Prepare certificates, references, a budget and a reliable checking routine before you start responding to housing adverts.
Looking for a rental home is not only about finding the right advert. You also need to be able to show who you are, how the rent will be paid and that you meet the landlord’s conditions. Boverket notes that there is no standardised system for housing applicants and that conditions may differ between landlords. The linked sources are in Swedish because they concern Swedish law.
Bojakt currently lists 20,114 available homes in 1,213 locations. Of these, 44 per cent are first-hand tenancies, while 11,219 adverts, corresponding to 56 per cent, concern subletting. This means that you need to be prepared for different application processes and rules.
Gather your documents before you start looking
Create a folder in which the documents are clearly named and easy to find. Check regularly that the information is still current. Do not send more personal information than the recipient needs, and do not disclose sensitive documents until you have checked who will receive them.
Proof of identity: Have a valid identity document available. If a copy is requested, you should first check the recipient and why the copy is needed.
Proof of income: Gather employment contracts, employer’s certificates, payslips or other documents that verify your means of support. Other supporting documents may be needed if you are studying, receiving a pension or benefits, or are self-employed.
Population registration certificate: Order or download the correct population registration certificate if the landlord requests it. This certificate shows your registered population details but does not replace an identity document. Read more in the Swedish Tax Agency’s population registration certificate service.
Housing references: Ask a previous landlord whether they can provide a reference. Check their contact details and let them know that a new landlord may contact them.
Documents for joint applicants: If you are applying together, all applicants will normally need to provide the information requested by the landlord.
Read the conditions for each home
Landlords may carry out credit checks and request proof of income, employer’s certificates or references. The types of income accepted and the way payment defaults are assessed vary. You should therefore not assume that approval from one landlord means that the same documents will be sufficient for another.
Check the following before spending time on the application:
which types of income are accepted
whether the income must bear a particular relation to the rent
how debts and records of non-payment are assessed
which requirements apply to the number of occupants and population registration
whether references, certificates or a credit check are required
Boverket explains how housing queues, allocation services and letting conditions may differ between locations and landlords. Read the authority’s information about housing allocation services and queues.
Queueing time is not the only route to a tenancy
Housing queues are important, but there is no shared queueing system for the whole country. Some homes are allocated according to queueing time, while others are let through different selection methods. Bojakt currently lists 2,130 first-hand homes with no queueing-time requirement.
Register with the services through which you want to apply, keep your contact details up to date and check whether you need to log in or reconfirm your interest regularly. Always read how the particular home will be allocated instead of assuming that the longest queueing time will decide.
Set your budget before applying
The median rent among the homes in Bojakt’s database is SEK 9,092 nationwide. This is a snapshot, not a benchmark for what you should pay. Your limit needs to be based on your income after tax, recurring expenses and how much financial leeway you need each month.
Read what is included in the rent. Costs for items such as electricity, heating, internet, parking or furniture may not be included in the stated rent. When subletting, you also need to ask about the deposit and how it will be repaid.
Prepare a brief, factual introduction
An introduction should make it easy for the recipient to understand your circumstances without including unnecessarily private information. Write a basic draft that you can adapt to each home.
Describe who will live in the home, your preferred moving date, your occupation and how you can verify your income. Add a housing reference if requested and explain briefly why the home meets the household’s needs.
Always respond truthfully. Information about the household, income and how the home will be used may be checked before a tenancy agreement is offered.
Carry out additional checks when subletting
As 56 per cent of the available homes in Bojakt’s database are sublets, checking the person letting the property and the agreement needs to be part of your preparations. Ask the person letting the home to show that they have the right to sublet it and that the necessary permission has been granted.
Check the identity of the person letting the home through a contact method that you have verified yourself.
Check with the property owner or housing association that the person is permitted to sublet.
View the home and review the agreement before paying.
Make sure that the rent, tenancy period, notice terms, deposit and what is included are set out in writing.
Keep the advert, agreement, proof of payment and written conversations.
Read the Swedish Consumer Agency’s guidance on subletting a rental flat and the information from hyresnämnden (the Rent Tribunal) about subletting to understand which rules apply to your situation.
The Swedish Police warn about adverts for homes that do not exist or where the person advertising the property has no right to let it. The authority’s advice on rental scams includes checking the person letting the property, requiring a written agreement and not paying in advance before you have viewed the home and the agreement has been signed.
Preparation reduces the risk of missing out on a home
Bojakt has tracked the availability of adverts over 43 days. Of the adverts, 20 per cent are gone within 7 days, 38 per cent within 14 days, 49 per cent within 21 days and 58 per cent within 30 days. This does not mean that all homes are allocated in the same way, but it shows why documents and decisions should be prepared in advance.
Your final checklist
Check that your identity document and contact details are current.
Gather relevant documents relating to your income and occupation.
Prepare housing references and ask whether they may be contacted.
Set the highest reasonable housing cost and check what the rent includes.
Write a basic draft introduction that can be adapted.
Read each landlord’s conditions before applying.
Check the person letting the property, the permission and the agreement before disclosing sensitive information or making a payment.
