What to Check at a Rental Viewing in Luxembourg: A Practical Room-by-Room List

In this article

1. Before you go
2. The building
3. Light, noise and orientation
4. Heating, hot water and energy
5. Kitchen and bathroom
6. Electricity and connectivity
7. For a room in a shared flat
8. The money questions
9. The lease
10. After the viewing
11. Our take

Before you go

Prepare three things, so the viewing is spent looking rather than asking basic questions.

• Your file. Identity document, employment contract or offer letter, recent payslips if you have them. Being ready to apply on the spot is a real advantage.
• Your numbers. The rent, the monthly charges and the deposit you can afford. Our guide to what renting actually costs helps you build the budget.
• Your commute. Check the journey to your workplace at the time you would actually travel. Luxembourg's public transport is free, but a free journey that takes fifty minutes is still fifty minutes. See our guide to public transport.

The building

Start outside, because some things cannot be fixed from inside the flat.

• Is the entrance clean and the lighting working? It tells you how the building is managed.
• Is there a lift, and does it work? Ask how often it breaks down.
• Where are the bins, the bicycle storage and the cellars?
• What is on the ground floor? A bar or a restaurant can mean noise and smells in the evening.
• Is there a construction site next door? Luxembourg builds a lot, and a site can mean two years of early starts.

Light, noise and orientation

• Which way do the main windows face? South-facing rooms are bright and warm; north-facing rooms are cooler and darker in winter.
• Stand in the bedroom and listen. Is it on a busy road, a tram line or a railway? Ask if the windows are double or triple glazed.
• Open a window. The difference in noise tells you a lot.
• If you can, visit at the time of day you would be at home. A quiet street at 11 in the morning can be very different at 7 in the evening.

Heating, hot water and energy

Heating is the biggest variable in monthly charges and the most common source of winter complaints.

• Is heating central for the building or individual to the flat? Gas, heat pump or district heating?
• Ask to see the energy performance certificate. Luxembourg rates buildings on a letter scale on which A+ and A are the most efficient classes. A poor class means higher bills and often a colder home.
• Turn on the hot water and wait. How long does it take to arrive?
• Look for condensation or mould around windows and in the corners of rooms, especially in bathrooms.

Kitchen and bathroom

• Check the appliances: hob, oven, fridge, extractor, dishwasher. In some unfurnished flats the kitchen comes without appliances, so ask exactly what stays.
• Open cupboards and look under the sink for signs of leaks.
• In the bathroom, check the water pressure, the silicone joints and the ventilation. Mould in joints is common and becomes a deposit dispute if it is not recorded at the start.
• Is there a connection for a washing machine, or a shared laundry room?

Electricity and connectivity

• Count the sockets in each room, particularly where you would put a desk.
• Ask whether the building has fibre. Most of Luxembourg City does, but it is worth confirming if you work from home.
• Check your phone signal inside, especially in older buildings with thick walls.

For a room in a shared flat

• How many people live there, and for how long have they been there?
• How are the kitchen, bathroom and living room shared?
• How are charges and cleaning split? Is there a written colocation pact?
• Is the lease for your room alone, or a joint lease for the whole flat?

Since August 2024, shared flats under a joint lease must have a written colocation pact, and flatmates are jointly liable for the rent. Our guide to colocation rules explains what that means.

The money questions

Ask these directly. The answers should be clear and in writing.

1. What is the rent, and what are the monthly charges?
2. What do the charges include, and what were the actual charges last year?
3. How much is the deposit, and how will it be held? Since August 2024, it cannot exceed two months' rent.
4. Is there an agency fee, and how is it shared? Since August 2024, it is split 50/50.
5. When is the rent reviewed? By law, at most every two years.

For the details behind each answer, see our guides to rental charges, security deposits and agency fees.

The lease

• Is it a fixed term or open-ended? If fixed, is there an early exit clause?
• What is the notice period? Three months is the legal default.
• Are pets allowed? Is subletting forbidden?
• When will the entry inventory be carried out?

Ask for a copy of the lease to read before you sign. A landlord or agent who refuses is a warning sign; our guide to rental scams explains why.

After the viewing

If you like the home, say so the same day and send your file. If you have doubts, write down why before you see the next one. Decisions made after four viewings in an afternoon are rarely the best ones.

Our take

A viewing is short, but it is the only moment before signing when you can see what the photos leave out. Twenty organised minutes are worth more than an hour of wandering.

When we show a home at Aura Properties, we give you the rent, the charges, the deposit and the previous year's charges before you ask, and we share the lease in advance. See what is available now, or ask us on WhatsApp for a live video viewing if you are still abroad.

This article explains the general framework of Luxembourg residential lease law and is not a substitute for legal advice on your individual contract. For official procedures and current forms, consult guichet.lu or your commune.