Housing in Norway

You can find somewhere to live in various ways:

• Look online. Most properties for sale or rent can be found on the websites Finn.no and Hybel.no.
• Look in newspapers. However, these are usually the same advertisements that can be found online.
• Contact an estate agent (eiendomsmegler) or lawyer. They can help with both purchase or rental of properties.
• If you cannot find housing yourself, you can apply for municipal housing. Contact the municipality in which you want to live.

There are several types of housing:

• self-owned properties (selveierbolig)​​​​​​
• housing cooperative properties (andelsleilighet) or housing company properties (aksjeleilighet)
• rental properties
• student housing

Foreign citizens can buy property in Norway, regardless of whether they live in Norway or abroad. However, some properties may have special regulations that you should be aware of:

• an obligation to live in the property (boplikt)
• an obligation to farm the land (driveplikt). This often applies to agricultural properties.
• a birth right (odelsrett). A family may be entitled to the property.
• pre-emption rights (forkjøpsrett). Someone else may be entitled to buy the property before you.

You should be given information about this before you buy a property.

Most people take out a housing loan (mortgage) from a bank to buy a property in Norway You generally pay back the loan over 20-30 years. You need to do the following if you want to buy a property:

• Obtain a financing certificate (finansieringsbevis) before starting to look
• Obtain proof of your income (tax notification, salary slips)
• Have sufficient capital to pay a deposit of at least 15%

You can apply for a start-up loan in the municipality if you lack your own capital or have problems financing a property through private banks. The property must meet certain criteria if you are to receive help, and you apply in the municipality in which you live. The municipality decides whether you can be granted a loan and how much you can borrow. It is the Norwegian State Housing Bank (Husbanken) that administers the scheme. 

There are different types of rental arrangements in Norway, but the most common is to rent a house or flat, or rent a studio/room from another private individual. There are companies that work with professional rentals.

In some cases, you can also have a sub-letting contract (framleiekontrakt), where you rent from the person who has the rental contract to the property. In general, sub-letting is not permitted, unless the person sub-letting the property has the approval of the owner.

The Norwegian Tenancy Act (Husleieloven) stipulates your rights and obligations when you rent a property, for example: 

• the deposit must be held in a separate account (escrow account) in your name
• the landlord pays any costs involved in setting up the account
• both parties are to be notified before the deposit is paid back to the tenant

It is recommended that you have a rental agreement with terms set out in a rental contract. Unless agreed otherwise in writing or verbally, a mutual period of notice is usually three months for normal properties or one month for a bedsit/room.

When you are a student in Norway, you can either find housing through the private rental market or apply for student accommodation through a student welfare organisation. All state-funded universities and university colleges are associated with a student welfare organisation that looks after students’ needs.

Student housing is often situated close to the university or university college, and is generally cheaper than housing on the private rental market.

You can find student housing for:

• a single person
• couples
• families
• people with disabilities
• Many student welfare organisations also have their own properties for students on international programmes or for exchange students.

It is a good idea to start looking in good time, and many student welfare organisations have fixed deadlines before the start of term. Check the website of the student welfare organisation well before your studies are due to start.

Most students receive financial support from their home countries while studying in Norway. Many also have part-time jobs alongside their studies. As a foreign student, in some cases you can apply for finance from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassan). You then have to meet certain requirements. Read more about the requirements on the website of the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund.