Our Guide on Renting or Buying a Home in Denmark

Jump right in:

• Renting a house or apartment
• How to find housing for rent in Denmark
• Rental process & rules
• Average rent in Denmark
• Buying property as a foreigner
• Utilities
• Internet & TV

Renting in Denmark as a foreigner

In cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus, it is very difficult to find accommodation, and not just for expats. Prices are high and it could take years to find an affordable place. The most common way people find places is through connections. Apartments for rent are known as lejebolig.

Most housing websites will let you choose between furnished and unfurnished apartments. An unfurnished accommodation will typically have a semi-furnished kitchen with a stove, oven, and fridge. Some places may even include a freezer, washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher. If you do rent an unfurnished place, you are expected to paint the walls and repair any floor damages before leaving. However, this applies to older contracts and newer ones state that tenants will only need to cover normal wear and tear, not full refurbishment.

Things to know

• Your landlord will always need a legitimate reason to evict you.
• To make sure you get your money back at the end of your tenancy, take pictures of the apartment’s conditions when you first move in. In some cases, it is even advised to print the photographs, mail them to a friend, family member, or lawyer, to serve as legal proof.
• Landlords can and should do an inspection of their estate two weeks prior to the start of the tenant’s lease. If they fail to do this, they cannot hold the tenant’s deposit at the end of the tenancy, irrespective of the state of the apartment or house.

What is housing guarantee in Denmark?

If you are coming to Denmark for studies, you might get offered a housing guarantee. When you move to the city, you will be guaranteed a place to live in. First, you get on a waiting list, you must sign up for that list yourself. When your turn comes, you will get an offer, however if you decline, you will lose the housing guarantee.

To sign up for a waiting list, you first must check if a city that you are planning to study in offers its students a guarantee, since there are some bigger cities that do not have this option due to a competitive rental market.

You can check some housing guarantees in these cities:

• Aarhus
• Aalborg
• Kolding
• Esbjerg
• Viborg

Rental sites:

• Bolighub great for finding houses or townhouses.
• BoligPortal, various rental properties vailable.
• Lejebolig.dk requires you to be a paid member s you to be a paid member to get contact information of the landlord.
• Akutbolig charges weekly fee for some of the contacts, which means you will not have to pay for the whole month.
• Spotahome, offers housing options that are on the more expensive side. However, you get a guarantee that you will not be scammed since they hold your rent money up until two weeks after you have moved to your new home and confirm that everything is okay.
• Homes & Housing

Rental agencies

If you hire a rental agent, they will find you the most suitable option for your wants, needs, and your budget for a fee. Your price will depend on the type of property you are seeking.

• Undlejningsmaegler
• Place2live
• Nybolig

If you know someone in Denmark, don’t forget to ask around, as they might know some available options. Additionally, try to look at some Facebook groups, but be aware of fraud and always check if the apartment and the landlord are legitimate.

Tips get chosen by a landlord?

• Turn on website notifications to not miss a respond from a landlord
• Write a personal introduction of yourself once contacting the landlord
• After viewing the apartment try to decide as fast as possible, even better if you give the answer right away
• Have all of the necessary documents prepared
• The landlord should not ask you to pay anything before viewing the apartment
• You should not have to pay anything before signing the contract with all the relevant landlords' details
• Avoid listings with generic pictures and with unconfirmed landlords
• Do not trust a landlord who refuses to show the apartment due to sickness of a family member or being abroad

Requirements and documents for renting

• Requirements for EU citizens and foreign citizens might be different. They may not be asked for a job contract although the landlord will typically want proof of income from their tenant.
• Nationals of non-EU countries will need to show proof that they are legally living in Denmark, which often requires having a job for visa purposes.
• There are mandatory reports you must fill in (such as the  move-in report (indflytningsrapport) and the move-out  (fraflytningsrapport) for the beginning and end of your tenancy, respectively. Both documents should contain a list of all the flaws of the apartment. Make sure all the flaws you identify in the property are listed in the “moving in report” and never sign a “moving out report” which accuses you of damages you did not cause.
• Employment details (contract, payslips)
• Reference letter from your previous landlord
• Digital copy of your passport
• For students: enrolment certificate, proof of income, details of your sponsor

Rental contract and deposit

You can see an example of a rental contract in Denmark beforehand to familiarize yourself with the document.

The deposit is usually paid along with the first rent and it can be equivalent to 1 to 3 month’s rent.

Your contract should include the following:

• start and end date of the rental agreement including terms of renewal
• monthly rent value and deposit
• brief description of the place and shared spaces in the building
• full details of both parties and the property
• maintenance responsibilities
• any special conditions in §11

Below you will find the average monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in the city center in Denmark’s main cities.

Maximum house rent in Denmark

There is no one universal maximum rent amount per square meter. Rent must reflect what similar apartments cost. Therefore, tenants can challenge the rent if it is higher than comparable apartments.

Short-term rentals: average price and things to know

If you have not secured a place as soon as you find yourself in Denmark, you may need a temporary rental. You can find accommodation on popular vacation rental websites for around 370 DKK (90 USD) a day for a full apartment in Copenhagen. Keep in mind that in other cities that are less popular, it gets cheaper. However, you will find that more popular options are room rentals rather than whole apartments. If you are lucky enough, you can get a private room with a private entrance.

Poular short-term rental sites

• Airbnb
• Booking.com
• Cozycozy

You can use this guide to help you through the house buying process in Denmark.

Types of properties in Denmark

The Danes have added a list of property names and specificities of ownership that can overwhelm even the most experienced expats.

• Apartments (lejlighed): Floors closer to the ground tend to be cheaper than higher floors. When it comes to purchasing apartments, it is important to distinguish between ejerbolig and andelsbolig. If you purchase an ejer, be it an apartment or house, you own it. You may choose to live there or rent out the property. You will have to share some expenses with other homeowners, such as cleaning, garbage removal, building insurance, etc. Andels, on the other hand, is the term for shared ownership, meaning you own a share of the building or association. You are not allowed to rent your place or to set the selling price, and you will pay more for running costs than if living in an ejer.

• Houses  (hus): Common in the suburbs and the countryside. A rækkehus, or terraced house, consists of several houses in a row, all sharing its outer walls. A villa or hus is a typical detached home, normally occupied by families. These houses usually come with a private garden.Sommerhus is a summer house or a vacation home.

Requirements for buying property in Denmark

• All expats need to have lived in the country for at least five years if they wish to buy property in Denmark.
• Expats who are not from the EU/EEA need permission from the Danish Ministry of Justice to buy property, a process which is usually carried out by a lawyer. In general, if you do not have residence in Denmark, you are not allowed to buy property in the country. If you move out of the country for good and its not a temporary leave, you are obligated to sell your house—and you only have six months to do so. Consider that you may end up losing quite a bit if the real estate market is not favorable within these six months.

You can ask the Department of Civil Affairs for an exemption of this rule of residency if you can make a case for having strong ties with Denmark.

Can you get a citizenship by buying a house in Denmark?

You cannot buy property in the country in the hopes of obtaining citizenship or permanent residence. To be a permanent resident, you must live in the country for a minimum of eight years (four years, in some cases). Check our section on Visas and Work Permits  to know more about visas and permanent residency in Denmark.

Danish property prices

• The national median housing price in Denmark is 2,800,000 DKK (441,463 USD). - In Copenhagen, the housing prices average around 5,600,000 DKK (882,926 USD).
• Older 40-55 square meter apartment in a smaller city is around 1,150,000 to 1,700,000 DKK (180,000-270,000 USD).
• A luxury property that is around 180 square meters in Copenhagen costs millions 35 million DKK (2-5 million USD).

Real estate agencies:

• Engel & Volkers
• Poul Erik Bech
• Brikk
• Kobersmaegler

Process and steps of buying a house in Denmark

• The first step is to find the right property. You can look for a home in specialized websites, local press, or through real estate agencies.
• Check your credit score with a bank. If you already found a place you are interested in, you should present the bank with a salgsopstilling.
• You should start looking for options of loans or mortgages. Banks do not usually give out loans for properties that cost three to five times more than your yearly gross salary, whether you are Danish or not. However, as an expat, you may have more difficulty getting a loan from a bank.
• The seller should give you a property report listing its characteristics—the number of rooms, square meters, energy efficiency, and defects. This document is not mandatory, but most sellers will provide one to ensure they are not made liable for any future damages to the property.
• The seller’s real estate agent drafts a purchase agreement or contract.
• A deed of conveyance is drawn up by the buyer’s attorney which must be registered at the local land registry office.
• The final contract must then be signed by both parties and notarized.
• Once the contract is signed, the buyer should deposit the first down payment. As an expat, you may be asked to put in a higher down payment of around 10, 15, or even 20% of the value of the house versus the usual 5%. You may be able to go around this by consulting with more banks and advisors to see which ones can offer you a better deal.

Utility bills payment

Here are some basic guidelines for paying utility bills in Denmark:

• Utilities are typically not included in the rent price.
• Some bills are paid by the landlord while others are paid by tenants. Whatever is agreed between the landlord and tenant on who pays each bill should be stated in the rental contract.
• Gas and water bills are typically paid by the tenant directly to the landlord. The tenant pays an estimate of these bills each month, along with rent. Once landlords receive the actual bill, any difference in pricing must be corrected between the landlord and tenant.
• Electricity and internet bills are usually paid by the tenant.
• Utility bills are based on an estimation of consumption which is then adjusted annually when the meters are read.
• You have 14 days to pay your utility bill. Paying through the Danish direct debit service operated by banks known as PBS Betalingsservice or through online banking is free of charge.
• You can also pay your utilities with MobilePay through EWII or NRGi

Electricity and gas in Denmark

When it comes to getting electricity in Denmark, you will need two different services—a supplier (elleverandøren) and a network operator (netselskabet). The supplier provides the actual electricity while the network operator owns the cables and wires that distribute that electricity. You are charged for both services. If both are provided by the same company, which is sometimes the case, you only receive one electricity bill.

Electricity and gas provider in Denmark

• Stromlinet
• Andel Energi
• Elforbundet: ensures their members get good pricing.
• OK

Or you can use Elfinder to find the cheapest electricity provider in the are that you live, although, you will have to enter your email and wait to get a quote quote.

How to connect to electricity and gas

You must contact the utility provider to request their services. The soonest you can do so is two months before moving in and the latest is 14 days after.

You can switch electricity or gas providers at no cost.

Water in Denmark: things to know

Denmark has some of the cleanest, best tasting water in the world—there is even a Grand Prix that makes local companies compete for the title.

There are several companies spread throughout the country that operate at a municipal level. This makes the entire supply more efficient but also costly.

Water bills charge you for:

• drinking water,
• wastewater,
• green taxes,
• VAT,

This adds up to an average of 75 DKK (11 USD) per cubic meter. In addition, you must also pay a fee for the water meter. Having a water meter is mandatory for every home. You are charged based on your consumption and the water meter is read annually.

Here you can check the current top water providers in Denmark.

Most companies in Denmark offer packages which include internet, cell phone, landline, and television services.

These services are fast and relatively cheap at around 200 or 300 DKK (30 to 45 USD) a month. The shortest contract you will usually find is for six months.

You can contact a service provider one week before moving into your new place, but you cannot do so while abroad.

Some of the main internet and network providers are:

• Telia
• Lebara
• Tdcnet
• Telenor

Requirement to request internet and mobile services

CPR number (a 10-digit number equivalent to a social security number).

To get a CPR, you must be staying in Denmark for longer than three months and be entitled to residency. You must also have a place to live and actually live there to qualify for this registration.

Application for CRP number can be submitted online.

Danish television

Free services include:

• DRTV: offers ad-free local news, drama series, and documentaries without a subscription fee.

Subscription services:

• TV 2 Play: TV channels, reality television, sports, and original Danish fiction.
• Viaplay: movies, international series, kids' programming, and live sports packages.
• Nordisk Film+: local Danish theatrical releases and family content.