Good to know when you want to rent out your accommodation
Stockholm is Sweden's largest student city, but the availability of housing is not sufficient for everyone who wants to study here. For many students, subletting or renting a room in someone's home therefore becomes the first opportunity to secure a safe place to live.
Akademisk kvart is run by students, and we have extensive experience with the student housing situation in Stockholm. Our goal is to contribute to a safe and secure rental process for both landlords and students.
By renting out a home or a room, you can use your property more efficiently while simultaneously helping more students get the opportunity to study in Stockholm. Many landlords also find value in sharing their home with someone.
Here, we go through the most common forms of housing on Akademisk kvart, what is important to consider before you rent out, and how the rental process works in practice.
Different ways to rent out housing
Most advertisements on Akademisk kvart concern one of two forms of housing: subletting or having a lodger. The difference primarily depends on whether or not you continue to live in the property yourself.
Subletting
Subletting (second-hand rental) means that you rent out the entire home to a student during a period when you are not using it yourself. In other words, you do not live in the property during this time.
This may be relevant, for example, if you are going to study or work in another location for a period, travel away, or for other reasons temporarily do not use the home.
Renting out a room (lodger)
Having a lodger means that you rent out a room in your home while you continue to live there. This is a common way to rent to students and can be a great option if you have an extra room that is not being used.
Many who rent out a room describe it as a pleasant way to share daily life with someone – while making a concrete contribution to a student in need of housing.
Good to keep in mind:
- Permission for subletting
If you rent a rental apartment, you normally need approval from the property owner to sublet. If you own a condominium (bostadsrätt), approval from the housing association is required in most cases. The permission should be in writing.
- Always use a written agreement
A written contract protects both you and the tenant. The agreement should clearly state the rent, rental period, what is included in the rent, the notice period, and any deposit.
- Create an inventory list
If the home is rented out furnished, it is good practice to write down which furniture and items are included. This reduces the risk of misunderstandings when the rental period ends.
- Document the condition of the home
It is wise to write down and photograph any existing damage or wear and tear in the home before the rental begins. This makes it clearer what already existed at the time of move-in.
- The rent must be reasonable
The concept of "reasonable rent" is a legal term meaning that the rent must stand in reasonable relation to the home's costs and standard. How it is calculated differs between rental apartments and condominiums. On Akademisk kvart, the rent must also fall within the platform's rent ceiling, which is adapted to students' finances.
- Security of tenure during long-term rentals
If you sublet a rental apartment for more than two years, the tenant can in some cases gain security of tenure (besittningsskydd), which means stronger protection to remain in the home. To avoid this, you can waive the security of tenure through a specific agreement.
Rent matters
Students have limited financial resources because full-time studies make it difficult to work alongside their education.
A full-time student with student aid from CSN has a monthly income of approximately SEK 13,500 before housing costs (2025).
Even at a rent of SEK 6,000, almost half of the income goes toward housing. Therefore, Akademisk kvart has developed its own model for rent setting to help keep rents at a level that students can actually afford.
When you create an ad, the platform helps you set a reasonable rent based on:
- The size of the home
- Whether it is furnished or unfurnished
- The type of housing involved
The rent must be fixed. Any additions, such as internet or cleaning, must be stated separately and be optional – so that the student knows exactly what is included.
Akademisk kvart's rent model does not take into account where in Stockholm the home is located – or whether it includes extraordinary facilities (e.g., sauna, gym in the building, or a lake view).
Our model for rent setting
To make it easy to choose the right rent, we have created an advertising tool that adapts based on the type of housing being rented, its size, and whether it is furnished or not. To prevent unexpected expenses, the rent set must be fixed, and any additions such as internet or cleaning must be optional.
To see which rent ceiling applies to your specific home, you need to fill in the advertising form.
It is the responsibility of the person renting out the home to ensure the rent is reasonable. Reasonable rent is a legal term calculated differently depending on the type of housing. If a rent is not reasonable (higher than what is permitted), it means the tenant may be entitled to a refund of the overcharged rent.
Practical things to consider before you rent out
Before you rent out, it is wise to make some simple preparations that create security for both you and your tenant.
For example, it is common for landlords to want to check the tenant's ability to pay or ask for references before a contract is signed. It is also important to ensure that the tenant has their own home insurance to protect their belongings and provide liability coverage if something should happen in the home.
The most common and reliable method is to ask for a letter of acceptance (for new students) or a certificate of registration (for students already enrolled).
To ensure that the person you want to rent to is actually a student, you can ask for any of the following documents:
- Letter of acceptance (When the person has not yet started their studies.)
- Certificate of registration
- Study certificate
- Student ID photo
- Registration confirmation from the educational institution
By going through these things in advance, the rental process often becomes easier and clearer for both parties. Our goal is to help create clear conditions for renting to students. If you are unsure of what applies in a specific situation, it may be helpful to contact, for example, the Regional Rent Tribunal (Hyresnämnden) or your housing association.
If you have questions about how advertising or renting works, you are always welcome to contact us at info@akademiskkvart.se.
