Renting in Copenhagen - advice?

Greetings everyone,

Firstly, I apologize for not writing in Danish - my Danish is still too poor even with the help of Google Translate, so I decided it's best I spare you the trouble of trying to understand me.

I am writing in hope of getting good advice on renting a flat in KBH. My significant other is days from accepting a job offer with a company based in KBH so we will be moving there soon. We're a young couple and EU citizens. We'll be looking for a 1 bedroom apartment for DKK 10.000 (or less) + utilities, ideally in the areas south or west from the city center (Amager, KBH S, Frederiksberg, Valby etc.).

Now, I've heard and read that it's quite difficult to rent in KBH. I've been looking periodically at lejebolig.dk and there always seem to be some flats that seem suitable for us (8-9 thousand kroner and good locations). What's the catch? Are there so many people wanting to rent that our chances are low? Are we more likely to be turned down because we're expats? As foreign citizens, are there any requirements that we need to fulfill before being able to rent in Denmark?

Additionally - suppose we did find a landlord willing to rent to us: I'm curious as to all the things we need to do to ensure that the contract is valid and fair on both sides, as well as any bureaucratic actions that we'll possibly need to undertake...

Sorry for the long post - I'm really looking forward to useful answers.

Mange tak,

Zafk

Thank you! :)) That's right, we don't smoke, are quiet, have no pets, respect the property and we've been renting for 8 years at home so far without any problems. We'll be letting the prospective landlords know all of that, thanks for the tip!

Do you know/think Nørrebro is unsafe to live in? When we were visiting Copenhagen we were told to avoid that area because of the gangs situation there... should we exclude it from our search? There are quite a few ads for flats in that area and the prices seem to be a bit lower than in e.g. Amager...

I am living in Nørrebro since 2008, and I can warmly recommend my part of the city, it is lively, accepts all sorts of people and is maybe the most international quarter in Copenhagen. We see the police here on a daily basis, but it gives more safety than fear, an we living here feel not at all scared. 'The gangs' are a few young people, and in general we do not see them at all, some times there are cars driving fast through the streets, but I think it is not more than in any other part of the city.

 I wish to welcome you to Nørrebro :-)

Lis

I have another question if someone knows the answer. How common is it for Danish companies who hire expats to help with the living arrangements in the beginning? Should my partner try to negotiate about this when discussing the job offer or are we expected to take care of that ourselves?

be careful of scammers. A lot of people out there collecting deposits from multiple people at the same time.

You have asked a number of questions, and some have been answered better than others.

You write 1 bedroom apartment - be aware that in Denmark that means ONE Room aside from kitchen/bathroom, whereas other places it often means a living room + a room to sleep in.

Reasons for Expats only can be for two primary reasons - often secured employment and the apartment is often paid for by the employer, and the renters are often stable. We have some rent control laws that are extremely arbitrary which are being used and abused, and it means that an agreement is not necessarily binding and even if 30 people are interested in renting a flat at 10000kr/month rents might be reduced through legal action and deemed excessive. These laws have their basis in the 1930'ties, and it means that some people have connections to get apartments for a fraction of the price of an open market and the landlords risk that a politician's daughter living next door can rent the same apartment through connections/favours for half the open market and that it is used to void the agreed price. If a business rents a flat it is a business to business deal and that means that both sides have to honour what has been agreed, so that is a huge benefit of renting to Expats.

Nørrebro - well whether it is a good place to live is definitely in the eye of the beholder. It is the part of the city where you have most gang violence, it is now where you find the most crime, it is where you have the most shootings, it is where you have the highest percentage of non western immigrants (read african/middle eastern), it is where you will find the most used syringes in parks and playgrounds, and where you stand the largest risk of having your street or your car torched. There are nice enclaves, but the lady that makes her living from catering to immigrants are definitely painting a picture that is quite rosy.

That being said, Denmark, also Nørrebro is generally safe.

zafk:

I have another question if someone knows the answer. How common is it for Danish companies who hire expats to help with the living arrangements in the beginning? Should my partner try to negotiate about this when discussing the job offer or are we expected to take care of that ourselves?

If you can - by all means!

When that is said it depends extremely much on the company, but it is not common unless it is a 6-12 month thing. Banks, lawyers etc have better options, but generally you do not seem to be in the normal Expat (ie senior level bracket)