Many rental listings disappear within a few weeks, but the time varies considerably between locations, contracts and letting processes.
Many listings disappear within a few weeks
Bojakt tracked rental listings for 43 days. Of the listings, 19% disappeared within 7 days, 38% within 14 days and 49% within 21 days. Within 30 days, 58% had disappeared. The linked sources are in Swedish because they concern Swedish law.
This means that a listing can often remain current for several weeks, but it is risky to assume that it will still be available. A significant share of the supply disappears during the first week.
A published listing is a snapshot. The application deadline, selection process and removal may occur at different times.
A listing being removed does not always mean that the home has been let
A listing may be removed because the application period has ended, because the landlord has received enough responses or because the letting process has been cancelled. It may also disappear once a candidate has been selected, even if the agreement has not yet been signed.
Bojakt’s measurement therefore shows how long listings remain available to find, not exactly when a tenancy agreement is finalised. This distinction is important when using the statistics to assess how quickly an application needs to be submitted.
Listing lifespans vary between locations
Demand, rent levels and the types of homes being advertised affect how quickly the supply changes. In Karlstad, which had the fastest turnover among the locations compared, 68% of listings had disappeared within 21 days. In Västerås, the corresponding proportion was 30%, representing the slowest turnover in the comparison.
At the same time, the national housing market includes both shortages and surpluses. The authorities’ current assessment describes a greater balance in parts of the country, but a continued shortage of homes with the right location, standard and cost. As a result, attractive listings may disappear quickly even in a location where the total supply appears large. Read the national assessment.
Queue time and listing duration are different things
There is no uniform system for allocating rental homes in Sweden. Property owners and housing companies may use their own queues, their own conditions and different forms of selection. This means that a short listing period does not always require a long queue time, and that a long queue time does not indicate how long the listing itself remains published. Read about housing allocation and queues.
Among the homes aggregated by Bojakt are 2,130 primary rental homes with no queue time. They may still have other conditions, such as income requirements, references or a requirement to apply during the listing period.
Primary tenancy listings follow the landlord’s process
Primary tenancy agreements account for 44% of the available homes on Bojakt. Such a listing may close when the application period ends, while the assessment of applicants continues after the listing has disappeared.
Subletting listings may change during the process
Bojakt currently has 11,231 subletting listings, corresponding to 56% of the supply. A listing may be removed once the person letting the home has selected an applicant, changed their plans or needs to clarify permission and contractual terms.
The rules depend on the type of home being let. Subletting a rented home normally requires the landlord’s approval or permission from hyresnämnden (the Rent Tribunal), and the rent must be reasonable. Read about subletting.
How to act when looking for a home
Read the conditions when the listing is published and note the application deadline if one is provided.
Prepare the information that is often requested, such as proof of income, references and details of who will live in the home.
Check whether it is a primary tenancy or a sublet. This affects the selection process, the agreement and the applicable rules.
Continue searching until you have a written agreement. Verbal contact or an invitation to a viewing is not the same as a finalised contract.
When subletting, you should check the person’s right to let the home and read the agreement before paying.
The supply is a snapshot
Bojakt currently aggregates 20,122 available homes across 1,214 locations. The national median rent is 9,095 kr. The supply changes as new listings are published and older listings are removed, meaning that the same search may produce a different result next time.
The statistics show how listings changed during the measurement period, not how long an individual future listing will remain available. The home’s location, rent, size, contract type and conditions must therefore be assessed together.
Bojakt’s figures are based on listings that the service tracked for 43 days. The legal background has been checked against current guidance from public authorities. Consumer guidance on subletting.
