Advice when renting
Here you will find practical information and recommendations on what you need to know when renting a home. For extensive information on rights and obligations of tenants and landlords, go here.
Advice when renting
1. Inspect the apartment/room before you agree to rent. If you cannot visit the housing, ask a friend to do it
2. NEVER pay any money to the landlord before you have signed the contract
3. Agree upon all terms before you move in
4. Never accept the keys to be sent to you by mail
5. Ask someone to read the contract/agreement. Compare your contract to our rental contract.
If something doesn't feel right, please don't hesitate to contact us and ask for advice!
Types of contracts and fair rental
Live-in tenancy
Live-in tenancy is when a private person rents out a part of his/her housing to another person. As a live-in tenant you are much more limited in your rights since both parties in this contract risk losing their independence and freedom in their home.
A live-in tenant usually pays a rent which corresponds to the actual space they have access to. Costs for furniture, electricity, Wi-Fi and such can also be added.
More information can be found under Live-in tenancy
Sublet housing
The main definition of sublet housing is when a private person rents out his/her whole apartment to another private person. This creates a binding contract (with or without an actual physical contract) between these people and the so called Hyreslagen (renting law) applies.
Subletting contracts can be made both if the housing itself is a tenancy (rented), or a condominium (owned), but there are some important differences regarding rent.
The rent of a sublet contract for a tenancy cannot be higher that what the first hand tenant pays to their landlord. An additional amount, about 10-15%, can be added to cover for example furniture.
The rent of a sublet contract for a condominium is normally determined by the value of the apartment or house. The rent should approximately correspond to the amount of the cost of capital and the cost of maintenance. The capital cost equals the market value multiplied with a reasonable return interest (some percentages higher than the Swedish central bank’s interest).
You can find out more information at Tenancy and Condominium.
First hand contracts
A first-hand contract means that you sign a contract with a housing company directly and not with a private person, but above all it means that this is a simple contract between two parts (tenant and landlord).
A first hand contract is also a contract that you do not need to leave as long as you fulfill the criteria for having the contract. If you have a contract to a student accommodation then you can keep this contract as long as you are a student.
In general first-hand housing is the safest housing you can find. For that reason you find the largest housing deficit in this category, and this is also why you need to make sure to register in queues as soon as possible in order to have a chance of getting one.
National registration
When you move to study you should report your new address to the Swedish Tax Office. This is important for many reasons, such as getting insurance, receiving post and paying the right taxes.
Useful links
Government bodies
Hyresnämnden - A legal authority that mediates in housing disputes.
Hyresgästföreningen - The tenants' association. They can advice you on your rights and obligations as a tenant.
Flyttanmälan - Officially change your address.
Swedish law
If you want to read more about what the Swedish law says about housing and different types of letting we have gathered relevant chapters below for you to take part of.
Lag om uthyrning av egen bostad