Expat

All people moving to Denmark are required to register with the Civil Registration System, if they are to stay more than 3 months (different rules apply for EU, Nordic and Swiss citizens).

Upon registering with the Civil Registration System you will be issued a CPR number which gives access to a range of services in Denmark. You must register within 5 days of your arrival.

Some diplomats or expats may not need to register.

Contact the International Citizen Service if you wish information or assistance with the following:

• Issuing a CPR number

• Registering your postal address in the National Register

• Assigning a doctor 

• General information on how to fill in the tax form 

• General guidance on the Certificate of Registration for EU citizens
 

It’s important to register with your municipality as soon as possible in order to have access to medical services, language courses and other services.

All people moving to Denmark must register with the National Register in their municipality within 5 days after move-in. Every person in the household must be registered. Some immigrants or expats may not need to register.

Most expats are not allowed to buy property in Denmark.
In order to lease a property, you need a CPR number and need to register with the National Register prior to, or just after, move-in. There may be exceptions.

There is a residence requirement for all properties (except vacation houses) in which there have been one or more persons previously registered as residents. This system is to ensure that there will always be someone registered at the address.

To register at a property in Denmark, you must be a resident of Denmark by having acquired a CPR number and being registered at the National Register. 
In Denmark, you can only be registered as a resident with one property at a time.
There are very few properties that don’t require a resident requirement. They are typically newly built properties, with no previous residents registered, or properties in the few Danish municipalities that don’t have residence requirements.

Once a tenant has registered at such a property, all tenants thereafter need to register as well. Therefore, these types of properties are only leased out to people who are exempt from the mandatory property registration requirement. Two common examples of those who are exempt are diplomats and those who are already registered for a different property.

Properties in municipalities which do not have residence requirements, do allow individuals to move in and register if necessary.
Customers who rent these properties and do not register will still have to be stated in our contracts.

Many of our properties are managed by Housing Denmark. This means that all contact between the tenant and the landlord goes through Housing Denmark Services. This allows both the tenant and landlord to call us in case of emergency.

Some tenant requests may have to be approved by the landlord, which will take a little longer to process.

Managed leases come with extra services such as a free move-in and move-out report to ensure the rights and duties of both the tenant and the landlord. Also, in managed leases, minor repairs that fall under the landlord’s responsibility will be initiated automatically.

However, more extensive repairs will require the landlord’s approval. 
We believe that this service protects and ensures the rights of both the tenant and the landlord. Should problems arise, we have the needed experience and knowledge to provide legal advice and take the appropriate action.

In accordance with the Danish Rent Act, it’s your right to have a tenancy agreement stating the conditions agreed by you and your landlord. Among other things, the tenancy agreement must state how much notice you have to give when terminating the lease.

Furthermore, it must state in what condition the apartment must be in when handed back to the landlord.

When renting a property through Housing Denmark, an accurate tenancy agreement is provided to ensure the rights of all parties.

* Please note that the Danish contract will take precedence in a Danish court of law.

You should expect to pay a deposit or lease premium before the first month's rent. The size of the deposit or premium is decided by the landlord. Normally, the deposit will be equivalent to 3 months of rent and you will have to pay the first month of rent up front.

When the rental contract has come to an end, then the owner will, under normal circumstances, repay the deposit within a few weeks after moving out, as the owner has a 2 week objection period.

If there is no possibility of an immediate reading of the heating meters, then the owner will hold back a smaller amount of the deposit for later payment of additional heating bills. This is done, as the supply companies only supply information about the actual yearly consumption once a year. When landlord receives these data, we will offset this bill against the remaining deposit, and then pay the balance back to the tenant.

Note that if the property is not handed back to the owner in the correct condition, and the lease needs to be refurbished by the owner, under the responsibilities of the tenant, the owner has the right to use the deposit to cover his costs and may therefore hold the deposit for a longer time. It is therefore recommended that you as a tenant ensure that the property is in the correct condition upon move-out.

The rent stated on our website is the actual rent. Consumption costs for water, heat, electricity and sometimes TV and Internet are in addition to the monthly rent. Our housing agents can give the approximate monthly consumption costs per specific property.

The tenancy agreement, will state the maximum number of tenants that can occupy an apartment. If there is one tenant per room, the landlord can turn down the offer.

Furthermore, more than 2 people per room is not allowed per the restrictions of Danish Law.

In Housing Denmark, we offer to make a move-in report for you when you move in to the property. This report protects both the landlord and tenant, documenting the condition of the property at the time of the hand-over. This ensures that the tenant, or landlord, will not have to pay for damage they did not cause.If you discover flaws and faults not stated in the move-in report, you have 14 days to notify the landlord or Housing Denmark of your findings.

*This service is available to all, not just tenants or landlords of ours.

Permission for pets and animals is the decision of the landlord or the housing association. It’s best to call our agents to inquire about the possibility of house pets of specific properties.

The landlord decides whether or not smoking is allowed. Hence, it varies greatly. Please call our housing agents to inquire about the specific properties that interest you.

Some of our properties are let out fully furnished. These are turn-key, meaning that all the tenants need to bring are their personal items. 
It is the tenant’s responsibility to maintain the furniture and hand it over in the same condition in which received, apart from normal wear and tear.

Furthermore, Housing Denmark offers customized lease furniture packages. The packages include furniture, delivery and set up of all furniture in the apartment. This is a convenient option for many with a short term lease. Oftentimes, it can be tedious to buy furniture for a full house or apartment, only to have to sell it a couple of years later. 

Additionally, we also offer assistance with buying and assembling other furniture, putting up paintings or curtains, electronics, etc.

*These service is available to all, not just tenants or landlords of ours. Please visit housingdenmarkservices.com for more information. 

The landlord has the responsibility of paying for repairs that are not due to normal 
maintenance. For example, the landlord will have to pay for repairing the drains and the radiator if the problem does not fall under normal maintenance, such as airing the radiators before winter or clogged drains. Airing the radiators before winter and clearing clogged drains are the tenant’s responsibility. 
You can call Housing Denmark in case of emergency with questions or repair requests of all sorts. If the property is managed by Housing Denmark and the problem is minor and covered by the responsibilities of the landlord, we order a craftsman to look at the problem as soon as possible. If the repair costs are high, we will need to inform the landlord prior to sending out a craftsman. If the problem is the tenant responsibility we send out a craftsman as soon as possible.

After hours and weekend calls, may incur an additional evening/weekend fee. This fee may be the tenant’s responsibility depending on the urgency of the problem, even if the repair falls under the landlord’s responsibility.
You are always welcome to call us and enquire if you have doubts. 
A tenant is not allowed to make any changes to the property without first receiving the approval of the landlord.

Note that some installations e.g. electricity, heating and water repairs may only be carried out by authorized tradesmen. If you do not comply with regulations, your insurance will not cover you in the event of an accident caused by these installations.

If you rent a villa or an apartment there will often be a fixed lease period as described in the tenancy agreement. In most cases, a fixed-term lease agreement cannot be terminated, either by the tenant or landlord.

A fixed term tenancy can only be terminated at the date set in the lease contract. However, a termination of tenancy may be possible upon agreement of both parties.

The tenancy agreement we offer at Housing Denmark normally has a fixed period of nine months, followed by a 3 month notice period for terminating the contract. 
Some properties do not require a fixed period and can be terminated with 3 months notice.

Additionally, diplomats are offered a diplomatic clause contract, which is by Danish law, a clause in the contract stating a termination of the lease at any given time with three months notice IF the tenant gets relocated to another country. Otherwise, the contract is binding for the full lease period.

You must pay rent until the notice period or the lease expires. If you vacate the apartment before the notice period has expired, you are still responsible for the rent until the end of the lease term.

If a fixed lease period is not stated, a tenant may terminate the lease in writing or orally. However, we recommend that a lease termination is stated in writing in order to document the exact date of the termination. 

When moving out of a rented property, access must be given to the landlord to inspect the apartment. Also, the tenant must provide his or hers new address (or a contact address) no later than 8 days before the move-out.

Also, it’s necessary to be moved out of the property no later than 12.00 on the departure date.

If a tenant breaches the conditions of the lease or contract, the landlord may terminate the tenancy agreement.

The lease may be revoked if:

• The tenant has not paid the rent.
• The tenant bothers the neighbors with noise, threats or the like.
• The tenant sublets the apartment.

If the lease is terminated due to tenant violation of the contract or conditions, the tenant

has to vacate the apartment immediately. The tenant must pay rent until the apartment is let out again, up to a maximum of 3 months.

When the rental contract has come to an end, then the owner will, under normal circumstances, repay the deposit within 6-8 weeks after moving out, as the owner has a few week objection period.

If there is no possibility of an immediate reading of the heating meters, then the owner will hold back a smaller amount of the deposit for later payment of additional heating bills. This is done, as the supply companies only supply information about the actual yearly consumption once a year. When landlord receives these data, we will offset this bill against the remaining deposit, and then pay the balance back to the tenant.

Note that if the property is not handed back to the owner in the correct condition, and the lease needs to be refurbished by the owner, under the responsibilities of the tenant, the owner has the right to use the deposit to cover his costs and may therefore hold the deposit for a longer time. It is therefore recommended that you as a tenant ensures that the property is in the correct condition upon move-out.

The property should generally be delivered back to the landlord in the same condition it was received, apart from normal wear and tear, unless the wear and tear is covered by the tenant maintenance requirement. The landlord can never require the tenant to return the apartment in better condition than it was received at move in.

If the property was newly renovated upon move-in it must be handed back in the same condition, regardless of the lease period. The landlord has two weeks after the property is vacated to state any maintenance claims to the tenant. This will usually be stated in the move-out report which will be compared to the signed move-in report.

The landlord has the right to deduct outstanding bills before repaying the deposit to the tenant. This includes all necessary renovation work, which the tenant may have incurred.

When the possible renovation costs and outstanding bills have been totalled, the landlord reimburses the balance to the tenant. It is for this important reason that the tenant informs the landlord of his new address and various contact information.

The landlord is by law allowed to hold back the deposit for 6 weeks or until the necessary repairs or refurbishments have been fixed.

Housing Denmark offers to conduct a move-out report. This ensures that both the landlord and tenant will not pay for damage they did not cause. Housing Denmark can offer a move-out check. This is an offer to the tenant stating a final price for all renovation work that needs to be conducted before the move-out, in order to deliver back the property in the needed condition.

If the tenant accepts the offer, Housing Denmark manages all the practicalities regarding the work, guarantees that no further costs will follow and that the move-out report will be 100 % approved. Thus eliminating the tenant’s potential risk of non-approved renovation work, which will have to be redone with additional costs.

*This service is available to all, not just tenants or landlords of ours. Please visit housingdenmarkservices.com for more information. 

In Housing Denmark, we offer various moving services to help you move out of your property, if you are moving out of the country or need to store your belongings for other reasons. All stored goods are insured. 

*This service is available to all, not just tenants or landlords of ours. Please visit housingdenmarkservices.com for more information. 

A Contents Insurance Policy, protects your personal effects such as furniture, books, clothes, stereo system, TV, etc. against theft or damage caused by (i.e.) fire or water.

A theft must be reported to the police immediately, otherwise, your insurance company will not pay out the compensation.
You can choose to take out a "family policy" which covers third party liability insurance, damage and theft.

In Housing Denmark we offer various insurance options in collaboration with our insurance company, which is one of the biggest in Denmark. For more information call our housing agents at (+45) 70 2004 70. 

In addition to the rent payment the tenant will have to pay for electricity, heating, water and in some cases gas. You pay according to the amount you use. There are meters on the property to measure this. Electricity is supplied by a private electricity company, while heating comes from a municipal or private heating plant. Large residential buildings may have their own heating plant.

In most cases you need to register with all the providers. If the property is managed by Housing Denmark, our staff can help you through all the necessary utility company registrations to ensure a problem free move-in. In other cases your landlord should have the information needed for this.

In Denmark, electricity, water and heating costs are high. This is due to the government wanting to limit the total energy consumption in order to protect the environment.

Most of our properties have TV and Internet installations, but, you will have to register for these with the given provider. The landlord will provide the necessary connection information.

Most rentals and housing association dwellings have a communal aerial scheme that you automatically subscribe to when you move in. This may either be cable TV or a common aerial installation. Usually, you pay for the aerial scheme together with the rent.

Many communal aerial schemes are set up by an aerial association. Here you can help to choose which TV channels you can view in your local area. Throughout the country it is possible to watch regional, national and a number of foreign TV channels.

If you have a cell phone, radio, TV or computer that can receive radio or TV signals, you have to pay a special fee known as a media license twice a year. You can register for a media license by logging onto www.dr.dk

In Denmark appliances run on 220V / 50Hz and the plug is a 2 round plug. The TV format is PAL. You can use plug adapters and convertors.

At Housing Denmark we can offer you various cleaning services according to your special needs.

We offer both one-time thorough cleanings before a move-in or move-out, to save you time and hard work. Additionally, we offer different ongoing regular cleaning services. 

*This service is available to all, not just tenants or landlords of ours. Please visit housingdenmarkservices.com for more information. 

Most rented accommodation and cooperative housing societies have a caretaker who is responsible for looking after practical tasks such as the maintenance of common areas. In subsidized housing, the caretaker may also carry out minor repairs to apartments or call in a tradesman to carry out the work.

If you live in an apartment, or if you live in a cooperative housing society property, you and your neighbors normally jointly pay towards the cost of a caretaker and the maintenance of the building and the common areas, in which case the joint expenses are included in the rent.

Most rental housing and housing societies have their own house rules. These are either established by the owner or by the tenants. House rules typically deal with such issues as the washing of stairs, pets, noise, parking of bicycles and prams. If you are in doubt about the rules, ask your caretaker, a neighbor or your landlord.

As a tenant, you are responsible for cleaning and tidying up. Make a note of the rules for cleaning refuse for the building/residential areas.

Your municipal authority sees to it that standard household refuse is collected from your residential area once a week. Garden waste and bulk scrap is also collected several times a year.

Bulk scrap may be furniture and used white goods.
Municipal authorities have waste recycling centers where residents can dispose of garden waste and bulk scrap. This is also the place to dispose of environmentally hazardous waste such as paint, oil, batteries and electrical appliances. Ask your municipal authority about what rules apply.