How to find a home in Stockholm
Publish date: 5 February 2024
Stockholm is one of the hottest tech hubs in the world and the fastest-growing city in Europe. As a consequence, the housing market is quite competitive. Find out how to best tackle the challenge of finding a home.
Short-term housing
While you’re waiting for more permanent housing, you might want to consider Airbnb. Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list and book accommodation around the world. Perfect for when you want to rent a place for a limited time or while waiting for a more permanent solution.
Rentals
Apartments in Stockholm are regulated by a rental control system to keep the rent below what the market would dictate, and those apartments are distributed through queues or contacts.
First-hand rentals
A first-hand (förstahand) contract means that the apartment is in your name and you deal directly with the landlord. This usually requires several years in the housing queue.
Second-hand rentals
A second-hand (andrahand) contract is in essence a sublet, which may or may not have the consent of the landlord – and this is usually an agreement for a specified time period. Keep in mind that if you sublet an apartment without consent from the landlord, you run the risk of being evicted at short notice. Deposits are a common procedure, but shouldn’t be more than a month's rent. You should also get a receipt (even hand-written) for your deposit.
A regular studio apartment in Stockholm and the surrounding areas costs around 8,000-13,000 SEK/month. Make sure you visit the apartment before you pay anything. And if you rent a furnished apartment, make sure the furniture is of acceptable quality.
Co-living in Stockholm
An increasingly popular option for newcomers in Stockholm, co-living offers ready access to a community in spaces that are generally very well-designed and with costs for cleaning and utilities covered by the monthly fee. This can be a great short-term option for international talent while awaiting a more permanent housing solution. As an added bonus, a lot of fellow residents will also be relatively new in town and eager to discover Stockholm with new friends.
A selection of co-living options:
Bying an apartment or house
If you're interested in buying your own place, Hemnet is the most popular site for finding an apartment or house to buy.
Useful links for finding a home
There are a number of ways to find available sublets. Bostad Direkt is a commercial agency that helps people find apartments around town. They are a useful online resource for finding a second-hand rental.
Another commercial agency in Stockholm is Samtrygg. They can help you find legal housing since they control and verify the ads. When renting through Samtrygg, they provide sublet insurance, the possibility to rent deposit-free and personal customer service throughout the rental process. Legal counselling is also provided free of charge if needed.
Other websites include Qasa blocket.se, homii.se, beaps.se, findroommate.se, residensportalen.com, beresident.se and forenom.com to name a few. If you're looking for a shorter-term business apartment solution check out Ett Smart.
Language tips
Some of these sites will be in Swedish, so familiarise yourself with some basic Swedish housing vocabulary:
- Lägenhet/hyresrätt = apartment/rental apartment
- Hyra lägenhet = rent an apartment
- Uthyres (i andra hand) = to let (sublet)
- (Number) rum och kök = the number of rooms an apartment contains aside from the kitchen and WC. “2 rum och kök” is a 2-room apartment with a kitchen.