Survival Guide To Student Accommodation In Denmark: Our Best Tips
Updated: Nov 9, 2023
If you are looking into this article, then you probably thought, or have already decided to come to Denmark.
When it comes to housing and accommodation in Denmark, regardless of where you go, we suggest looking for accommodation a few months before your arrival, as it can be quite an arduous process.
There will be an influx of students around the beginning of the semester, making it challenging to figure out housing and to find a nice one under your budget.
The Danish universities do not have their on-campus housing, so you need to look for permanent accommodation regardless if you are here for a semester or an entire course. However, most of them do provide recommendations and information on how to find a room or apartment.
In this article, we first highlight some of the crucial things you need to consider and know while you are looking and applying for a suitable place, after which you can take a look over the list of accommodation resources we have compiled.
Know your city
It is useful to have an idea of the postal codes in the Danish city you are planning to stay.
If you are living away from the center of the city, then you can find yourself something bigger. If you are planning to live within the center, then it is recommended to look for rooms or studio apartments since it will be expensive to rent a whole apartment.
It is very common for students in Denmark to live in a kollegium (student dormitory) or in a shared apartment. So, know the city where you are going to live and decide if you wish to live alone or willing to stay with other people.
Not only it influences the amount of your rent, but it is much easier to search for accommodation if you already know what you want.
Estimated cost of housing in Denmark
The rent influences your cost of living a lot. Therefore, it matters if you are living within the city center or further away (e.g. the outskirts).
Also, if you are planning to live in cities other than Copenhagen, then the rent is usually cheaper.
Accommodation in Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg can be much less expensive than living in Copenhagen.
The average cost of housing in Denmark often varies between DKK 2500 and DKK 4500 including utilities, but of course the price depends on what type of housing it is and where it is located.
For example, it is very rare to find a room for DKK 2000 in Copenhagen, the rent usually starting from DKK 4000 and over. In other cities you can find places from DKK 2500 and up.
HOWEVER, since rent is the major factor “slashing” your income, remember to consider other living expenses in your budget.
Remember that the rent isn't going to be your only expense. In the beginning, you need to pay the deposit and sometimes even pre-paid rent.
The deposit is the amount you need to pay before moving into the apartment.
In Denmark, the deposit is usually 2-3 times the size of the rent. The landlord uses the deposit to handle any damages you might have caused during your stay. You will receive the rest of the deposit when moving out.
In some apartments, you also need to pay the pre-paid rent, usually amounting to 2-3 months of rent. And since you paid it at the beginning, you don't have to pay the last 2-3 rents before you move out.
The last major expense you need to account for when moving in would be the furniture. Many of the private apartments and even student housings come with little to no furniture.
Taking your time to find the perfect place to live in will surely pay off in the future. It might save you a lot of money and headaches.
How to find furniture on a budget?
Fortunately, there are some budget-friendly ways to furnish your new home.
In Denmark, when people want to get rid of their used furniture they usually place it outside their building or next to the garbage bins. Once it’s there, it’s up for grabs!
While it may feel weird to take thrown-out furniture, no one will judge you for it, as it’s not an uncommon practice. As for the quality, it’s how you would expect second-hand furniture to look like, sometimes better, sometimes worse, depends on your luck!
An alternative option is browsing through buying and selling Facebook groups, Facebook marketplace or even groups dedicated to giving away free furniture. You can find great deals here.
Checking for second hand stores in your area (genbrugsbutikker) can also save you a few crowns and you can find anything from furniture to clothing.
The feeling you have when you discover a genbrug (second-hand shop) in your area
Examples of second-hand stores (check them in maps for addresses in your area):
Can you receive housing support?
If you are EU/EEA citizen, then there is good news for you! Boligstøtte is a subsidy for rent intended for those who rent a home with its own kitchen.
(Not available for dorm rooms with a common kitchen!).
The amount you can receive in housing benefits depends on a number of factors. Read more about this and about how to apply here.
In addition, the municipality you live in can support you with a Lån til beboerindskud. This is a loan covering the deposit when moving into your new apartment. For this, as well, you need to have a kitchen\kitchenette in order to apply. For more information, check out your municipality’s website and borger.dk.
You can only receive housing benefits if you have your own kitchen or kitchenette
What to be aware of when moving in
Make sure CPR registration is possible
Your CPR registration number is your identity during your stay in Denmark. It needs to be registered at the address where you live. Some of the places might not offer CPR registration, so make sure you can do it where you live.
This is the Danish health card that shows your CPR number and address
There is no such thing as a house without CPR registration. If you've encountered an ad that says so, it will likely be a scam.
People might keep themselves registered on an address in Denmark, move abroad and sublet you their apartment. In this case, the landlord will not know about you and you would be essentially living there against the law.
CPR registration must be possible in every apartment.
Electricity and internet
When moving into a new place, there is a high chance that there is already a contract with an electricity supplier and sometimes you have no say in this regard. However, some places (where electricity is not included in the rent) may allow you to choose your own supplier. In order to make sure you get the best deal possible, check this website for price comparisons in your postal code zone.
The same goes for the internet. Besides price, there are other factors to consider when choosing an internet provider. Use this website to compare prices. If you want to make a better informed decision when it comes to your internet needs, give this a read.
Figuring out what Internet provider to choose
Beware of Housing Scams!
There are a lot of cases where people have faced housing scams issues. Therefore, we would like to suggest a few things about how to avoid them:
- If a person sends you a text regarding a room for rent through an unknown phone number, then it is probably a scam.
- Always! ALWAYS! Read the contract properly and check if everything that you have agreed on is mentioned in writing. Also, check for what they say regarding your deposits. The contracts are usually in Danish so take your time to go through them properly and don't be afraid to ask for help.
You when you read the rent contract in Danish
- Make sure you have a contract that is signed by the tenant or landlord.
- Make sure that your landlord knows if you are subleasing. It will be beneficial in case there is a conflict between the landlord and the person you sublet from. (normally the contract should say if it is a subleasing contract)
- There is no rush to sign immediately. Be aware if you are required to sign immediately.
- NEVER pay money through cash or under the table, as there is virtually no way to get that money back in case it gets lost!
NEVER pay for your accommodation with cash "under the table"...don't be like these guys
- Always pay deposits through your bank account so that the transaction can be traced, if needed.
-Always take pictures of any defects in your apartment upon move in. When moving out, these will serve as proof in case your landlord tries to withhold money from your deposit for damages you hadn’t caused.
-If you live with flat mates, it’s a good idea to sign a contract between each other (for example in order to avoid any problems related to splitting the deposit upon move-out).
It's always a good idea to make an agreement with your roomies...things might not always go as expected
- You can look up for the owner of the property through www.boligejer.dk
- Give and Take necessary information to confirm if they are authentic.
Where can you find accommodation in Denmark?
How to Enter the Danish Housing Market
In Denmark, using the internet is the major source for accommodation hunt!
There are numerous online portals where you can search for apartments and get in contact with the landlord.
However, not all websites provide their services for free. There is usually a small membership fee to access their full information and services along with getting in contact with a potential landlord. Or, you can also search for housing in specific areas with the help of contractors.
Your university must also have some housing recommendations on their website, so make sure you don’t skip those.
Links for housing in Denmark
It is common to list yourself as a possible tenant, along with your budget and accommodation details. However, getting a place might take anything from three weeks to more than three months, depending which number you are in the queue. Sometimes the waiting time depends on a variety of factors, one of the major ones being seniority (for how long you have been a member).
Therefore, we recommend that you look for both student housing and regular accommodation. It will take intensive research to find a desirable place, especially if you are on a tight budget.
Here are some of the most popular Housing Portals in Denmark:
DanmarkBolig.dk - For standard rented accommodation throughout Denmark
Boligportal.dk - For rented accommodation in Denmark
Housingdenmark.com - Free of charge housing portal. It also gives 3D viewing of apartments on their website
Boliga.dk - For various types of accommodation all over Denmark
Findbolig.nu - For finding a wide range of accommodation and even relatively cheaper ones. They ask for a small fee to get listed as a tenant.
Findboliger.dk - For finding housing apartments and rooms in Denmark
Lejebolig.dk - For rented accommodation in Denmark
Lejboliger.dk - For a general housing, with student housing options
Findroommate.dk - For shared apartments and roommates in Denmark
Mgejendomme.dk - For newly built or rented student apartments in Denmark. It is a bit costly than other websites.
Movinn.com - For short and long term furnished apartment in three cities: Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense
Kollegiekontoret - For student housing in Aarhus
Aku-Aalborg - For student housing in Aalborg
Boinord - For private accommodation in Northern Denmark
Studiebolig Odense - For student housing in Odense
Kollegierneskontor - For student housing in Copenhagen
Industrikollegiet - Dorm in Copenhagen (Noerrebro)
Studentergaarden - Dorm in Copenhagen (Noerrebro)
Tietgenkollegiet - Dorm in Copenhagen (Amager)
KBH-KOLLEGIER - Portal with student housing and dorms in Copenhagen. They also wrote a guide in English about student housing in Copenhagen.
Are you going to study in/around Copenhagen and you have still not found a place to stay? Wakeup hotel Copenhagen on Carsten Niebuhrs Gade has a special offer for students where you can book a room for 4,500 DKK for one month. Read more about it here.
Facebook search and groups
You can join different Facebook groups depending on the city you live in, or you are planning to live in. You can do a simple search like “accommodation in Copenhagen” or “room for rent in Odense”. There are a lot of advertisements, and you could find your potential accommodation in these Facebook groups. You can also simply search through Facebook marketplace.
Use Facebook to your advantage when researching accommodation options
Another option is to look for people who are renting apartments for a limited time frame such as for a few months. This will help you lessen stress for furnishing, for instance. Sometimes, students here go for an exchange program and they rent out their rooms or apartments for a brief time.
However, you need to be cautious and see whether the people have shady accounts or if they are giving apartments for too low prices, then you need to make sure it is authentic. It is better to get information and help from multiple sources during your accommodation hunt.
Here are some examples of Facebook groups you can use:
Alborg:
Aarhus:
Free Your Stuff Aarhus (things offered for free)
REUSE Aarhus (free furniture, kitchen supplies etc.)
Odense:
Lejligheder til leje i Odense (Apartments to rent in Odense)
Copenhagen:
Free Your Stuff Copenhagen (things offered for free)
That glorious feeling when you have finally found the right accommodation
What to do if you move to Denmark before you find stable housing?
Not being able to find a place to live right from the beginning of your stay in Denmark can happen and shouldn’t be excluded. If you find yourself in such an unlucky case, there are still some short term options for you.
For example, you could stay at a hotel (beware, hotel prices in Denmark are many times exorbitant) or Airbnb. Alternatively, you could turn back to Facebook groups relevant to your city and ask if anyone is subletting their room (usually those who are going abroad for studies\internship for one or more semesters).
Legal issues and help
Not all landlords are 100% honest and reliable, some of them might try to take advantage of you, on your expense, looking to cause you problems for their benefit.
There are cases where the landlords are mean, and they might trouble you.
Digura provides legal services for housing-related troubles. The case processing is free of charge, but they will charge a fee when the case gets solved with some profits or savings. You can check their website for further details.
Lejerens Frie Retshjælp is another organisation that helps with housing issues in Denmark. They are volunteer-students who, in addition to their studies, provide free legal aid to tenants and landlords. Their website is in Danish, but they help in both Danish and English. You are required to provide your name, email and describe your legal problem.
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