I used to think that rentals, though can be tricky and time-consuming, are pretty manageable. You plan the viewing of apartments, confirm the apartment of your preference, pay the deposit and sign the tenancy agreement. When you move out, make sure the place is clean with no damage, and that’s the end of it. Renting an apartment in Denmark, however, have so many important rules. It can be very confusing and extremely frustrating. Even with a rental experience of more than 10 years (both being a landlord and a tenant), I still find the Danish rules odd.

Though I don’t have extensive experience on rental matters in Denmark, I have gathered some important things to note when renting an apartment here. Based on advice from friends and my own first rental, here are some of the useful tips and information that have guided me on renting an apartment in Denmark. 

Where To Find An Apartment

There are various accommodation portals recommended by ICO here, but I find that BoligPortal seems to be a more popular choice of platform. It is free to use, but you’ll have to pay to be able to message to most landlords’ ads. I’ve paid ~26 kr. for a new user’s 2-day membership, and managed to message a few potential landlords to arrange viewings. I’ve confirmed an apartment with a good location on the spot of viewing as I was afraid that it might be unavailable real quick!

Another popular way is to look for apartment from popular groups on Facebook. A word of caution, though, that you should always abide by the following rules before even paying the deposits. This way, you can minimise the chance of fraud. Yes, deposit frauds are very real, and very very frequent.

  1. Always view the apartment in person, or ask a local friend to help you with that. You need to make sure that the landlord is real, and has the key to the apartment.
  2. Never pay the deposit before an actual viewing.
  3. If the apartment is under a rental administration company, google it and check its authenticity to make sure that the company is real.
  4. In Odense, the rent is approx. 100 kr. per square metre. Variations will depend on location of the apartment.
Before You Move In To The Apartment

On the day of your move in, the landlord must provide you with a signed list of items and defects (if any) in the apartment, on top of the rental agreement. Make sure to go through them with a google translator as they will be in Danish. For reference, Aarhus University had an unofficial translation of the standard rental agreement in Denmark that most landlords follow.

Remember, you are legally entitled to a 14-day grace period to report to the landlord, in writing, any additional defects you find while living in the apartment. It is best to take pictures with notes when sending to your landlord.

Communication With The Landlord

Always communicate with your landlord in writing. If your rental contract states a recognised way of communication (eg. a specified email address), use only that in case of any possible future disputes.

Also, if you need to make changes to the apartment, eg. re-paint the walls, always ask for approval in writing. You’d never know if the paint’s quality is agreeable with the landlord.

Rental Deposit and Prepaid Rent

Landlords can ask for a maximum of 3 months’ deposits and a maximum of 3 months’ prepaid rent. Therefore, the highest you could potentially pay to secure a place is a total of 6 months’ rent. This of course will be lower depending on your landlord’s advertisement.

If you have to move-out before the end of your contract/notice period, they can withhold the amount equal to the notice period from your deposit. However, if a new tenant were to take your apartment during the notice period, they must return the money to you. This is because it is illegal to obtain double rent for the same apartment in Denmark.

Utilities

The rent is usually separated from the utilities, i.e., a conto. It consists of both heating and water charges for your apartment, to be paid to the landlord monthly together with the rent.

Such charges is only an estimate, and a bill with the actual consumption will be sent to the landlord once a year. They will either pay you back if you have under-utilising, or you will have to pay more the additional charges if you have utilised more than the estimate.

Electrical bills, however, is a utility that you have to settle on your own. Remember to call your local electrical company and ask for electrical supply to your apartment under your name.

When You Move Out

Odd, but it is a normal practice for tenants to move out 10-14 days before the end of the tenancy. This is for the landlord to do the necessary repair and re-painting of walls for the next tenant.

The weirder part is that landlords are entitled to use the money from your deposit to re-paint the walls for the next tenant. That is why the apartment looks so sparkling white when you move in. therefore, make sure to ask for receipts and proof of the labour’s hours to not overpay for such re-paint. Landlords cannot, however, demand you to pay for any ‘mini renovation’ they deem necessary to make the apartment look nicer for the next tenant.

Unfortunately, there are abundant of unethical landlords who will not return the deposit to tenants in the name of the above-mentioned ‘mini renovation’, or restoration of defects that you have caused. This is why it is very crucial for you to document the existing defects during the 14-days grace period when you move in.

If you are one of the unfortunate tenant who face such issues with your landlord, then it is probably best to seek professional help (or the Tenant National Organisation – LLO) to resolve the issues.

Remember to call your electrical company to stop the electrical supply once you have moved out.

Inform The Authorities On Your Change Of Address

This is probably the most important thing to do, be it move-in or move-out. Remember to inform your local authorities your change of address. Inform them earliest 4 weeks prior to move-in but no more than 5 days after the move-in. You can do it easily online with a valid NemID.

Need information on other matters?

Need help with matters other than renting an apartment in Denmark? Remember to check out my list of useful tips and information here!