Renting a home

Rents in Denmark vary widely, depending on the location, size, and general condition of the specific dwelling. You can rent a room, a flat or a single-family house.

In small towns and in the countryside, it is usually easy to find rented accommodation at a reasonable price, whereas in the capital of Copenhagen and in the second-largest city of Aarhus, affordable accommodation can be somewhat harder to find.

You can rent either from a private landlord or a housing association.

There are many housing associations in Denmark, covering a wide range of flats and single-family houses built with public subsidies. The rent is typically lower than for other types of rental accommodation, but they are often difficult to obtain for foreign nationals because they are usually let out on the basis of a waiting list.

In Danish, the concept 'to rent' is 'at leje'.

A standard rental contract for private letting can be downloaded via the website of the the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens:

• Standardlejekontrakt (in Danish)

Subletting is quite common and for many the first place of residence is often a temporary one.

If you do not receive company-provided housing, you can either choose to rent or to buy housing.

Most foreign nationals who work in Denmark choose to rent their home, as it is the type of home with the least obligations.

In general, it is difficult as a foreigner to buy real estate in Denmark. When buying real estate in Denmark, there are 2 main kinds:

• Traditional owner-occupied housing, which the owner has at his or her own disposal.
• Cooperative housing, where you own a property together with others and run it as a cooperative housing society.

When renting a home, please make sure you get a rental contract, and check the following before you sign it:

• Read the terms carefully and make sure it describes the specific terms and conditions clearly. A standard contract has been issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens.
• You will typically have up to 3 months’ notice to terminate the lease, which applies to both the letter and yourself as a tenant.
• A deposit is usually required. Normally 1 month’s deposit for a room and 3 months’ deposit for a flat. Whether you get the full deposit back depends on the condition of the flat when you move out.
• Do not pay any deposit in advance without having a contract.
• Normally, utilities such as heating, water, and gas are not included in the rent. If they are, it will be specified.
• Check the room/flat personally before signing the rental contract.
• You must report any defects in the flat no later than 14 days after you have taken it over. Otherwise you may have to pay for the defects yourself.

A standard rental contract for private letting can be downloaded via the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens.

• Standardlejekontrakt (in Danish)

There is no central register of vacant private rental property. It is the individual letter’s decision how to advertise a vacant flat and to whom the flat is to be let.

Flats and rooms for rent are often advertised on the internet or found through colleagues, friends and acquaintances.

There are rental property portals where you have the opportunity to search for private rental property throughout the country. On the rental property portal, DanmarkBolig.dk, you will find a detailed presentation of more than 550,000 council housing dwellings.

• Look for a place to rent on DanmarksBolig.dk

On the internet, there are many sites where you can find estate agents. General advice:

• Search the internet.
• Read ads in daily newspapers, local papers or special housing newspapers.
• Sign up on a waiting list.
• Place a notice in a supermarket, most of them have a board for ads.
• Ask family, friends and acquaintances.

As finding accommodation is particularly difficult in the capital of Copenhagen, the City of Copenhagen has gathered more specific information on accommodation:

• Where should I look to find housing in Copenhagen?

If you are an international student, you can apply for student accommodation. Contact the international office at the school or university, where you will be studying.

There are many student residences. Some of them are privately owned with their own independent administration. In the Danish capital of Copenhagen you can, free of charge, get on the waiting list for a student residence at 'Kollegiernes Kontor I København', which is an organisation that administers accommodation for approximately 5,891 students and young people in Copenhagen and the surrounding areas.

• Kollegiernes Kontor i København
• Housing for students in Copenhagen
• Housing for students in Aarhus

If you need to prove your current or previous address in Denmark, you can obtain a residence certificate from the municipality. A residence certificate costs up to DKK 95 (2024).

You must apply for the residence certificate digitally. If you are not able to make the application yourself online, you can get help at Citizen Service. Remember to book an appointment.

You can only obtain a residence certificate for another person if you have written authorisation from that person.

If you want to change your Danish address, you have to inform the authorities. This can be done online via the online service you activate by clicking Start. Before you can use the online service you need to have MitID. 

To order a MitID you need, in most cases, to contact your local citizen service centre. You can read more about MitID via the link below.

• Read more about MitID

You can at the earliest inform the authorities of your change of address 4 weeks before you move and it must be done no later than 5 days after you have moved to your new home.

The postal service, Post Danmark, will automatically be informed of your relocation (unless you are registered for non-disclosure of name and address).

Housing benefits are a grant that you can get to help pay your rent if you are renting a home with its own kitchen. You must have a permanent address there, meaning you have to stay at the residence for more than half the time of your tenancy. Housing benefits are administered by Udbetaling Danmark – Public Benefits Administration.

Find more information about housing benefits:

• Housing benefits