The municipality of Walferdange has blocked official registrations in an unfinished housing development due to serious safety concerns, warning the promoter that no residents may move in until all issues are resolved.
Like in many other municipalities, Walferdange is home to several apartment buildings where construction has either significantly slowed or stalled altogether. In this case, the issue concerns three blocks comprising around 60 units, with some buyers facing delays of up to three years on the promised handover date.
In certain cases, impatient owners, or those unable to afford continuing rental payments, have moved into apartments that are not yet complete. In response, the local council has issued a veto: until these apartments are fully finished, no one is officially allowed to live in them – a directive that was communicated to the developer in an official letter.
While PM Luc Frieden has declared that the construction sector is no longer in crisis, that message rings hollow for buyers still waiting on properties that are years overdue. While investors may be able to wait it out, the situation is particularly dire for those still paying rent.
Two owners in Walferdange recently reached their limit and moved into their incomplete flats. They even reported their new addresses to the municipality, making them the only two residents officially registered in the development, at least for now.
After being called to inspect the site, municipal officials found far more than minor flaws. According to Walferdange Mayor François Sauber of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the issues were serious: missing balcony railings, the absence of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, and either limited or completely blocked access to the underground parking garage.
In light of this, the mayor stated that they cannot take responsibility for people living in such dangerous conditions. Municipal authorities have since informed the developer in writing that no further registrations will be processed until all safety concerns are resolved.
But does the local authority have any say over safety on a private construction site? Technically, a mayor cannot withdraw occupancy rights. Moreover, the conditions of the original building permit were fulfilled.
However, as cited in the municipality's letter to the developer, the mayor can invoke a provision of the municipality's regulations: "The mayor may prohibit the occupation of any building that poses a danger and may order the evacuation of residents as well as restoration or demolition of the construction in question."
Speaking to RTL, Sauber added that if there are safety issues, he simply cannot allow people to register there. Laurent Tremuth, who represents the property owners and oversees progress on the site in question, showed himself irritated by the situation, arguing that while these complications may not trouble investors too much, they can severely impact ordinary families.
Referring to the legal framework around the sale of property in future state of completion scheme (VEFA), Tremuth explained that with such extensive delays, clients have very few legal options. Worse still, buyers are now being asked to pay the final instalment, despite communal and exterior areas still being unfinished, he stated, adding that there is no guarantee that the funds will be properly allocated.
As for the municipality, Sauber notes that he has yet to receive a response from the developer. The latest communication indicated that a reply would come only after the holidays.
The mayor stated that on top of everything, water for the building is still being supplied through a construction site meter – unfiltered and without any way to track consumption by unit. For Sauber, this is yet another reason why no one should be allowed to move in – at least for the time being.
