FAQS About Subletting Your Apartment or House in Sweden

How can it be free to advertise and find a tenant on Residensportalen? What is the catch?

There is no catch. We have created relationships and an IT-tool geared toward the corporate housing market since 2003 and have the best tenants subscribing to our tool and properties. The tenants pay for our service. That is how we can offer the service free to you as a landlord. We will not take a cut of your rent or pad it to finance our business model. All of the rental payments go directly to you. Naturally, if you need more assistance we do have our Plus Services that are optional to buy. 

Can everyone on the internet see my advertisement?

Residensportalen is known for our privacy and professional handling of private information. Your ad will be shown with limited information (no full address or contact information is shown) to non-registered users. Only the category of searchers that you have clicked as of interest to you can actually contact you. The majority of our property searchers are HR at the companies and relocation companies in Sweden that we work with on a daily basis. 

Can I advertise to both private individuals and to companies?

Yes, you can advertise to all or both categories of tenants.  For example, we have several corporate subscribers from well-known companies that use our services but do not sign the lease on their employee's behalf. However, they assist with finding housing and other relocation services and have proven to be excellent tenants. Those type of searchers can only search for private properties. If your Bostadsrättsförening does not accept corporate tenants, we recommend still clicking the corporate box in your ad due to many companies that search with us have great tenants that can also sign privately. However, write in your description that the lease needs to be on the individual due to building regulations. 

How do I decide which categories of tenants can see my property?

By logging in and opening your advertisement in editing mode. In your questionnaire you can check which categories of tenants can contact you. Click "all" if you are open to both corporate and private tenants. 

I cannot remember my log-in information, what do I do?

By each place on our web portal where you can log in, there is a link to retrieve your password.  Your user name is the e-mail address you registered with. The log in section is on the upper right corner of the site. You may also e-mail us and ask for a new password and we will be happy to give you a new one!

How long does it take for my advertisement to be "live"?

Within 48 hours, once approved. We look through all of our ads to ensure accuracy and ownership. Generally, it is activated within an hour. 

How long will it take for my property to be rented?

As is the case with all marketing ventures, it depends on several factors. It depends on how attractive your area is, whether or not it is properly priced and of course how many potential tenants are in the system at any given time.  We have found, however, that most properties if they are properly priced and in good condition that they are rented fairly quickly. We have rented out properties in mere hours and sometimes it has taken months. Your flexibility and openness to the market's demands and recommendations will influence your potential. Read our informational section below for tips on how to ensure a secure and positive sublet! A Plus Upgrade can also speed up the process if you want to be on our VIP lists that go to our tenant subscribers. A rental level that is not in alignment with corporate budgets on the market is generally the primary reason why some struggle to get a tenant. On this page, we supply fresh data on BROKERED deals, not advertised rental levels, for the greater Stockholm metro Area. If your area is not listed, send us an email or call us and we are happy to give you feedback. 

What is the difference between Residensportalen and other rental agencies?

We do not inflate rents by acting as a middle-man. There is no rent padding at Residensportalen nor do you need to pay for services that you do not want or need. There are no cues to see properties. Our mission since 2003 has been to find the best possible tenant for our client, the landlord, and it continues to be the pillar of our business concept. We now offer the most comprehensive service on the market. Our IT system is the most advanced and user friendly on the market. It gives landlords, companies and private individuals a snapshot of what is happening in real time in the sublet industry. Properties as well as potential tenants are updated by the minute and the data is fresh and live. Our brand continues to be synonymous with quality, integrity and efficiency. Our experience is built on knowledge of the corporate rental market which has made us into one of the biggest rental and sublet firms in Sweden. If you want to learn more about our history, corporate culture and view on your data, read more About Us.

Do we only broker rentals and sublets in Stockholm?

Yes and no. We have our office in Stockholm and that is where our staff is based. Despite that we have helped landlords across the country register their properties with us since 2003 and many have found wonderful corporate tenants in Malmö, Gothenburg and many other cities.  We do, however, offer other services such as putting together leases to our customers outside of Stockholm. 

Why should I not write my own lease?

Because the rental law is more complex with more nuances than you think and your property is probably your biggest investment to date. We have seen catastrophic results of landlords writing their own leases, resulting in costly consequences and stress. When these cases reach us, the first words are generally "but I downloaded a template from the internet".  Read more about leases in our informational section below.

Do I have to pay taxes on my rental?

Yes, like everything else in Sweden, you pay taxes and it is considered to be a capital gain. Contact Skatteverket, they are very helpful and will guide you. There are also tax implications depending on what kind of letting agency you choose. 

How long in advance do I have to start marketing my home?

Corporate tenants will cut it quite close. The search for a house will be about two to ten weeks before move-in and for apartments it will be about one to six weeks before move-in. This means that if you are marketing your home to the corporate market you will have to be patient and expect it to be cutting it close. If you have a well renovated home in a good location you will usually not have any problems finding a good tenant.

Furnished or unfurnished, what is optimal?

It is of course dependent on what the market requires, but you can expect rental agreements lasting less than a year to be furnished properties and longer than a year to be unfurnished. Houses are rarely sought furnished. The optimal situation is to market your home either as flexible, furnished or unfurnished.

Can you handle all the practicalities for me?

Absolutely, we have a Premium Service if you need more help with your rental. We will show your home to the right tenants, handle the lease, inspection and move-in. 

How long should I expect to rent out my home?

Smaller apartments; one or two bedrooms, are usually requested up to a year, and larger apartments one year or longer. Houses are typically requested for two years or longer. But we are finding due to the volume of searches from our subscribers that we have requests for pretty much all types of rentals and periods. 

What Rental Insurances do you offer?

There are many companies that have popped up on the market offering "insurances" that you pay quite a bit for and we equate this to when we thought we needed to buy extra insurance for our new flat-tv from the appliance stores. No need, everything in those so called "insurances" are covered by your home insurance or the deposit we procure for you. We strongly urge you to read the fine print for these services that are offered on the market. It Is often part of their rationale for adding on or taking part of your rent. 

What is the best practice regarding inventory and the inspection of my home?

A tenant should sign for any inventory and their condition that are agreed to be left in the home for the duration of the rental period, i.e. by presenting an inventory list. It is also important to register any wear and tear and damages in the home prior to moving in. This document should be signed by both landlord and tenant to make it legally binding.  Even though the lease agreement stipulates that the tenant should take good care of the home, the landlord will have to accept normal wear and tear. Companies that rent furnished homes require a certain inventory to be included, a list of those requirements are listed in our informational section below. 

When the home is handed back to the landlord after the rental period, the landlord should sign the same inventory list as the tenant signed before the move-in to approve the inventory and their state. The landlord will also have to approve the state of the home, which is done by inspection of it by both parties. If there are damages that the tenant cannot prove to have been caused by themselves or by a person of their responsibility, the tenant will have to cover the cost of restoring the damage. Residensportalen offers professional inspections in the Stockholm area. Request for proposal on this service can be found under Plus Services in "My Pages" if you are a registered user.

What should I do with my utilities?

Most companies prefer to rent apartments all inclusive, where electricity, internet, etc is included in the rent. Houses are rarely rented with any utilities included. Remember to cancel your utilities and order meter readings well in advance. When you contact the utilities companies you should, if possible, provide your tenants information to allow for a smooth transition. Unless otherwise agreed, the transfer of utilities should be handled directly between the landlord and the tenant.

What instructions should I leave?

To make it easy for a tenant you should leave instruction manuals for all appliances and general instructions for the care and handling of the home and, if applicable, yard. The better your instructions are the better care a tenant can take of your home. Set up any documentation in English.  It is also important to leave emergency contacts (plumbers and handymen) should the tenant need to respond to an issue that is of an urgent nature. We have templates that you can buy in your profile under "Plus Services" saving you significant time and that are reflective of experience since 2003 in what instructions are critical to leave. 

How much can I charge my tenant in rent?

For privately owned property (bostadsrätter, ägarrätter, andelsrätter and houses) rent charges can cover operating costs and capital costs. Operating costs can include monthly fees paid to the cooperative housing association (bostadsrättsförening), utilities, as well as a premium for wear and tear.

While the law doesn't mention mortgages specifically, property owners are allowed to charge for the "cost of capital", which is at this time considered to be around 4 percent of the market value of the home. However, we have seen that this formula produces rental levels that are about 20% higher than what the market is paying for rentals so check out our rental calculator as well!  Here is the list of brokered rentals in the past year with average rental prices for the Stockholm Metro Area.

If your home is a "hyresrätt", you can sublet for what you pay in rent yourself + 10-15% if the property is furnished. The law changed regarding renting of "hyresrätt" and those privately owned properties that fall under the law of renting a "hyresrätt" changed quite drastically per October 1st, 2019. Essentially, if you overcharge your tenant you may lose your property back to the building owner and be prosecuted and receive jail time. Prior to this law change, you would get a warning and have the chance to rectify. Now the consequence of renting out and charge too high of a rent is immediate. More about the new law here.

Do I need permission to sublet my home in Sweden?

If you own a house with a deed or a "andelsrätt" or "ägarrätt", you do not need anyone else's permission. If you own a "bostadsrätt", then you need the "bostadsrättsförening"'s permission to sublet. If you own a hyresrätt, you must get the building owner's permission to sublet. After the law change per October 1st, 2019 for renting of "hyresrätt", the consequences to sublet a hyresrätt without permission has become severe, resulting in immediate loss of your property. 

The associates that handle rentals and sublets at Residensportalen are all registered rental brokers and are governed by the property brokerage laws of Sweden. By law we are not allowed to give guidance or suggest rental levels. Check out the rental calculator below to see what the average rent is for your type of property and area.