Finding a rental home in Denmark: tips and how to avoid scams

Boligfritid.dk is a Danish magazine for homeowners. This English version is written for international residents in Denmark. Read the original in Danish.

Hunting for a rental home can feel like a jungle, especially if it is your first time going it alone. That applies both to young people moving away from home to study and to parents who want to help. Competition can be tough in the bigger cities, and sadly, scammers try to take advantage of busy, stressed home-seekers. With a little preparation and the right habits, you will be in a much stronger position.

Prepare before you start looking

Start by being clear about what the home needs to offer. What are your absolute requirements, and where can you compromise? Perhaps the distance to your studies or work matters more than the number of square metres, or perhaps you can live with a room instead of a whole flat.

Also set a realistic budget. Remember to include more than the rent itself: utilities such as heating, water and electricity, internet, the deposit (indskud and depositum) and any prepaid rent. Check on borger.dk (the Danish public information portal) whether you may be entitled to boligstøtte (housing benefit), so you know what you really have to spend.

Search widely and start in good time

Demand usually rises in the run-up to the start of the academic year and other busy moving periods, so it pays to start your search early. The more time you have, the less you risk having to accept a poor solution at the last minute.

Use many channels at once:

• Housing websites and online adverts
• Social media and local groups
• Notices at places of education and in the local area
• Your own network: family, friends, colleagues and fellow students
• Housing associations (boligforeninger) and student halls of residence (kollegier), where you can put your name on a waiting list

Also consider widening your search area to suburbs and towns within commuting distance. The rent may be lower and the competition smaller.

Think flexibly

Your first home does not have to be the perfect one. Many people move several times during their studies, so a temporary base can be a good start. Subletting (fremleje) a room or a flat for a shorter period gives you a roof over your head and time to find something more permanent.

Another option is to team up with friends on a larger home. When you share the rent, more options often open up, and shared living can be both cheap and cosy. Agree in advance, though, on how you split the costs and whose name is on the contract.

Sell yourself as a tenant

Think of the home search a bit like a job search. Landlords often get many enquiries and choose the person they have the best feeling about. So write a short and honest profile that says who you are, what you do and how you live.

Write a personal, tailored message for each home you are interested in, instead of sending out the same standard text. Explain why this particular home suits you, and why you will be a stable and responsible tenant. Reply quickly, turn up to viewings on time, and be ready to document your finances if the landlord asks.

Avoid scams and read the contract carefully

Sadly, housing fraud is widespread, and it particularly hits people who are in a hurry. Keep your critical sense, and never let yourself be pressured into deciding quickly. Use this checklist:

• Always see the home in person before you sign or pay anything at all.
• Check the owner. Ask who owns the home, and look up the address in the public registers, e.g. via tinglysning.dk (the Danish land registry). If the landlord is not the owner, ask for written permission to let the property.
• Never pay in cash, and never via anonymous money transfer services or to foreign accounts. Use an ordinary bank transfer and get a receipt.
• Be on your guard if the landlord lives abroad, only writes in English or has a foreign phone number, especially if the advert is in Danish.
• Never share login details for housing websites, and as far as possible keep contact within the site’s own messaging system.
• Trust your gut feeling. An unusually low rent or a landlord who is in a great hurry are classic warning signs.

Once you have found the right home, read the tenancy agreement carefully before you sign. Pay attention to the rent, deposit, notice period, any fixed term and the rules for maintenance. Take part in the move-in inspection (indflytningssyn), and feel free to take photos of the condition of the home, so you are in a strong position when you move out.

Bring an extra pair of eyes, both to the viewing and for the contract. That could be your parents, friends or a tenants’ association (lejerforening). On borger.dk you can read more about your rights as a tenant, and if you are unsure about the level of rent or the terms of the contract, the huslejenævn (rent tribunal) in your municipality can help.