On Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies once again debated the housing issue.
The Left requested updates as MP David Wagner listed a number of problematic topics related to housing. Among them were landlords failing to tackle poor living conditions in their properties, as well as other landlords exhibiting discriminatory behaviour when selecting tenants, and rental contracts to the tenant's detriment.
"Perhaps we need to ensure that rental contracts can be formulated in a clear, more explicit manner, and standardise contracts in that way. If the contracts aren't clear enough it opens the door for numerous interpretations", Wagner said.
Housing minister Claude Meisch responded that he didn't dislike the idea of contract types, but nothing could be imposed.
Several parties suggested a national rental committee to strengthen tenant rights. LSAP MP Paulette Lenert submitted a motion in favour of such a committee, but the majority refused it. Meisch explained this was not rejected in principle, however, as there were changes planned to assist renters in Luxembourg:
"The committees need rethinking and revising because no matter what we do behind the scenes, without an authority to control and mediate, the other is a toothless tiger. We can take the opportunity to reconcile differences between owners and tenants, to find objectivity between the two."
The minister added that "capital investment" should be more clearly defined in the rental law, and could later be included directly in the contract. The minister did not comment on a potential rent cap, but a proposed rent register could work as the basis for a new buy-to-rent law.
The opposition asked Meisch about the timing of the new bill. He said it was a delicate exercise which requires the necessary time, but that he expected it would be tabled in the first half of 2026.
