Student housing and halls of residence in Sweden

Regardless of whether you are planning to complete a degree course or study for one term, you will probably have to find a place to live while you are studying abroad.

Here you can find information about student accommodation in Sweden, but remember that there are groups and communities on social media for students who are studying abroad like you. Through these groups you can find adverts from other students subletting apartments or looking for a roommate.

What types of student accommodation are there in Sweden?

In Sweden, there are three different types of student accommodation: rooms in a hall of residence (korridorrum), one-room apartments for students (studentettor), and apartments (lägenheter).

• A room in a hall of residence is a separate room with its own bathroom, and shared kitchen and common room that you share with the other people who live there. Sometimes you also share a bathroom with the others.. Only one student is permitted to live in a room in a hall of residence, and you generally only pay rent for the nine months of the year you are actually studying.
• A one-room apartment is a small apartment with its own bathroom and kitchen or kitchenette. Such apartments are generally 20-30 square metres, and are intended for one person, but two people are permitted to live there together.
• A student apartment can vary in size and may have several rooms, and have both a kitchen and a bathroom. It can be difficult to distinguish between a student apartment and a regular apartment, but they are often designed so that two friends or a couple can share an apartment. Only the one who is a student and whose name is on the contract is responsible for the maintenance of the apartment and the rent payments.

What other types of accommodation are there in Sweden?

Some student cities have a housing guarantee (bostadsgaranti), but in many popular student towns and cities it can be difficult to find accommodation. It may therefore be worth considering whether you want to sublet or rent a room from someone while you wait for more permanent accommodation.

As a student in Sweden, you can also choose to look for a regular rental apartment (hyresrätt) or buy an apartment (bostadsrätt) on the housing market.

If you are interested in renting a flat when you are studying in Sweden, contact the municipality in which you are studying for information about how to put your name on municipal waiting lists.

It can be difficult to find a rental flat in the big cities in Sweden, so you should also check what is available through private landlords in your municipality, and look at some of the private housing portals.

In Sweden, subletting contracts (andrahandskontrakt) are very common, as finding rental property is difficult. If you have a subletting contract, it means you are not the sitting tenant in the flat - you are renting it from the primary tenant, not the owner of the property.

You can read more about what you should think of in relation to contracts and about your rights on the Info Norden page ‘Housing in Sweden’ under the heading ‘Rental property’.

The Swedish Union of Tenants (Hyresgästföreningen) is a membership organisation for tenants. As a member, you can receive support if, for example, problems arise with the landlord.

You can look for accommodation on the Swedish website, Blocket.

The educational establishments do not generally have accommodation at their disposal, and this area is generally served by various housing associations.

Most student housing associations have their own waiting lists or use the local housing company to place their student accommodation Every housing association has its own rules regarding waiting lists and rentals, so there are often several different waiting lists in the large university cities.

Consequently, there is not a common national waiting list for student accommodation in Sweden, and you cannot transfer a good position on a waiting list from one housing association or from one city to another.

You can get more information about how to apply for a student accommodation if you look on the housing company's website in the city or cities in Sweden in which you are interested in studying.

It can be difficult to find student accommodation at the start of a term. If you do not know where you are going to study, in many cases you can put your name on the waiting list in several places at the same time, so contact as many of the housing companies as possible.

Because of the low rent and because it is difficult to find apartments, there are normally long waiting lists for rooms in halls of residence in the larger cities. Consequently, it is a good idea to put your name on the waiting list for a room in a hall of residence as early as possible.

What are the requirements for getting student accommodation?

You must be a student to get permission to live in student accommodation. You must be accepted onto a post-secondary educational programme or course, and the programme or course must entitle you to student finance.

In order to live in student accommodation in Sweden, you must complete a number of study credits per term. Contact your housing association for more information about their regulations.

PhD students and guest researchers are generally welcome to apply for student accommodation in Sweden.

Can you live in student accommodation without studying in Sweden?

You must be a student to get a contract for student accommodation. If you are no longer studying, you must move out of your student accommodation.

The lease is generally for an indefinite period, and it is often possible to remain in the accommodation for up to a year after the educational programme or course has been completed.

What rent do students pay in Sweden?

Most students get student finance from their home country when they study in Sweden, and use this to finance their accommodation. Many students in Sweden also have a part-time job alongside their studies.

The rent varies according to apartment size, standard and location. Rents and living costs are more expensive in the bigger cities in Sweden.

Can students apply for housing allowance in Sweden?

As a student in Sverige, you may be entitled to housing allowance (bostadsbidrag) from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan).

Housing allowance is based on the information you give regarding income and rent on the form when you apply for housing allowance. If you earn more than expected, you may be forced to pay back some of the money.

If you are an international student, you should contact the educational establishment to see if they can offer accommodation. In some cases, educational establishments reserve a number of apartments for international students, exchange students, and free movers.

Students from countries outside the Schengen area must have a residence permit before they arrive in Sweden. Sometimes you must show a copy of the residence permit in order to register with a student housing association, while in other cases it is not necessary.

Some companies require you to have an acceptance letter from your university before you can sign up for the waiting list for housing.

Tips for students with disabilities in Sweden

If you have a disability and want to study in Sweden, you can read more about the benefits you may be entitled to on the website ‘Studying with disabilities’.