From Living Room to Market Leader: A 10-Year Journey in Coliving

Vauban&fort, a coliving business in Luxembourg, is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025.

As coliving is part of the solution to the challenge of high real estate costs and the shortage of affordable housing, as well as being a modern take on house-sharing, Chronicle.lu decided to delve into this success story to see how it came about.

Vauban&fort was founded by Jerome Ensch, who is originally from Luxembourg; he built his company from the ground up, growing it organically into a highly successful venture that now owns and manages close to 500 rooms in the city.

It is not just the top-notch accommodations they offer, complete with cleaning and maintenance services provided, but it is also their commitment to fostering a sense of community among tenants. Many expatriates moving to a new country often feel isolated, but his vision ensures that they feel welcomed and part of a vibrant community.

The Beginning

In talking with Chronicle.lu, Jerome Ensch explained "The company began in September 2015, launched from the living room of a rental property while I was still working full-time. Having recently moved back from London to Luxembourg, I missed the urban lifestyle and international community. Finding flatmates was difficult, and property rentals lacked transparency and convenience for both tenants and landlords. I wanted to change that — by becoming a long-term, reliable landlord that handled everything: maintenance, cleaning and tenant selection, with a focus on peace of mind for property owners".

He explained that convincing landlords of this new coliving model was not easy in the beginning. "But by the end of 2016, we had eighteen rooms, a part-time employee, and our first website users. We moved the business from my living room to “The Office” incubator and began building momentum — juggling tenant visits, contracts and maintenance calls late into the night… By 2018, we had three full-time employees and managed 50 rooms. Coliving began gaining traction in the media, and we positioned ourselves as Luxembourg’s one-stop shop for shared living. Our first company car — a second-hand Smart convertible — became our trusty companion for countless visits across the city".

And COVID-19 hit...

Jerome Ensch went on "Things looked promising in 2019 with over 30% growth, five team members and a new in-house maintenance company. But in early 2020, COVID-19 hit like an earthquake. Tenants left, but rents still had to be paid. It was a tough time, yet our lean model and close landlord relationships pulled us through. We quickly upgraded all rooms for remote work, and our investment paid off".

He added "By 2021, we were growing again — hiring more staff, moving to a bigger office at The Foundry, and expanding our vehicle fleet. Social media became a key marketing channel, and we launched creative campaigns like Santa delivering gifts in our Smart car. Our young, energetic team helped us build real communities — coliving’s true foundation".

The energy crisis and inflation...

Jerome Ensch reflected "In 2022, the energy crisis and inflation created new challenges. All-in rents became harder to manage, so we focused on energy-saving initiatives and guided tenants to reduce consumption. 2023 brought a spike in mortgage rates. We worked closely with landlords to deliver value while keeping tenant rents stable. That summer, we acquired another coliving operator — a major milestone that led to a year of integration, rebranding and restructuring in 2024. By the end of the year, we reached 500 rooms and 17 staff, and quickly outgrew our office".

He concluded "Now in 2025, we celebrate ten years. We've moved into a new headquarters on route d’Arlon, our team has grown past 20, and our core values—transparency, quality and community — remain unchanged. Coliving is now firmly part of the rental landscape, and with owners recognizing the value we bring, we’re more motivated than ever to scale and grow sustainably".