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How do I find student housing in Sweden?

Ask The Local: Every week we will be answering readers' questions about Sweden. This week, Peter from Hamburg wants to know how he can find student housing in Sweden.

I’m arriving in Lund in a couple of weeks, where I am going to be studying as an undergraduate, and I don’t have any accommodation sorted. What’s the deal with student housing in Sweden?

Peter, Hamburg, Germany

Arriving in Sweden as an international student without having accommodation is not unusual. In the student towns, Lund and Uppsala, as well as Sweden’s big cities Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, demand for rental properties greatly exceeds supply.

Finding a room is easy enough for students on exchanges such as the Erasmus programme. The university makes rooms available these students. But many universities do not guarantee housing for Masters or PhD students or for normal undergraduates.

There are several opportunities to find housing as an international student in Sweden. The easiest and quickest way is to contact the International Housing Office, if such an institution exists, as it does for instance in Lund.

In Uppsala the student union runs the ‘Bostadsjouren’ database. This contains ads for rooms and apartments close to the university. These are usually furnished and are let out as sublets (‘andra hand’). An advantage for international students is that these rooms are not in a queue system, in contrast to most Swedish housing companies.

In Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö your first port of call should be the student housing companies. But because of high demand the student housing companies will almost always place you in a queue. Signing up to these as early as possible will give you the best chance of finding a place: the longer you have been in the queue, the higher your chance of finding a student apartment. You can join the queue via the companies’ websites.

In Lund and Uppsala you might be able to live at a ‘nation’.

Nations are historic student organisations, sometimes focused on special interests like politics or music. Each is named after a Swedish city or county. Every nation has a bar or a restaurant and offers housing to some of its members.

The only precondition for living at a nation is being active there, which means for instance working at the bar or volunteering at events. Both Lund and Uppsala have more than ten nations.

Many Swedes – students and non-students – use the websites www.blocket.se and www.bopoolen.se to find rental properties, but as an international student this is probably the most difficult way. Many classified ads are only in Swedish and you have to contact the landlord immediately to have a chance of bagging a room, especially in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. Some accommodation is snapped up after a few minutes. Almost all rental accommodation advertised on these sites is sublet housing; ‘first hand’ contracts, under which tenants have a permanent right to remain, are almost never found through these advertisements.

There are basically three types of housing for students in Sweden. To hire a room on a corridor in a student dorm is most popular, as this helps students meet new people (and secure invitations to the best parties).

You can also hire an apartment with a kitchenette or a room in shared accommodation, although this is very rare in Sweden.

Student accommodation is generally of a high standard in Sweden. Most student rooms have a private bathroom and internet access.

However, you should accept that you might not find your dream room or apartment in the beginning, but there often is the possibility to move in the middle of the month, when pressure on student accommodation drops.

Even if you have to stay at a hostel first it can be a lot of fun since they are crowded with other ‘homeless’ students and therefore it is easy to meet new people. After a couple of days everybody usually finds proper accommodation.

Useful links:

Lund

:

: Lund University’s International Housing Office

List of Lund University nations:

Uppsala

General information about housing in Uppsala

Student union housing guide

Student union housing guide

Guide to Bostadsjouren in Uppsala

List of Uppsala University Nations

Gothenburg

General information

Homepage of SGS Studentbostäder student housing company

Stockholm

Student housing companies

Nationwide

Online small ad services:

www.blocket.se

www.bopoolen.se

Do you have a question about the practicalities of living in Sweden? Then drop us a line at [email protected]

Mareike Neumann

PROPERTY

How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

Storm Ciaran’s property-wrecking passage through France - with another storm forecast for the weekend - may have many people wondering how comprehensive their insurance cover is. 

How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

In the wake of Storm Ciaran, thousands of property owners in France are preparing insurance claims – with initial estimates of the bill for damage between €370 million and €480 million.

Home insurance is compulsory in France, whether you own the property you live in or you rent – and it must include some level of storm damage cover. 

Check also to see if your insurance provides cover in case of a declaration of a catastrophe naturelle.

The garantie tempête (storm guarantee) covers damage caused by violent winds. What constitutes a ‘violent wind’ varies from contract to contract, but there appears to be a widespread consensus of agreement on wind speeds over 100km/h.

In most insurance contracts, this covers damage caused by the storm and within the following 48 hours – so you’re covered if, for example, a tree weakened by the storm comes down within that period and damages your property.

Be aware that, while the storm guarantee automatically covers the main property, it generally only covers any secondary buildings and light constructions – such as a veranda, shed, solar panels, swimming pool or fence – if they are specifically mentioned in the contract. 

The same is true of any cars damaged by debris. A basic insurance contract might not include storm damage, so it is always worth checking.

Damage must be reported to your insurer as quickly as possible. The deadline for making declarations is usually five days after any damage is noticed. This is especially important for second home owners, who may not be at the property when the damage occurs. 

In some cases – such as in the aftermath of Storm Ciaran – insurers may extend the reporting period. But under normal circumstances, it’s five days after the damage has been discovered.

What happens next

To make a claim, the first thing to do is contact your insurer by phone or email. Your insurer will take you through the next steps, but usually you have to send in a declaration – which should include an estimate of any losses and for any repairs, with evidence where possible, such as photographs and any receipts for purchases. 

Your insurer may also request proof of wind intensity, which can be provided for example by a nearby weather station.

The insurance company may appoint an expert to come and assess the damage, so make sure to keep damaged property safe until they arrive, as well as all invoices for any urgent repair work. 

What if you’re a tenant?

If you rent your property, you must report any damage inside the accommodation to your insurer and also notify your landlord so that they can file their own claim. 

In the case of a co-propriete, you must declare damage inside the accommodation to your insurer, while the trustee sends his own declaration to the collective insurance (which sometimes covers the private areas) .

How long does it take for claims to be settled?

Payment of the compensation provided for by the “storm guarantee” depends your home insurance contract. After the insurer has estimated the amount of damage, compensation is generally paid between 10 and 30 days following receipt of the insured’s agreement.

What if we got flooded?

In the case of flooding, you may have to wait for a natural disaster order to be issued. 

Catastrophe naturelle

The ‘state of natural disaster’ is a special procedure that was set up in 1982 so victims of exceptional natural events, such as storms, heavy rain, mudslides and flooding, as well as drought, can be adequately compensated for damage to property.

The government evaluates each area and deems whether it qualifies for the status of catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster). 

Essentially once a zone is declared a natural disaster, victims can claim from a pot of funds created by all insurers. If the zone is not declared a disaster, insurance companies are under no obligation to pay out. 

Under a “state of natural disaster” residents are covered for all those goods and property that are directly damaged by the phenomenon, in this case storms.

It applies to residential or commercial buildings, furniture, vehicles and work equipment that are already covered by insurance policies.

Homes must be already covered by a multi-risk insurance policy for the status of natural disaster to count.

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