Rented accommodation ('Lejebolig')
When you rent a place to stay you can either rent it from a private owner or a non-profit building association, or social housing. Here is a brief overview of the two types of rented accommodation:
Social housing
Social housing is most common in the larger cities. The rent on these apartments is generally lower. However, you have to be on a waiting list to get a home through social housing and in some areas you risk having to wait for a very long time.
To register for accommodation through social housing you must apply to the various building associations.
To get help in finding out which building associations are available in your municipality and how you can sign yourself up you can contact your local citizens advice centre. Read more about how to find your local municipal authority.
Private housing
Privately owned properties can be owned either by individual owners, companies or public housing associations. There is no central register where you can find all available rented private housing, but generally the waiting lists for this type of accommodation are shorter than for social housing and sometimes non-existent. Private housing tends to be more expensive than social housing.
The Danish Rent Act secures the rights of both the landlord and the tenant, and there are extensive rules and regulations for the stipulation of rent, number of tenants allowed, deposit etc.
Student housing
There are various housing options for students. You can rent from a private landlord or through social housing, and there is also an extensive system of special student accommodation.
You can read more about the options on the official homepage for foreign students in Denmark, studyindenmark.dk. Read more about housing in Denmark.
Rent subsidy
Low income households have the right to subsidised rents and a loan for the deposit. The amount of the subsidy is calculated based on the number of people living in the apartment, the size of the apartment, the rental amount and the total earnings of the household. To get help with rent subsidy and deposit loans you can contact your local citizen service centre.
Searching for housing
Unfortunately, most websites that can help you find housing are in Danish. Therefore you might find our 'home hunting dictionary' useful. It gives you an overview of the most common words that you will encounter on these websites. See dictionary.
Here is a list of options which are free of charge: