High rents, small rooms, and advertisements that disappear “in hours” are just some of the obstacles facing young renters trying to secure a property in Luxembourg, several workers in the Grand Duchy have said.
For many, the problem begins even before they arrive in the country. Andrea, 26, told Contacto he had to handle everything remotely when he moved to Luxembourg in October 2023.
“It was quite difficult,” he said, recalling that he had to make “numerous calls with random people, whom I couldn’t even meet in person.” He ended up finding a shared apartment and currently continues to share a house, but now has a private bathroom. “It’s a little better,” he said.
Andrea is currently looking for a studio apartment, but hope is fading. “It’s quite difficult, and I’ve been searching and experiencing many difficulties,” said Andrea, who currently allocates “about 35%” of his salary to paying for his room.
For many young people from abroad, finding accommodation is a tense and uncertain process. When Alex, 32, arrived in the Grand Duchy nine and a half years ago for work, he felt that the biggest obstacle to finding a home was how quickly the listings disappeared.
“You had to act fast, even when renting. As soon as something became available, it was gone,” recalled the logistics worker, adding that it took him “about a month” to find housing.
About a year and a half ago he bought an apartment, but he still considers house prices in Luxembourg to be in general “very high.” Alex acknowledged, however, that it was easier when he arrived. “There was less demand. I feel that now prices have skyrocketed, especially since the pandemic.”
‘Without the university’s help, it would be impossible to stay here’
Anurag Ray, a 27-year-old Indian student pursuing a master’s degree in finance at the University of Luxembourg, has experienced the same difficulties. “When I was looking, even when something was available, it would only stay available for a day or two. When I messaged to ask if they still had the room, it had already gone,” he said.
Among university students, the burden of housing on the budget is even more evident. Currently, Ray lives in a university residence, where he pays €400 a month, but even so, half of what he earns in a part-time job goes towards rent.
“If the university didn’t provide me with accommodation, it would be impossible to stay here,” he admitted, noting, however, that “not everyone can manage it.” “Some have to stay outside, I think there isn’t enough help. I’ve heard that some people were even thinking of returning to their countries because they couldn’t find university accommodation,” said Ray.
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Before finding his current university accommodation, he paid €900 for a room. “It was quite difficult to find something within my budget. I managed to get a room in a shared apartment for €900, but it was only for three months. It was a very small room, only nine square meters,” recounted the student, who has been in Luxembourg since September. “It wasn’t a fair price.”
But she doesn’t regret the move. “I came to do my master’s degree because the University of Luxembourg is very good in the area of finance, and Luxembourg is also a financial center. I want to work here after I finish my degree,” said Ray, who remains optimistic about the future. “When I have a full-time job, I’ll be able to earn enough, so I think I’ll manage.”
However, he has some advice for anyone thinking of coming to Luxembourg. “If you want to move here, you need to plan everything at least three months in advance.”
Improving the student accommodation offering
While Alex advocates for “more housing construction” and at a faster pace, Ray believes that it is necessary to improve the student accommodation on offer.
“There are some areas of the city that are being developed, but I don’t think they are progressing at the pace they should. And, I know that there were some construction projects that went bankrupt during the pandemic and the construction sector has not yet fully recovered its momentum,” Alex said.
Mathieu Rouleau, a French student, moved to the Grand Duchy for the same reasons as Ray and is pursuing the same master’s degree in finance. He managed to get a room for €750 including bills, a price he considers a real bargain.
“Honestly, I was very lucky, but it was very challenging; I thought I could find something in two weeks. It was the only accommodation I found at that price; €750 is the best you can get for a room in the center of Luxembourg City,” said the 24-year-old.
Rouleau admitted, however, that he can’t save “at all,” and that he depends on his parents’ help to continue his studies in the country, highlighting that a room in the city center can cost as much as in Paris.
Parental help
“I’m lucky because I work part-time, but I don’t earn enough to pay the rent. Fortunately, my parents are able to help me a little. Otherwise, I think I would have to take out a loan to be able to study here,” he said.
The young Frenchman also praised the support provided by the University of Luxembourg, but noted that the higher education institution helps “mainly people who are not cross-border students, that is, it gives priority to them over French, Belgian or German students”.
While sale prices are slowing, rents remain high. According to the real estate platform atHome, apartment rents remained practically stable in the first quarter of this year, with a 0.3% increase, following rises recorded in 2025, while house rents fell by 2.2% in the same period.
Despite this short-term stabilisation, figures remain at high levels, sustained by constant demand, particularly in the most attractive areas, and by limited supply.
On an annual basis, the trend remains upward: apartment rents rose by 5.1% compared with the first quarter of 2025.
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Probation period obstacles
Francisco, a 26-year-old Spaniard working in audit, moved to the Grand Duchy last January, attracted by the “good opportunities for young people.”
Unlike most young people interviewed by Contacto, he said that, in his case, finding accommodation turned out to be “quite easy.” “Here in Luxembourg, fortunately, we have a very large Spanish community. Opportunities to find a room or a house appear every day,” he said, explaining that he managed to find accommodation in about a week.
Evaristo Palma, who is also Spanish, said that finding a place to live from Spain was “very difficult,” at a time when, in addition to the high prices, he also faced the obstacle of the “six-month trial period” at work, a factor that he said “is a problem for some landlords.”
During his first few months in Luxembourg, Palma lived in a shared house. “It was pretty tough because the conditions aren’t the best and the price is also absurd, considering what you pay and what you get. But I was lucky, because I only stayed there for five months,” he said. After that, he moved into a flat with a colleague in Clausen, where he has been for three and a half years.
The 26-year-old, who moved to the Grand Duchy after being attracted by the “good salaries” and the possibility of “improving his career,” acknowledged that “year after year, housing prices are increasing.”
Returning to Spain, however, would only make sense if he were to try and buy a house. “If we go to Madrid, Valencia, or Barcelona, the situation is worse. The biggest problem is if one day we want to buy a house. With what we manage to save here, we can easily buy in Spain, but not here.”
Take the plunge nevertheless
Despite high house prices and the difficulties in envisaging a long-term life in Luxembourg, both Palma and Francisco advise other young people to take the plunge and move, especially in the early stage of their careers.
Francisco believes that for those coming from Spain in search of opportunities and a personal growth experience, the country is a good choice. “You’ll always meet new people, and that’s always inspiring. And if you’re not a fan of sunshine, then you should definitely come here,” he said, laughing.
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Palma said that he is “very happy” with his decision to move to the Grand Duchy, arguing that the country remains attractive for those who want to spend “one, two or three years” abroad.
However, he warns that if the Grand Duchy wants to retain young talent from other European countries, “some things will have to change.” “Housing is a very big problem. And taxes, for example, on bonuses [salary bonuses paid by the company], which are taxed at 50%, or on income for young people, should be lower, because when I see what I pay, it’s crazy,” he said.
(This article was originally published by Contacto. Machine translated using AI, with editing and adaptation by John Monaghan.)
