Housing law in Denmark: renting, deposits and landlords
Renting a home in Denmark comes with clear rules on notice, deposits, rent increases and move-out costs, but they are not always easy to find or understand. Below are 50 questions tenants often ask, answered in plain language. Each answer lists the official sources it is based on, so you can check the rules yourself.
Normally three months, in writing, ending on the first weekday of a month (not the day before a public holiday). Unless your contract says otherwise, you stay responsible for the rent until the notice period ends, even if you move out earlier.
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Deadline: Three months' notice, counted to the first weekday of a month, unless your contract says otherwise.
Good to know
A fixed-term lease (tidsbegrænset lejemål) may not be terminable early at all, so check your contract first.
Renting a room in the landlord's own home, or a flat in a two-family house where the landlord lives, can follow different rules.
If you leave before the notice period ends, the landlord has to make a reasonable effort to re-let the home quickly.
What to do
Read your contract for the notice period, any fixed term and how notice must be sent.
Write the notice with your name, the address and the date you will move out, and ask for written confirmation. Keep proof that it was sent.
Ask when the move-out inspection will be held and take dated photos of every room.
Report your move on borger.dk once you have a new address.
Your tenancy can only end on the first weekday of a month. You can move out earlier, but you stay liable for the rent until the tenancy ends, unless the landlord agrees to an earlier end, for example because a new tenant takes over. Get any such agreement in writing.
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Deadline: Your tenancy ends on the first weekday of a month, normally three months after you give notice.
Good to know
As the tenant, you give notice to the first weekday of a month that is not the day before a public holiday, no matter how long the notice period is.
When a tenancy is terminated, you owe rent only until the tenancy ends, so moving out early does not reduce the rent by itself.
If you paid prepaid rent when you moved in, you may set it off against the final part of the rent period after you have given notice.
The three-month notice applies unless your contract sets another notice period in its special terms (§ 11).
What to do
Check sections 2 and 11 of your lease for the notice period and any special terms.
Choose an end date that is the first weekday of a month and give written notice at least three months before.
If you want to leave earlier, ask the landlord in writing for an agreed earlier end date and keep the written answer.
Keep paying the rent until the agreed end date and keep proof of payment.
Yes, the notice must be in writing. Digital notices are generally allowed, but either party can require paper notices by giving one month's notice, and a person who is exempt from Digital Post cannot be sent digital notices. Keep proof of when you sent it and ask the landlord to confirm in writing.
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Note: A landlord's termination notice and your objection to it must always be on paper, never digital.
Good to know
The Ministry's standard lease form states that a termination must be in writing from both parties.
Under the Tenancy Act, either party can demand that notices are not sent digitally. The demand needs one month's notice, effective from the first day of a month.
A person who is exempt from Digital Post cannot be sent digital notices at all.
A landlord's termination and a tenant's objection to it can never be sent digitally, so those must go on paper.
What to do
Write the notice with your name, the address and the date you want the tenancy to end.
Send it in a way that gives you proof, for example by post with tracking, and keep a copy.
Ask the landlord to confirm in writing the end date and the date they received your notice.
If the room is part of the landlord's own home (an accessory single room), your notice is one month. For a separate single room that is not part of the landlord's home (a klubværelse), it is three months. In both cases the tenancy ends on the first weekday of a month.
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Deadline: One month's notice for a room in the landlord's own home, three months for a separate room (klubværelse).
Good to know
An accessory single room is part of the landlord's own residential flat, while a separate single room is one that is not part of it.
These periods come from the Ministry's standard lease form and its guidance, so also check your own contract for special terms.
The deposit for a single room can be at most three months' rent, just as for a flat.
The Huslejenævn does not normally decide disputes about termination, but it can deal with certain disputes about the termination of a room rental.
What to do
Find out which type of room you rent: part of the landlord's own flat, or a separate room.
Check your lease for special terms on notice.
Give written notice to the first weekday of a month and keep proof that it was sent.
A landlord can only terminate on specific legal grounds, and the notice depends on the ground. According to the Ministry's lease guidance it is generally one year if the landlord needs the home for personal use, three months for other grounds such as breaches of good order, and one month for a room in the landlord's home.
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Note: Your objection to a landlord's termination cannot be sent digitally. Check the notice for any deadline and get advice quickly.
Good to know
The landlord may only terminate on the grounds set out in §§ 170 and 171 of the Tenancy Act. They cannot terminate just because they would like to.
In a house with only two flats where the owner lives in one of them, the landlord's notice is one year.
A condominium or co-op owner who rents out a single unit and wants to live there can give one year's notice.
A landlord's termination must be in writing and can never be sent digitally. Disputes about whether it is valid are decided by the housing court (boligretten), not the Huslejenævn.
What to do
Check the notice for the stated ground, the end date and who sent it.
Check whether the ground fits the grounds in the law and whether the notice period is long enough.
If you disagree, object in writing on paper, check the notice for any deadline, and get free advice from a legal aid office quickly.
No. Landlords are not allowed to offer a tenant payment or any other benefit to make them terminate the lease. If you left because of such an offer, you can demand that the tenancy is restored on the same terms. A landlord who breaks the rule risks a fine or up to four months' imprisonment.
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Note: Do not give up your home in exchange for money without advice, and keep a record of any offer made to you.
Good to know
The ban applies to landlords and covers money as well as any other benefit offered to make the tenant end the lease.
If the tenancy ended because of an unlawful offer, the tenant can demand that it is restored on unchanged terms and treated as having started on the original date.
The Tenancy Act states that such unlawful payments cannot be reclaimed.
A breach is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to four months, and companies can also be held criminally liable.
What to do
Do not sign anything or move out because of a payment offer without first getting advice.
Keep every message and written offer from the landlord.
If you have already left, demand in writing that the tenancy is restored and contact a legal aid office, because disputes about termination are decided by the courts and not the Huslejenævn.
Only if your contract gives you that right, the landlord agrees, or there is a breach. A fixed-term lease normally ends automatically on the end date without notice, and a right to terminate during the term must be written into the contract's special terms (§ 11). A fixed term is only allowed where the landlord's circumstances justify it.
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Note: Do not stop paying rent or leave without an agreement, because you stay liable for the rent until the tenancy ends.
Good to know
Under § 173 of the Tenancy Act, a fixed term must be justified by the landlord's circumstances, and the Ministry's guidance says the lease should state the reasons.
A fixed-term lease ends on its end date unless it is ended earlier by agreement or because of a breach.
If you want the right to terminate during the term, it has to be stated in the special terms (§ 11) of the contract.
Disputes about terminating a lease are decided by the housing court (boligretten), not the Huslejenævn.
What to do
Read sections 2 and 11 of your lease for the end date and any right to terminate early.
If there is no such right, ask the landlord in writing for an agreed early end date and keep the answer.
If you think the fixed term is not justified, get advice from a legal aid office before you move out or stop paying rent.
Often yes, within limits. You can usually sublet up to half of the living rooms, and your whole home for up to two years if you are away only temporarily, for example because of illness, work travel or study. The landlord can refuse in certain cases, and the sublease must be in writing.
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Deadline: Give the landlord a copy of the written sublease before the subletting begins.
Good to know
As a rule you may sublet no more than half of the living rooms, and the total number of people in the home may not exceed the number of living rooms.
For subletting the whole home, the landlord may refuse if the building has fewer than 13 residential units, if the number of occupants would exceed the number of rooms, or if there is another reasonable cause.
The sublease must be in writing, and a copy must be given to the landlord before the subletting begins.
A subtenant does not have the same protection as a tenant, and can give a bank guarantee or put a deposit in a separate account instead of paying a cash deposit.
Disputes about the right to sublet are decided by the housing court (boligretten), not the Huslejenævn.
What to do
Check your lease and house rules for conditions on subletting.
Make a written sublease stating the rent, the period and the deposit or guarantee.
Give the landlord a copy before the subletting begins.
You must report your new address to the municipality no later than 5 days after you move, and in most municipalities you can do it from 28 days before. Also give your landlord your new address in writing. The Ministry's guidance says a tenant must give a forwarding address at least 8 days before moving out.
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Deadline: Report your move to the municipality no later than 5 days after you have moved.
Good to know
The moving date is the day you really move, meaning your belongings are moved and you sleep at the new address. Reporting too late can lead to a fine.
You report digitally with MitID and can report for the other members of your household at the same time.
To avoid paying for the next occupant's electricity, tell your electricity supplier at least 10 weekdays before you move out.
If you do not give the landlord an address, they must still try to find you, for example through the population register, but their deadlines for move-out claims can be paused until they know where you are.
What to do
Report your new address on borger.dk with MitID within 5 days of moving.
Send your landlord your new address in writing before you leave, and at least 8 days before moving out.
Tell your electricity supplier at least 10 weekdays before you move out.
Disputes about whether a lease has been validly terminated are decided by the housing court (boligretten), not the Huslejenævn. The Huslejenævn handles matters such as rent, deposits and move-out restoration, and only certain disputes about terminating a room rental. Ask a legal aid office if you are unsure where your case belongs.
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Note: Do not pay a fee to the Huslejenævn for a termination dispute, because it does not decide those, except for certain room rentals.
Good to know
The Huslejenævn does not handle termination or cancellation of leases, subletting, exchange or continuation of a tenancy, or proportional rent reductions for defects. These go to the housing court.
The board can also dismiss a case and refer it to the housing court when real evidence is needed, such as witness statements, an inspection or an expert assessment.
Which district court is competent depends on the address of the home. You can look it up under 'Find retskreds' on domstol.dk.
What to do
Gather the termination notice, your lease and all messages about the termination.
Get free advice from a legal aid office on how to bring the case before the court.
Not automatically. You only have to hand the home back in the condition you received it, apart from normal wear and tear, and the landlord must follow strict formal steps and deadlines to claim money for repairs.
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Deadline: Landlords normally have about two weeks after you move out to hold the inspection or make their claim. Missing it can cost them the claim.
Good to know
Landlords with more than one rental home must hold a move-in inspection and give you a move-in report. Without one, they can lose some or all of their claim.
A move-out inspection normally has to be held within two weeks, and you must be invited with at least one week's notice. The report must be given to you at the inspection (or sent electronically if you agreed to that).
The landlord must be able to show that the work was needed and that the prices are reasonable. You are not liable for defects that already existed when you moved in.
What to do
Compare the bill with your move-in report, contract and photos.
Check the dates: when you moved out, when the inspection was held, and when you received the report and the claim.
Don't sign a move-out report unless you agree with every item. Your signature normally confirms that you received the report, but it can still weaken your position if you later dispute an item, so write down any objections before you sign.
Object in writing, ask for an itemised breakdown, and if you can't agree, bring the case to the Huslejenævn.
Not automatically. Since 1 July 2015 a landlord cannot require a tenant to return a home newly renovated just because the tenancy ends. You only have to carry out maintenance that you were responsible for under the lease and that is actually needed, and you can never be made to leave the home in better condition than you received it.
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Note: Leases made before 1 July 2015 can still require the home to be returned newly renovated, so check the date of your contract.
Good to know
Interior maintenance means whitewashing, painting, wallpapering and floor treatment. Unless the lease says otherwise it is the landlord's job, and then you only have to repair damage you caused beyond normal wear and tear.
If you took over the interior maintenance in your lease, you must complete maintenance that should have been done during the tenancy, such as repainting where it is needed.
The need is assessed room by room and surface by surface. As a rule of thumb, a tenant who received a freshly painted home should expect to repaint after about five years of normal use, but it depends on the circumstances.
The landlord's claim can be reduced if it would leave the home in better condition than at move-in, and this cannot be waived by contract.
What to do
Read the maintenance section (section 8) of your lease to see who has the interior maintenance.
Compare each room with the move-in report and your photos.
Only repaint surfaces that really need it, and ask the landlord to state in writing what they require and where.
You pay for damage caused by misuse, neglect or carelessness, not for ordinary wear from normal living. If the landlord is responsible for interior maintenance, you only have to repair damage you caused beyond normal wear and tear. If you took over interior maintenance, ordinary wear can be your responsibility too.
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Note: You can never be required to return the home in better condition than at move-in.
Good to know
Misuse requires negligence or intent. The guidance gives examples such as dog scratches on window frames, burn marks on a worktop and gouges in a floor.
You are liable for damage you cause even to something the landlord normally maintains. A tenant who breaks a window, for example, must pay for it.
Where the tenant has the interior maintenance duty, wear such as picture shadows, screw holes, shoe marks on panels or chipped doors may have to be made good. Unusually many holes in the walls can count as misuse.
You are not liable for defects that were already there when you moved in, so compare with your move-in report.
What to do
Photograph every room and any damage before you hand back the keys.
Compare with the move-in report and your own list of defects.
If the bill includes ordinary wear, object in writing item by item.
At the inspection the landlord must hand you the report and you are asked to sign for receiving it. If you do not attend or refuse to sign, the landlord must send it within two weeks. Your signature also proves the claims were made in time, so read the report and note any disagreement before you sign.
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Deadline: If you do not attend or will not sign, the landlord must send the report within 2 weeks of the inspection.
Good to know
The report must state clearly which restoration work is demanded, what kind of work it is and where in the home. Saying only that the home is 'misligholdt' and must be fixed at your cost is not enough.
Costs that are not listed in the report generally cannot be charged to you, except for hidden defects or fraud.
The report can be sent by email only if you agreed to that beforehand, for example in the lease. The landlord cannot decide that alone.
A landlord who does not hold the inspection in time, invite you properly or hand over the report can lose the claim for restoration.
What to do
Go through the report item by item and compare with the move-in report and your photos.
Write your disagreements on the report or send them in writing right after, and ask for a copy.
If you did not attend or refused to sign, check that the report and the claim reach you within two weeks.
The landlord can hold the inspection without you if they invited you properly, in writing with at least one week's notice, and held it within two weeks after learning that you moved out. They must then send you the report within two weeks. You can still object afterwards.
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Deadline: The inspection must be held within 2 weeks after the landlord learns you moved out, with at least 1 week's written notice.
Good to know
The invitation must be in writing with at least a week's notice, although you can agree on shorter notice, for example when you have already left.
Give your new address at least 8 days before you move out. If the landlord cannot find you, they must make reasonable efforts, and their deadlines may be paused until they know or should know where you are.
If the landlord does not invite you properly, does not hold the inspection in time or does not hand over or send the report, the claim for restoration lapses.
You are not forced to attend, but if you stay away the landlord may inspect without you.
What to do
Reply to the invitation, and if you cannot make it, ask for a new date within the two-week window.
Send your new address to the landlord in writing.
Get the report and, if you disagree with any item, object in writing.
No. Landlords who rent out only one dwelling, or only single rooms, do not have to hold inspections or write reports. Instead they must make any claim for restoration within two weeks after you move out, although that deadline can be extended by agreement, so be careful what you sign.
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Deadline: A landlord without an inspection duty must make restoration claims within 2 weeks after you move out, unless extended by agreement.
Good to know
The duty to hold a move-in inspection applies to landlords who rent out more than one residential unit. The duty to hold a move-out inspection depends on how many units the landlord rents out at the time of the inspection.
Owners of a single flat, including owners of one condominium or co-op unit, and landlords of single rooms are not obliged to hold inspections or prepare reports.
Late claims are generally barred, except for hidden defects or fraud.
For landlords with an inspection duty the two-week rules cannot be extended by agreement, but for landlords without the duty they can.
What to do
Ask the landlord in writing how many homes they rent out.
Note the date you handed back the keys.
Do not sign an agreement that extends the claim period without getting advice.
If a claim arrives after two weeks without an agreement, object in writing.
Report defects to the landlord in writing within 14 days after the tenancy starts, even if there was a move-in inspection. If you complain in time and the defect is not fixed, you are not liable for it when you move out. The deadline does not apply to defects that ordinary care would not have revealed.
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Deadline: You must report defects within 14 days after the tenancy starts.
Good to know
A landlord who rents out more than one home must hold a move-in inspection and hand you the report at the inspection, or send it within two weeks if you were absent or did not sign for it.
Defects listed in the move-in report count as a complaint, but it is still wise to list them yourself.
Depending on the defect, your remedies include repair at the landlord's expense, compensation or, for significant defects, cancelling the lease.
Defects that existed at move-in do not make you liable at move-out.
What to do
Photograph and date everything on the first day.
Within 14 days send the landlord a written list of defects and keep proof that you sent it.
Keep the move-in report and your list for the move-out inspection.
Not necessarily. A landlord cannot make you pay for a better condition than you received, so when old building parts are replaced the claim can be reduced so the landlord does not gain. The costs must also be reasonable and customary, and the need is assessed room by room.
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Note: The reduction is decided case by case by the board or the court, so ask for itemised costs and object item by item.
Good to know
If you failed to maintain parts you were responsible for, the landlord may replace them, and you will often have to pay the cost.
Where replacement gives the landlord new parts instead of old ones, the claim can be reduced at the authority's discretion. If it is not reduced you could end up paying for a better condition than at move-in, which the law prohibits.
Parts left in better condition can offset parts left in worse condition, as long as the home as a whole is not better than at move-in.
The landlord does not have to price the work when making the claim, but the costs must be reasonable and customary.
What to do
Ask for an itemised invoice that shows what was replaced, why, and how old or worn the part was.
Compare with the move-in report and your photos.
Object in writing to items where the replaced part was old or where you were not responsible.
If you cannot agree, bring the case to the Huslejenævn.
Attach your full lease, proof of handing back the keys, the move-out report, the move-in report if your lease was signed after 1 July 2015, the invitation to the inspection, your list of defects and any photos. You should also show that you raised the complaint with the landlord first.
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Note: File with the board in the municipality where the home is. A case that needs witness evidence may be referred to the housing court.
Good to know
You should first try to solve the dispute directly with the landlord, and the board asks for proof that you did.
Describe briefly and in writing what the board should decide, name the items on the move-out settlement you are complaining about, and give the date you returned the keys.
Number the attachments and make a list if there are many. Photos should show the date and the room with a short text, and printouts of text messages need an explanation of why they matter.
If there are several tenants, all of them must file or the others must give you a power of attorney.
What to do
Gather the lease, key-return proof, reports, invitation, defect list, photos and the correspondence.
Write a short explanation of what the board should decide.
File in the municipality where the home is, using its form, Digital Post or a letter.
Check the dates first. The landlord must send the statement within four months after the consumption year ends, or within three months after getting the final bill from the supplier, otherwise they cannot demand extra payment. You have six weeks from receiving the statement to object in writing to the landlord or administrator.
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Deadline: You have six weeks from receiving the statement to object in writing.
Good to know
The statement must show your share of the total costs and information about your right to complain. If required information is missing, it is invalid and no extra payment can be demanded.
Object in writing and state which items you do not accept. Send it to the landlord or administrator, not to the Huslejenævn or the firm that prepared the statement.
If you miss the six weeks, the extra payment stands.
The landlord has a further six weeks to bring the case to the board. If they do not, the claim lapses, and you can bring it yourself if you objected in time.
A pending case does not entitle you to withhold payment.
What to do
Check when the consumption year ended and the date you received the statement.
Check that the statement shows your share and the information about your right to complain.
Object in writing within six weeks.
If the landlord has not brought the case within 12 weeks of your receipt, you may file it yourself.
Send a written demand with a 14-day deadline. If the landlord still doesn't pay, you can bring the case to the Huslejenævn (the rent tribunal) in the municipality where the home is.
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Deadline: Give the landlord at least 14 days in your written demand before you file a complaint.
Good to know
A landlord can ask for a deposit of up to three months' rent, and may only use it for costs you are liable for, such as damage beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent.
The law doesn't set one fixed date for repaying the deposit, but the landlord must settle within a reasonable time and respect the move-out deadlines for making claims.
If the landlord skipped required steps, for example the move-in report or the move-out inspection, you may be entitled to the full deposit back.
If repair costs exceed the deposit, the landlord can claim the difference, but only if the claim is valid.
What to do
Collect your lease, proof of payment, move-in and move-out reports, photos and any messages.
Send a written demand (påkrav) asking for repayment within 14 days, and say you will go to the Huslejenævn if it isn't paid.
File a written complaint with the Huslejenævn in the municipality where the home is, with your documents attached. A small filing fee applies.
If you disagree with the decision, it can be taken to the housing court (Boligretten). Check the deadline stated in the decision.
By law a landlord may ask for a deposit of up to three months' rent and prepaid rent of up to three months' rent, plus the rent itself paid in advance, normally monthly and never for more than three months at a time. Other payments outside the lease are not allowed.
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Note: Deposit and prepaid rent are each capped at three months' rent. Any other payment demanded outside the lease is not allowed.
Good to know
A deposit (depositum) is security for your obligations when you move out and can be at most three months' rent.
Prepaid rent (forudbetalt leje) can also be required, up to three months' rent, but not more than the rent for the period from your notice until the tenancy ends.
Ordinary rent can be demanded monthly in advance, and for a flat or a room never for more than three months at a time.
These limits cannot be set aside by agreement to your disadvantage, and the Huslejenævn decides disputes about the size of the deposit and prepaid rent.
What to do
Check section 4 of your lease for the deposit, prepaid rent and the first rent payment.
If an amount is higher than three months' rent, object in writing and ask for the excess back.
If the landlord refuses, bring the case to the Huslejenævn in the municipality where the home is.
A deposit is security the landlord holds for your obligations when you move out, and you get it back minus any valid claims. Prepaid rent is rent paid in advance that you can set off against the final part of the tenancy once you have given notice. Each is capped at three months' rent.
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Note: Prepaid rent is used up as rent in the last part of the tenancy, while the deposit is the amount you can get back after move-out.
Good to know
The deposit secures your obligations at move-out, so the landlord may only use it for costs you are actually liable for.
Prepaid rent covers the period from your notice until the tenancy ends, up to three months, and when you terminate you may set it off against the last rent.
Both can be adjusted when the rent changes: the landlord can require an increase in proportion to a rent increase and must repay proportionally if the rent is reduced.
In a sublease, the subtenant may give a bank guarantee or put money in a separate deposit account instead of paying a cash deposit.
The Huslejenævn decides disputes about deposits, prepaid rent and security.
What to do
Check section 4 of your lease to see which amounts you have paid as deposit and as prepaid rent.
When you give notice, work out how the prepaid rent covers the last months and ask the landlord to confirm it.
Keep your payment receipts until the final settlement is done.
No. A landlord, or anyone arranging or swapping the tenancy, may not accept or demand payment from a residential tenant, or make the lease depend on another deal outside the lease. Only the rent, deposit and prepaid rent set out in the lease are allowed. Unlawful payments can be reclaimed with interest.
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Note: Do not pay cash or 'fees' for a flat outside the lease, and ask for a receipt for every payment.
Good to know
The ban applies to the landlord and to anyone who arranges or exchanges the tenancy (§ 15 of the Tenancy Act).
There is an exception for payment for the transfer of a business, or for arranging such a transfer.
Amounts paid unlawfully can be claimed back with interest from the due date.
A breach is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to four months, and companies can also be held criminally liable.
What to do
Pay only what is in the written lease, such as rent, deposit and prepaid rent, and get a receipt for every payment.
If you have already paid something extra, keep proof and demand repayment in writing, with interest.
If the landlord refuses, get advice from a legal aid office on how to bring the claim.
Yes, to a limited extent. If the deposit settlement leaves an amount to be repaid to you, the landlord may hold back part of it for the final water and heating statements, according to Kolding Municipality's page at most 2,200 kr. for water and 3,100 kr. for heating.
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Deadline: You have six weeks from receiving a consumption statement to object in writing.
Good to know
The withholding applies only to an amount that would otherwise be repaid to you, and it is meant for the consumption statements.
Kolding Municipality's rent tribunal page states the caps as 2,200 kr. for the water statement and 3,100 kr. for the heating statement, so check the current amounts.
The landlord must send the annual statement within four months after the consumption year ends, or within three months after receiving the final bill from the supplier. Otherwise they cannot demand extra payment.
You have six weeks from receiving the statement to object in writing to the landlord or administrator.
The Huslejenævn can decide disputes about repayment of the deposit.
What to do
Ask the landlord in writing to explain the amount held back and when the statement is expected.
When the statement arrives, check the dates and your share of the costs.
Object in writing within six weeks if you do not accept it.
If the landlord keeps more than the caps or does not settle, bring the case to the Huslejenævn.
Not for an ordinary deposit. The municipal loan covers the resident deposit (beboerindskud) when you move into social housing built or taken into use from 1 April 1964, and the municipality must lend if your household income is below a set limit. It does not cover ordinary deposit or prepaid rent, except in special cases.
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Deadline: If the municipality refuses your application, you must complain to the municipality within 4 weeks.
Good to know
For 2026 the income limits for the compulsory loan are 302,677 kr. a year for a flat and 205,040 kr. for a single room, raised by 53,100 kr. for each of up to four children.
The loan covers the whole resident deposit and is paid directly to the housing association.
You normally pay no interest or instalments for the first five years. After that you repay it with interest over 10 years for a flat or 5 years for a single room.
In special cases, for example refugees within three years of getting a residence permit, a loan can also cover other housing, including private rentals, up to six months' rent.
The municipality can refuse if you have no need for the loan, if the rent exceeds half of the household income, or if you have not repaid an earlier loan.
What to do
Check that the home is social housing taken into use from 1 April 1964 and that it requires a resident deposit.
Apply in the municipality you are moving to, using the self-service form on borger.dk.
If the municipality refuses, complain to the municipality.
Your tenant rights, including a deposit and prepaid rent that together do not exceed half a year's rent, apply against a new owner without any registration. If you need to claim the deposit from the new owner, you must sue within one year after the tenancy ends.
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Deadline: To claim against a new owner, you must bring a court case within 1 year after your tenancy ends.
Good to know
Under § 17 of the Tenancy Act your rights as a tenant apply against anyone, without registration in the land register (tinglysning).
The same applies to prepaid rent, resident deposit and deposit when together they do not exceed half a year's rent.
The Ministry's lease guidance says the protection binds any new owner even without registration.
A tenant with agreed extra rights, for example a tenancy that cannot be terminated, can demand that they are registered.
What to do
Keep your lease and proof of every payment of deposit and prepaid rent.
When the property is sold, ask in writing who is now the landlord and who holds your deposit.
At move-out, claim the deposit from the right party and, if it is not paid, send a written demand.
In 2026 the filing fee for a tenant is 367 kr. at the Huslejenævn (172 kr. at the Beboerklagenævn), and it is not refunded even if you win. If you win fully, the landlord pays the board a larger fee. Processing times vary by municipality, from about three months to eight to ten months in Copenhagen.
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Note: The fee is not refunded even if you win. The amounts here are the 2026 figures and are adjusted every year.
Good to know
The 2026 fee of 367 kr. is paid when you file, and Aarhus and Vejle both state that it is not refunded even if you win fully or partly.
The landlord pays 7,027 kr. to the board only if the tenant wins fully, not if the tenant wins only partly or the case is settled.
Aarhus states an average processing time of about three months, Aalborg typically four to six months, Vejle three to five months, and Copenhagen typically eight to ten months.
The case is handled in writing, and the board can inspect the home with at least one week's notice.
Fees are adjusted every year, so check the figures for the year you file.
What to do
Try first to settle with the landlord and keep proof that you raised the issue.
Submit your complaint in writing through the municipality's self-service form, Digital Post or letter, with your lease and documents attached.
Pay the fee, which you pay electronically when you use the form.
You can take a Huslejenævn decision to the housing court (boligretten) within four weeks of receiving it. In Copenhagen you first appeal to the Appeals Board within four weeks. According to Aalborg Municipality you can also go directly to the court if the case is not decided within four weeks after the reply deadline has expired.
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Deadline: You have 4 weeks from receiving the decision to take it further.
Good to know
The four weeks run from when you receive the decision, and the appeal information is at the bottom of the decision.
In Copenhagen, decisions of the Huslejenævn are appealed to the Appeals Board within four weeks, and its decisions can be taken to the housing court within four weeks. Decisions of the Beboerklagenævn go directly to the housing court.
Which court is competent depends on the address of the home. You can look it up under 'Find retskreds' on domstol.dk.
The board can dismiss a case and refer it to the housing court if real evidence is needed, such as witness statements, an inspection or an expert assessment.
If you do nothing within the deadline, the decision as a rule becomes final.
What to do
Read the appeal information in the decision and note the date you received it.
Get free advice from a legal aid office on whether to appeal.
In Copenhagen appeal to the Appeals Board, and elsewhere bring the case to the housing court.
Yes. When a rent increase takes effect, the landlord may require the deposit and prepaid rent to be adjusted in proportion, and can collect the extra in equal monthly amounts. If your rent is reduced, the landlord must repay the deposit and prepaid rent proportionally from the date of the reduction.
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Note: A deposit adjustment is a mandatory payment, so do not ignore a reminder. Object in writing if you think it is wrong.
Good to know
The adjustment follows the rent: a deposit of a certain number of months' rent stays the same number of months at the new rent.
The same applies if you gave a bank guarantee or paid into a deposit account instead of a cash deposit.
The adjustment counts as a mandatory payment (pligtig pengeydelse), so if you do not pay it after a reminder, your tenancy can be put at risk.
Rent statements should show the rent, the prepaid rent adjustment and the deposit adjustment separately.
What to do
First check that the rent increase itself is valid and whether you can still object to it.
Ask the landlord for a written calculation that shows the deposit adjustment separately.
Pay or object in time, and keep proof of what you have paid.
Yes. A rent increase must be in writing, explain the reason, show how it is calculated and tell you how to object. In many cases you have to object in writing within six weeks.
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Deadline: Often six weeks from receiving the letter to object in writing. Check your letter.
Good to know
Increases based on improvements and similar grounds can usually take effect with three months' notice.
If you don't approve and object in time, the landlord must bring the case to the Huslejenævn to keep the increase.
You can also complain to the Huslejenævn if you think your rent is unreasonably high.
The deadline and rules depend on the type of increase, so read the letter carefully. It must tell you how to object.
What to do
Check the letter: the reason, the calculation, the date it takes effect and the information about your right to object.
Object in writing before the deadline and keep proof of when you sent it.
Ask for documentation of the costs or the comparison used to justify the increase.
If the landlord doesn't back down, wait for the Huslejenævn case, or file your own complaint if you think the rent is too high.
Normally no. Most rent increases must be demanded in writing and take effect with three months' notice. The main exception is higher property tax or public charges, where the increase can be backdated if the landlord demands it within five months. Higher heating or water advance payments (aconto) need six weeks' notice.
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Deadline: To object, do it in writing within six weeks of the demand reaching you. This is the usual time limit for these types of increase.
Good to know
An increase because the rent is well below the rental value of similar homes can take effect with three months' notice.
For higher property tax and certain public charges, such as water, electricity, waste and chimney sweeping, the landlord can demand the increase from the date the cost was imposed on the building, but only if the demand is made within five months.
In buildings with cost-based rent, an increase takes effect from the first day of the month that falls three months after the landlord makes the demand.
A demand that does not contain the information the law requires, such as the amount and your right to object, is invalid.
What to do
Note the date the letter reached you and compare it with the date the increase is supposed to start.
Check that the letter is in writing and states the amount, the reason or calculation and how to object.
If the notice is too short or information is missing, object in writing and ask the landlord to withdraw or correct the demand.
Yes, in some cases. If your rent is substantially below the rental value, the landlord can demand an increase to that level, based on comparable rents in the area. It must be in writing, give three months' notice and cannot take effect earlier than two years after the tenancy began or the last such increase.
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Deadline: Six weeks from receiving the demand to object in writing. The landlord then has six weeks to bring the case to the huslejenævn.
Good to know
The test is whether the rent is substantially lower than the rental value (det lejedes værdi), which is assessed by comparison with the rents generally charged in the neighbourhood or area.
An increase of this kind can take effect no earlier than two years after the tenancy began, or two years after the last increase of this kind took effect.
The demand must be in writing and state the amount and your right to object. A demand without this information is invalid.
If you object in writing within six weeks, the landlord must bring the case to the huslejenævn within six weeks after your deadline in order to keep the increase.
These rules do not fit every home. Which rent rules apply depends on the building and the type of tenancy, for example whether the rent is cost-based or value-based.
What to do
Check that the letter is in writing and says how much, why and how to object.
Find out what comparable homes in your area rent for and collect documents showing that your rent is already in line.
Object in writing within six weeks of receiving the letter and keep proof of when you sent it.
If the landlord brings the case, send your comparison material to the huslejenævn.
Only if it is allowed. The law lets landlord and tenant agree that the rent is adjusted once a year in line with Statistics Denmark's net price index, and the landlord then raises it by written notice. In buildings with cost-based rent, the landlord can also choose index adjustment for periods of two years at a time.
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Note: Whether index adjustment is allowed depends on your lease and on how your rent is regulated, so read the clause and the notice carefully before you accept a higher amount.
Good to know
An agreed index adjustment can be carried out by the landlord's written notice alone, so look in your lease for the clause that allows it.
The agreement can only provide for adjustment once a year.
In buildings with cost-based rent (omkostningsbestemt leje), the landlord can instead decide to adjust the rent annually by the net price index for two years at a time. The landlord is bound by that choice for the two years, the notice must be in writing, and the increase takes effect from the first day of the month three months after the demand.
According to the City of Copenhagen's guidance, in tenancies with free rent setting, leases signed after 1 July 2015 must tie any adjustment to the net price index, and fixed step-rent clauses are not allowed.
What to do
Find the clause on rent adjustment in your lease.
Check that the landlord's notice is in writing, and ask how the new amount was calculated.
If your lease has no such clause or the calculation is wrong, object in writing, and bring the case to the huslejenævn if the landlord does not back down.
Yes. If property taxes or certain public charges on the building rise, the landlord can demand a rent increase to cover the extra cost, even if the lease is non-terminable. The demand must be in writing, include a calculation and tell you how to object, otherwise it is invalid. If the taxes later fall, the rent must go down.
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Deadline: Six weeks from the demand reaching you to object in writing.
Good to know
The rule also covers new or higher public charges for water, electricity, waste, toilets and chimney sweeping, and new road or sewer contributions to the public authorities.
The increase can take effect with three months' notice, and it can be backdated to when the cost was imposed on the building if the demand is made within five months.
The demand must be in writing, contain a calculation and state your right to object. If any of this is missing, the demand is invalid.
You have six weeks from the demand reaching you to object in writing. If the landlord wants to keep the increase, it must then bring the case to the huslejenævn within six weeks after your deadline.
If the taxes or charges are later reduced or removed, the landlord must lower the rent accordingly, unless the saving is offset by new or higher costs.
What to do
Compare the landlord's calculation with the actual tax or charge notice for the building.
Ask the landlord for a copy of the notice or invoice that the increase is based on.
Object in writing within six weeks if the calculation is wrong or the letter lacks the required information.
If your rent is substantially higher than the home's rental value, you can demand a reduction and a refund of what you overpaid. If the landlord refuses, file a written complaint with the huslejenævn (367 kr. in 2026). Make the demand within one year of when the rent, or the increased rent, first fell due.
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Deadline: Make the demand for a reduction within one year of the date the rent, or the increased rent, first had to be paid.
Good to know
This rule applies to homes where the rent is regulated by the rental value (det lejedes værdi). The comparison is made with the rents generally charged for similar homes in the area, and other rent types, such as cost-based rent, follow other rules.
If the rent is reduced, you can demand that the overpaid amount is repaid to you.
The time limit is one year from when the rent, or the increased rent, first had to be paid, so do not wait.
The fee for a tenant at the huslejenævn is 367 kr. in 2026 and is not refunded. If you win completely, the landlord pays the nævn a fee of 7,027 kr.
In social housing (almene boliger) the beboerklagenævn does not decide the size of the rent. If you think the rent is too high, you can complain to the municipality, which supervises the rules.
What to do
Collect your lease, proof of the rent you have paid and any earlier rent notices.
Write to the landlord, explain why you think the rent is too high and ask for a lower rent.
If the landlord refuses, file a written complaint with the huslejenævn in the municipality where the home is, with your documents attached, and pay the fee.
If you disagree with the decision, you can bring it before the boligret within four weeks.
Possibly part of it. If you objected in time and the landlord took the case to the huslejenævn, the landlord may collect the announced increase as a provisional increase until the decision, but only up to 15 kr. per square metre of gross floor area per year. The final rent follows the nævn's decision.
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Note: The provisional increase is not the final word: the rent is settled by the huslejenævn's decision.
Good to know
A provisional increase only becomes relevant after you have objected and the landlord has brought the case to the huslejenævn.
The cap is 15 kr. per square metre of gross floor area per year. As an illustration, for 80 square metres that is at most 1,200 kr. a year, or 100 kr. a month.
The huslejenævn can set the increase aside in whole or in part if the conditions for it are not met.
Processing times differ between municipalities, from about three months in Aarhus to eight to ten months in Copenhagen, so a provisional increase can run for a long time.
What to do
Object in writing before the deadline and keep proof of when you sent it.
Check whether the landlord has actually brought the case to the huslejenævn, and when.
Check that the provisional amount the landlord charges does not exceed the cap.
Sometimes. After a major improvement (gennemgribende forbedring), the landlord may set the rent in a new lease up to the home's rental value instead of cost-based rent. But the huslejenævn must inspect the home before the work starts, and the cost, timing and other conditions in the law must be met.
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Note: The landlord must ask the huslejenævn to inspect before starting any work, including demolition. Without it the higher cap cannot be used.
Good to know
The higher cap applies when the lease is entered into, so it concerns the rent agreed with the person who moves into the renovated home. The ceiling is the rental value (det lejedes værdi), assessed against similar homes.
The improvement cost must exceed 2,280 kr. per square metre or a total of 260,738 kr. (2021 level, adjusted every year), and the work must be completed within a period of two years.
Before the work, the huslejenævn must inspect the home and confirm that its condition allows a substantial increase in value. The decision is valid for three years, and the landlord pays a fee of 4,685 kr. in 2026.
Further conditions apply, including that at least five years have passed since the last change of control of the property, and energy-rating requirements.
If you think the rent is higher than the rules allow, you can ask the huslejenævn to assess it.
What to do
Ask the landlord for documentation of the improvement costs and for the huslejenævn's pre-inspection decision.
Compare the rent with similar homes in the area.
If the documentation is missing or the rent seems too high, file a written complaint with the huslejenævn where the home is.
No. Free rent can only be agreed for certain homes, for example in a building first taken into use after 31 December 1991, and the rent can then be set by agreement. You can still ask the huslejenævn to assess whether the rent is unreasonable under section 36 of the Contracts Act (aftaleloven).
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Note: Challenging freely agreed rent is harder than for regulated rent: the test is whether the rent is unreasonable, so collect solid documentation.
Good to know
Free rent setting can apply if the building was first taken into use after 31 December 1991, if the home was used only for commercial purposes on 31 December 1991, or if it is a newly fitted attic space that was not used for housing on 1 September 2002.
For converted commercial space and new attic dwellings, the lease must state that the tenancy is covered by the free rent rules.
The huslejenævn decides disputes about such leases, but the grounds for reducing rent are narrow: the rent must be unreasonable under section 36 of the Contracts Act.
According to the City of Copenhagen, leases signed after 1 July 2015 must tie rent adjustments to the net price index, and fixed step-rent clauses are not allowed.
The free rent rules cannot be set aside by agreement to the tenant's disadvantage.
What to do
Check when the building was first taken into use and whether your lease says that free rent has been agreed.
Compare your rent and any yearly increases with the adjustment clause in your lease.
If you think the rent or an increase is unreasonable, file a written complaint with the huslejenævn where the home is, with your lease attached.
Yes, with at least six weeks' notice before a payment date, but only for costs that are not already included in your rent. The yearly total may not exceed the cost the landlord expects for the accounting period. Disputes about the size of the aconto amount are decided by the huslejenævn.
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Deadline: The landlord must give at least six weeks' notice before a payment date for an aconto increase to apply.
Good to know
The landlord can require aconto payments, or raise existing ones, with six weeks' notice to a payment date.
The aconto is paid in equal amounts together with the rent, and the total for a year may not exceed the expense expected for the accounting period.
After the accounting year, the landlord must settle the actual costs in a statement. As a general rule it must reach you within four months after the year ends. If it is late, the landlord loses the right to demand a top-up payment.
If you have paid too much aconto, the overpayment must be refunded or deducted from the first rent payment after the statement reaches you.
The huslejenævn handles disputes about increases in aconto payments and about the annual statements.
What to do
Check that the notice reaches you at least six weeks before the payment date it applies to.
Ask the landlord what the new aconto is based on, for example last year's actual consumption.
If you disagree, write to the landlord and, if needed, file a complaint with the huslejenævn where the home is.
Start by writing to the landlord with your complaint and a deadline. If that fails, the Huslejenævn in your municipality can decide many tenant–landlord disputes, and its decisions can be appealed to the courts.
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Deadline: If you appeal a decision, follow the deadline stated in it. If you miss it, the matter is normally closed.
Good to know
Every municipality has a Huslejenævn (and a residents' complaints board, beboerklagenævn, for social housing). You apply to the one where the home is located.
The complaint must be in writing, with documents such as your lease, letters and photos. The landlord normally gets about two weeks to respond.
The board can inspect the home, with at least a week's notice.
Some matters, such as evictions, are decided by the courts instead. A legal aid office can tell you which route fits your case.
What to do
Write down what happened, with dates, and save all messages, photos and payments.
Send a written complaint to the landlord and set a reasonable deadline.
If nothing changes, file a written complaint with the Huslejenævn where the home is located.
Get free advice from a legal aid office before the hearing if the amount or the stakes are high.
It depends on the cause. If the mould comes only from how the home is used, such as poor ventilation or drying laundry indoors, you must remove it. If it is not caused by improper use, for example a building defect or poor maintenance, the landlord is responsible. Tell the landlord in writing and ask for an investigation.
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Note: A mould diagnosis needs a technical assessment. The huslejenævn cannot make one, so ask the landlord to investigate or contact your municipality's building department.
Good to know
As a starting point, the landlord is responsible for the property not being a health hazard. The landlord must investigate the problem, how far it extends and the cause, and remove the mould and its cause if it stems from poor maintenance, a building-law breach or a defect (ministry guidance, 2008).
If the mould results only from improper use, such as too little ventilation or heating, or laundry dried indoors, the tenant must remove it and change habits.
The huslejenævn can decide disputes about the landlord's duty to maintain and can order repairs of maintenance defects. It cannot order improvements, award compensation, decide whether something is mould or what caused it, or take measurements.
If you suspect a health hazard and the landlord does not solve the problem, you can report it to your municipality's building department. Aalborg Municipality, for example, has a self-service form for this.
Claims for repair at the landlord's cost, a proportional rent reduction, compensation or the right to terminate the lease are matters for the housing court (boligret).
What to do
Air out and heat the home properly and keep notes and photos of the damp and mould, with dates.
Notify the landlord in writing and ask for an investigation of the cause.
If you disagree about the cause or who must act, file a complaint with the huslejenævn about the maintenance, and contact your municipality if there is a health risk.
For rent reduction or compensation, get advice and consider the housing court.
Start by telling your neighbour that the noise bothers you. If that does not help, complain to your landlord in a private rental, or to the municipality's beboerklagenævn in social housing. The landlord must ensure good order and can terminate a neighbour who ignores complaints and demands. In acute cases, call the police.
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Note: A complaint should concern breaches of the house rules, not just irritation. Odense Municipality, for example, requires complaints to be written, and to concern the house rules (husordenen).
Good to know
In a private rental, the landlord must see to it that there is a good atmosphere in the building. If the neighbour ignores your complaint and the landlord's demands for proper behaviour, the landlord can terminate the neighbour's lease.
In social housing (almene boliger), the municipality's beboerklagenævn settles disputes between residents.
If the neighbour owns the home, contact the homeowners' association, condominium association or cooperative housing association, depending on the type of property.
Noise from specific sources such as heat pumps, lawn mowers, chainsaws or roosters is a matter for the municipality, which can explain the rules. If the noise is acute and friendly requests do not work, you can contact the police.
What to do
Talk to your neighbour and explain calmly that the noise bothers you.
If it continues, send a written complaint to your landlord, housing association or administrator with dates and times.
If nothing changes in social housing, bring the case to the beboerklagenævn; for specific noise sources, contact your municipality.
If you are accused of breaching the house rules or good order, only your landlord can bring the case to the huslejenævn. The nævn then handles the dispute and normally involves a meeting with the parties. It cannot decide whether a lease is terminated; that is for the housing court (boligretten).
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Note: Whether a tenancy can be ended over a house-rule breach is decided by the courts, not the huslejenævn. Get advice as soon as you receive a termination notice.
Good to know
Neighbours complain to the landlord. Only the landlord can bring a house-rule case to the huslejenævn, so the parties are always the landlord and the tenant being complained about.
The landlord must ensure a good atmosphere in the building and, if a tenant ignores both complaints and demands for proper behaviour, can terminate that tenant's lease.
In a house-rule case, the nævn holds a meeting with the parties. The tenants who complained can also be summoned, and a person with expertise in social conditions takes part.
A party who cannot handle the case alone may be assisted by someone or have someone act on their behalf.
Termination or cancellation of a lease is not decided by the huslejenævn. Those disputes go to the housing court (boligretten).
What to do
Ask the landlord for the complaint in writing, with dates and specific incidents.
Reply in writing and, where you disagree, explain why. Collect evidence or names of people who can support your account.
If a meeting is arranged by the huslejenævn, prepare to explain your side and consider bringing someone to assist you.
Get advice from a lawyer or the legal aid service (Retshjælpen) if the landlord talks about terminating your lease.
Put the problem in writing and give a reasonable deadline. If nothing happens, the huslejenævn can decide disputes about the landlord's maintenance duty. If the landlord then ignores the decision, tell the nævn, which can report the landlord to Grundejernes Investeringsfond (GI). Rent reductions and compensation are for the housing court.
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Note: The huslejenævn can rule on maintenance duties, but payment claims and rent reductions go to the housing court (boligret).
Good to know
The huslejenævn handles disputes about maintenance obligations of both landlords and tenants.
Check the home as soon as you move in, and no later than 14 days afterwards, and report defects to the landlord through the move-in report. Otherwise you risk paying for damage that was already there.
Who pays for what can depend on the lease. Odense Municipality, for example, says the landlord normally pays to replace a sealed double-glazing unit that has lost its insulating effect, but the lease can say otherwise.
Once the nævn has decided, it is no longer involved. If the landlord does not comply by the deadline in the decision, tell the nævn, which can report the landlord to GI.
The nævn cannot collect money owed to you. Proportional rent reductions are a matter for the housing court (boligret), and for money claims you can contact legal aid or a lawyer.
What to do
List the defects with photos and dates, and check your lease and move-in report.
Send the landlord a written demand to repair, with a reasonable deadline.
If nothing happens, file a written complaint with the huslejenævn where the home is (367 kr. in 2026 in the standard case).
If the landlord ignores the decision, notify the nævn so it can report the landlord to GI.
Possibly, but the huslejenævn does not decide it. A proportional rent reduction (forholdsmæssigt afslag) for defects is a matter for the housing court (boligretten), which you can also go to if the nævn lacks jurisdiction. Document the defects and notify the landlord in writing before you take any other step.
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Note: Going to court carries a cost risk, because the losing party usually pays the other side's costs, including lawyer fees.
Good to know
The huslejenævn cannot decide a proportional rent reduction for defects, or retroactive reductions and general compensation. These questions are for the housing court.
The boligret handles disputes about rent, deposits, defects, termination of leases and disputes after a lease ends. You can go straight to court if the board lacks jurisdiction or the case is complicated.
You file through the court portal minretssag.dk, at the byret where the property is located, and choose that it is a housing case.
There is no fixed filing fee. You pay court fees (retsafgift) and lawyer fees, and the losing party usually pays all costs, including the winner's lawyer fees.
A judge decides most cases. If a party requests it or the court decides, two lay judges with housing expertise sit with the judge, one from a landlord list and one from a tenant list.
What to do
Document the defects with photos, dates and any measurements, and keep all messages with the landlord.
Notify the landlord in writing, ask for repair by a reasonable deadline and say that you will claim a reduction.
Get advice on your chances and the cost risk, for example from legal aid or a lawyer.
If the matter is not settled, file the case in the housing court through minretssag.dk.
In 2026 a tenant pays 367 kr. to bring a case to the huslejenævn (172 kr. at a beboerklagenævn in social housing). Processing time varies by municipality, from about three months in Aarhus to eight to ten months in Copenhagen. A landlord who loses the case completely pays a 7,027 kr. fee.
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Note: The fees in this answer are the 2026 amounts and change every 1 January. Check your municipality's page for the current figure and processing time.
Good to know
The fee is not refunded, even if you win fully or partly. Fees are adjusted every 1 January.
You pay when you file, for example electronically with the submission form, or with the case number the nævn gives you in its first letter.
Aarhus Municipality states an average of about three months. Aalborg states typically four to six months at the huslejenævn and one to six months at the beboerklagenævn. Copenhagen states typically eight to ten months, and longer cases are not unusual.
After the case is received, the landlord normally has about two weeks to respond. If the nævn inspects the home, both parties get at least one week's notice.
In Aalborg, if no decision has been made within four weeks after the response deadline, you may go to the housing court without waiting.
What to do
Try first to settle with your landlord, and keep proof that you complained to them.
Gather the lease, correspondence, photos and any move-out report.
File in the municipality where the home is, and pay the fee.
Take it to the housing court (boligretten) at the district court (byret) where the property is. The huslejenævn cannot handle termination of leases, subletting or exchange, proportional rent reduction or payment claims, and it can refer cases that need witnesses, inspections or expert assessment. You file through minretssag.dk.
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Note: Court is more expensive than the nævn and carries a risk of paying the other side's costs, so get advice before you file.
Good to know
The huslejenævn cannot decide termination or cancellation of a lease, subletting, exchange or continuation of a lease, proportional rent reduction for defects, payment claims or general compensation. The City of Copenhagen also lists disturbance from building work and complaints about other tenants.
If formal evidence is needed, such as witness hearings, inspections or expert assessments, the nævn can dismiss the case and refer the parties to the housing court.
You can go to court if you disagree with the board's decision, the board lacks jurisdiction, both parties agree to skip the board, or the board rejected the case.
You file through minretssag.dk at the byret where the property is located and choose a housing case. You pay court fees and lawyer fees, and the losing party usually pays all costs.
What to do
Read the nævn's reason for not taking the case.
Gather evidence and the names of any witnesses.
Get advice about cost and chances before filing.
File the case through minretssag.dk at the byret where the property is.
Yes. Object in writing to the landlord within six weeks of receiving the statement and say which items you do not accept. If you do not object in time, the amount is binding. If the statement was late or lacks the required content, the landlord cannot demand the extra payment.
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Deadline: You have six weeks from receiving the statement to object in writing. If you do not, the amount owed is binding.
Good to know
As a rule, the statement must reach you within four months after the accounting year ends. If the landlord gets a final settlement from a collective supplier later, it can be three months after that.
The statement must show your share of the costs and tell you about your right to complain. If it is late or lacks required content, the landlord cannot demand an additional payment.
Send your objection to the landlord or administrator, not to the huslejenævn or the firm that prepared the statement. The landlord then has six more weeks, twelve in total, to bring the case to the huslejenævn, otherwise it loses the right to the extra payment.
A pending case does not allow you to withhold payment. If you do not pay a demanded top-up, it can lead to termination of the lease, because it is a mandatory payment.
A top-up is due with the first rent payment at least one month after the statement reaches you. If it exceeds three months' rent, you may pay it in three equal monthly instalments.
What to do
Check the date the statement reached you and whether it was sent on time.
Ask for the underlying documents if the figures are unclear.
Object in writing within six weeks, listing the points you do not accept.
If the landlord brings the case, respond to the huslejenævn's request for information.
Municipalities point to the legal aid service (Retshjælpen), which they describe as free. The huslejenævn and beboerklagenævn are neutral and do not advise or represent either side. Other options are a lawyer, a tenant organisation, or the legal expenses cover that many home insurance policies include.
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Note: The boards cannot advise you, help with an appeal or collect money for you, so get advice before you file.
Good to know
The boards can explain which cases can be brought and the procedure, but they cannot give legal advice to either party.
Odense Municipality states that Retshjælpen is free of charge. The nævn cannot collect money you are owed, so for that contact legal aid, a lawyer or a tenant organisation.
Tenant organisations can help, but you are expected to become a member to receive help.
Many home or family insurance policies include legal expenses cover, often with a deductible. It typically excludes criminal cases and cases against public authorities, so check whether yours covers a housing dispute.
The nævn cannot help with an appeal either. For that, contact the court, a lawyer or legal aid.
What to do
Write a short timeline of what happened and gather your lease, messages and photos.
Contact your local legal aid service and book advice.
Check your home insurance for legal expenses cover.
Then decide whether to file a complaint with the huslejenævn or the beboerklagenævn.
These answers explain general rules in Denmark and may not fit every case. Rules, amounts and deadlines change and depend on your situation and contract. For advice on your own case, contact a legal aid office, a lawyer or your union.
Every answer is based on official Danish sources such as borger.dk, retsinformation.dk, the Danish Courts and the relevant authorities, and links to them. We do not give legal advice.
