Moving to Luxembourg without knowing the country is no easy feat, especially for those just starting their professional careers. Javier Geisseler and Salvador Reynés learned this the hard way when they arrived in the Grand Duchy. With high rents, agency fees, and landlords’ demands for guarantees, many have no alternative but to consider co-living or flat-sharing arrangements.
Even then, prices remain steep. As a result, many expats turn to social media to find accommodation – in many cases after already signing a contract with a Luxembourg-based company, leaving them under considerable pressure to find a place quickly.
This rush can leave them vulnerable to online scams and the many fraudulent listings flooding the internet. This is precisely why the two Spaniards set out to launch their own platform in mid-2024. With Roomie Radar the pair aims to act as a filter in order to protect newcomers from scams and make for a more transparent search process, eventually hoping to become the go-to entry point for expats starting out in Luxembourg.
Nearly two years after its launch, Roomie Radar has gained both visibility and credibility. The platform now boasts more than 1,500 users and manages around 260 listings. This growth is built on partnerships with local landlords and co-living companies, who pay a flat fee to list their properties on the site.
Javier is keen to stress that for room-seekers, the service is 100% free, a point of honour for the founders. "People already struggle to find accommodation, we do not want to add extra fees", he explains.
Fake rental ads are a widespread problem on property portals in Luxembourg. Scams are rampant on social media, and even legitimate platforms can fall prey – an issue that is well known to the Roomie Radar team. "We try to address it by visiting rooms and checking the profiles that sign up with us", Javier explains.
But with just the two of them running the project while working full time, it’s not always easy. For now, hiring staff is not an option, they explained, as all profits are reinvested in further developing the platform.
The platform has already made inroads in Belgium, with listings in Brussels, Liège, and Antwerp, and is currently in talks with partners in Norway.
The founders would also like to establish themselves in Spain, as it is a market they know well. Nonetheless, they underline that Luxembourg remains their top priority. In the long-term, however, the founders’ ambition is for Roomie Radar to become the leading platform for room rentals across Europe.
