. Of course there are also many groups on FB but these are less regulated and do not have proper search criteria that match what you might be looking for. Also justlanded.lu has some rooms to look for. We would recommend companies like Vauban&Fort who are known for their quality services (www.vaubanfort.lu) and specialize in international flat shares only.
It is obvious that finding the right room at the right rate in the right location is the first and foremost consideration but many people do not directly consider their flatmates.
After all, these are the people you will be living with on a daily basis. Some agencies offer basic assurances as to the background of tenants but in practice often fail as screening for tenants is time consuming. Do make sure that you ask for a 1-on-1 visit of your future room.
So you booked your room online and it turned out to be nothing like the pictures? This is unfortunately a more common issue and we would recommend to visit a place in person in nearly all cases.
There is nothing like actually seeing a place to get a feel for it. During a visit do pay attention to the cleanliness of the kitchen or common areas as well as whether your private landlord or agency is coming across as serious, whether they take time to answer your questions and if they ask for upfront payments.
In some cases it might be better to slightly increase your budget to be able to have piece of mind.
You definitely need to know that this is a very diverse country in terms of demographics, culture and language. There are 3 major spoken languages besides English.
This is the official, administrative language spoken in Luxembourg. It sounds a little bit like German most of the time. At least 50% of Luxembourg’s population speaks luxembourgish. You could also encounter it in parts of Belgium and France.Speaking of which, if you stop and look at the world’s map for a minute, you will find that Luxembourg is situated near Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. So close, you could commute everyday and many people indeed also do so!Don’t worry though, Luxembourgish is often spoken on personal occasions, such as at home and by the locals themselves. It makes a big difference though if you do show that you are able to speak Luxembourgish and language classes are incredibly popular since it is necessary to pass a test with very basic Luxembourgish to become a Luxembourg (EU) citizen after 5 years in the country.
If you are moving to Luxembourg for business or planning to spend more than 3 months there, you should definitely practice your French speaking skills! This is the official language of the parliament and rule of law, also many official documents. A strong business relationship is based on solid communication so you might take some French learning classes.
This is the third official language of the country and almost 45% of the population speaks German. You might want to learn a few words, but also note that most of the people here are educated to speak at least 3 foreign languages and in almost 90% of cases with English you will definitely manage if you don’t speak French of German yet. If you had a choice between French and German we would pick French as many employees in the shops and restaurants are French frontaliers (so people that actually commute from France everyday to work in Luxembourg). English is widely spoken, particularly among the sizeable expat communities (over 50k people) and is one of the motors of business in the Grand Duchy.
Now that you know what to expect in terms of spoken languages let’s talk about culture.
Deleted: Luxembourg City features very good museums that are really popular and each year during the ‘Night of the Museums’ (in November) all 7 main city museums are open till late into the night and attract huge crowds. Luxembourg City is incredibly diverse, the seat of the EU law courts and blends both ultra modern with old traditions. It has a cultural legacy and history that stretches back over 1000 years and features the breath-taking Wenzel’s walk, which is also on the Unesco World Heritage list. Its architectural legacy goes back to Celtic, tribal times although the city itself was most likely founded by the Romans. Formerly known as ‘Gibraltar of the North’ as it was considered to be the most significant fortified city in Northern Europe, make sure that you do not miss out on visiting the breath-taking fortified Pétrusse valley that cuts the city into 2 big halves. With ramparts of nearly 50m height it is a sight to behold and perfect for romantic walks along the river. You might even encounter ‘Melusina’, the mythical Mermaid that disappeared centuries ago when according to legend count Sigfried, the mythology founder of Luxembourg city, spied through a keyhole while she was bathing.
Outside of Luxembourg city, if you have any time left, you should not miss the Vianden Castle, the Echternach Basilica or the so-called Müllertal. If you are a painted art lover, you can find beautiful works by Jean-Baptiste Fresez and Nicolas Liez. They are the most important artists of the country and also painted the City of Luxembourg and its surroundings in the late 19th century.
Checking out the local libraries where you can delight yourself with some of Edmond de la Fontaine’s poetry who is considered to be the country’s outstanding national poet, being one of the first to write in Luxembourgish.
As far as national cuisine goes, it is strongly influenced by the German and French cooking, as well as Portuguese and Italian expats who arrived in the 50s and 60s. Eating out is somewhat of a national sport in the capital and there is a very high density of restaurants to choose from. This will be an enriching experience! Either way, you will most certainly enjoy what this country and its people have to offer.
