Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

RENTING

Five essential words you need when renting a home in Denmark

Renting a home in Denmark is no walk in the park, especially in the big cities. We can’t find you a flat, but hope we can help you along the way with some useful vocab.

Published: 12 October 2021 17:36 CEST
Updated: 22 January 2023 09:31 CET
Housing in Copenhagen. A few key Danish words might make finding a place to rent just a little bit easier..
A few key Danish words might make finding a place to rent just a little bit easier.. Photo: Thomas Lekfeldt/Ritzau Scanpix

If Danish is your second language but you feel comfortable enough with it to use in official correspondences, knowing a few key technical words can enable you to put your existing proficiency to reliable use.

Looking for rental housing could be one such situation. In our personal experience, landlords can entirely refuse to communicate in English.

Even in less difficult situations, knowing the right words can make it easier to understand and correctly react to posts on rental housing sites like Boligsiden, when you want to be quick and efficient at responding.

We’ve put together an outline of some of these words, their meanings and the context in which you might use them. If there’s anything important you think we’ve missed, let us know.

READ ALSO: Five essential words you need when speaking to a doctor in Denmark 

Husleje

From the verb at leje (to rent), the husleje is the rent you pay on a property. Related words include lejer (tenant), udlejer (landlord), lejekontrakt (rental contract) and fremleje (sublet).

Other compound words and phrases involving leje are found in rental agreements. You’re unlikely to find them elsewhere but they are important for understanding you contract properly. For example, you will be obliged to move out of the lejemål (property) on the date set by a tidsbegrænset lejeaftale (fixed-period rental agreement).

Opsigelse 

Termination of a rental contract is opsigelse in Danish. This normally applies to giving notice when moving out of your apartment, but your contract can also be opsagt (terminated) by a landlord if you have breached the terms in a way that gives them the legal basis to do this.

You can find more on the legal ins and outs of this here (in Danish).

You might recognise the word from the related at sige op (to quit), usually used when handing in a notice at a job.

Indskud/depositum

 The deposit you must pay before moving in is known in Danish as either the indskud or depositum. You’re also likely to be required to stump up forudbetalt husleje (rent upfront).

Rental contracts can stipulate up to three months of rent upfront, and deposits can also be as much as three months’ rent, meaning you can be faced with paying eye-watering costs equivalent to six months of rent before even getting the keys to your flat.

People who live in subsidised rental housing (almene boliger) can apply to the local municipality for a special loan to pay these moving-in costs. The interest on the rent is very low and it is usually only paid back when you are returned your deposit (or what’s left of it) after moving out.

Boligstøtte 

Literally ‘housing support’, boligstøtte is a deduction to your rent which takes the form of money paid into your account by the state. You can qualify for it depending on a number of criteria including your income, the size of the property you rent, and how many people are living there (and contributing to the rent).

Tenants in both private and subsidised rental homes can qualify for the subsidy, which must be applied for digitally via the Borger.dk platform.

Ungdomsbolig 

You are allowed to live in an ungdomsbolig (‘youth housing’) if you are enrolled in full time education.

Such housing can be found either with regular housing associations or by applying for an apartment with youth housing associations in the cities in Denmark which have universities and other major educational institutions.

There can be a long waiting list before you are offered an apartment through this route, and you may find a kollegieværelse (room in student halls) is your first point of call for living in Denmark as a student. But various personal factors, including your studies, financial and social situations are taken into account when you apply for a student flat.

You can see a list of the various youth housing associations in Danish university cities here.

READ ALSO: Five key things to know about renting in Denmark

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

RENTING

EXPLAINED: How to get out of a rental contract in Denmark

Terminating a rental contract in Denmark is a common yet strictly regulated process, and as a tenant, you need to be aware of both your rights and responsibilities if you decide to terminate your lease.

Published: 14 December 2023 16:51 CET
EXPLAINED: How to get out of a rental contract in Denmark

Ending a rental contract is something many people experience at some point during their life. People part ways with their rental homes for various reasons, whether due to personal circumstances, a relocation to a new job, a fresh start in a new town, or a need to manage finances differently.

Despite it being a standard occurrence, there are some things you need to know when you’re ready to make that move.

Can you get out of a rental contract after signing it?

So, you’ve signed a lease, but circumstances have changed, and you’re contemplating whether there’s any way to cancel the contract. Perhaps you stumbled upon a more centrally located home or discovered a more budget-friendly alternative.

In most situations, the Danish Tenancy Act (Lejeloven) doesn’t provide tenants with an actual right to cancel a rental contract or agreement on their own, as Digura – a digital platform that assists tenants in Denmark with resolving disputes with their landlords – points out on its website.

To figure out if you can terminate a lease, you need to determine whether there’s a legally binding agreement in place between you and the landlord. If you find yourself in such a situation, it’s always a good idea to consult a lawyer to clarify your rights and obligations.

In fixed-term tenancies, those where you and the landlord have agreed upon a specific end date for the tenancy, the general principle under Danish contract law is that agreements must be upheld as initially entered into. In other words, if you’ve signed a lease for 12 months, you’re typically obliged to pay rent for the entire 12-month period, regardless of whether you reside in the apartment or not.

READ ALSO:

One potential alternative is to find someone else willing to assume the tenancy. If you can secure another tenant willing to pay the rent in your place, many landlords may allow you to move out before the lease expires.

Ultimately, you can choose not to move into the property. However, you’ll still be obligated to pay the agreed-upon rent until either the notice period expires or the contract ends.

With indefinite rental contracts, you’re typically bound by what you’ve agreed upon in the lease. These agreements often come with a notice period of 3 months. Breaking this notice period can be challenging, as it’s generally not considered unreasonably long.

In most cases, you’ll be required to continue paying rent for the apartment during the notice period. If you decide to exit the property before the notice period concludes, the landlord has an obligation to make reasonable efforts to re-let the property to minimise your losses.

Giving written notice

When it comes to terminating your (indefinite) rental contract in Denmark, it’s important to remember that written notice is mandatory.

Regardless of your reason for termination, you must put it in writing and provide it to your landlord.

This written termination should include your name, email, phone number, and the address of the rented residence.

In the notice, specify the date you plan to move out and provide your bank details so that the deposit you gave when you moved in can be refunded to you.

If you have a new address, include that as well. If not, inform your landlord of your new address at least eight days before your move-out date.

It’s also a good practice to inform your landlord when the leased residence will be emptied, as this can help them find a new tenant more easily.

Note: Starting from January 1st, 2019, new rules within the Danish Tenancy Act came into effect. These rules allow you to terminate your tenancy digitally via email as long as both you and your landlord have each other’s email addresses. If you don’t have your landlord’s email, you’ll need to send your termination through traditional mail.

Notice periods

The Tenancy Act prescribes specific notice periods for termination. In most cases, you must provide a 3-month notice period when terminating a lease, whether it’s for a house or an apartment.

The notice period always starts on the first day of the month, so plan accordingly. 

Furthermore, if your lease has a set end date, you don’t need to provide notice upon expiration. The lease will end automatically. Time-limited leases typically last for 6, 12, or 24 months, as agreed upon, so make sure to check your contract.

If you plan to move out before your notice period ends, your landlord is obligated to find a new tenant as soon as possible.

If a new tenant is found, you won’t be responsible for paying rent beyond their move-in date. This obligation to find a new tenant starts as soon as you move out, not just after the notice period expires.

What if your landlord decides to terminate the lease?

As a tenant in Denmark, your rights are well protected – some specific requirements and timeframes must be met for your landlord to terminate your tenancy.

Termination occurs when the rental contract is ended following the terms of the Tenancy Act.

Generally, landlords cannot terminate a tenant with an indefinite rental agreement unless specific reasons, as outlined in sections §83 and §84 of the Tenancy Act, apply.

These reasons may include the tenant mistreating the property or the landlord planning to move in (with a 1-year notice).

SHOW COMMENTS