Entering a rental accommodation in Copenhagen

Once you’ve found an apartment to rent, there are several things the landlord will require from you.

Depending on which country you’re from, these rules might be quite different from what you’re used to…

It’s important to understand that in Denmark, the rental laws primarily protect the landlords (the people providing the rental) rather than the tenants (the people renting the apartment).

Deposit

Before moving in, the landlord will require a security deposit.

This can be up to 3 months’ rent.

Rent in advance

Unlike many other countries, landlords in Denmark typically don’t ask for proof of income or payslips to verify that you can afford the apartment.

Instead, they require a substantial amount of money upfront.

They aren’t particularly concerned about whether your rent would take up 90% of your income.

The rental market here is quite dynamic, and the rules make it easy for landlords to evict tenants - if you don’t pay, you can be asked to leave within 2 weeks.

Landlords commonly ask for multiple months’ rent in advance. This could be 3 months’ rent in advance plus 3 months’ deposit, meaning you need to pay the equivalent of 6 months’ rent before moving in.

It also could be 7 months upfront as they will ask for the current month of payment + 3 months of rent upfront + 3 months deposit.

However, not all landlords have such demanding requirements.

Getting the deposit refunded

From conversations I’ve had, getting your full deposit back in Denmark can be challenging.

Danish law requires tenants to paint the entire apartment and repair/build a new parquet before moving out, which might seem unusual, but landlords often use this requirement as a reason to withhold part of the deposit.

While this is based on what I’ve heard and might not apply in all cases, it’s worth discussing the deposit refund policy with your potential landlord or main tenant when viewing an apartment you’re interested in.

There is also a rule that’s not many persons knows but if the landlord is not saying what he will be doing with your deposit within the 15 days after you left the appartment, you can ask to get the full refund of the deposit.

Questions to ask before saying yes

• How much is the deposit?
• How much is the utility bill?
• How much rental upfront needed?
• How much is the rental for one month?
• Discuss the refund policy for the deposit with the landlord or main tenant.