FAQ
As a property owner, it is important to be familiar with various ins and outs of renting out a home . There are a number of rules to be aware of. These rules are found in the Rent Act. It is important to comply with the rules of the Rent Act, especially when it comes to time-limited rentals.
Be aware of rules on time-limited rental of housing
In theory, you can rent out your home for as short a time as you want, but legally you still need to be aware of the rules regarding time-limited rental of housing. You must provide a valid reason for limiting the rental period. A valid reason could be, for example, that you have been relocated temporarily for your job, or that you intend on moving back into the property yourself after the rental period.
There is not a list of which reasons for time-limited rental of housing have been approved and which have not been approved. If the tenant does not want to move out and thus brings the case before the Housing Court, the Housing Court will make a final decision on whether the landlord has a valid reason for limiting the rental period.
As a starting point, you can rent out homes all the way down to a daily basis, but in Nordic Housing we recommend a minimum period of 2-3 months.
There is no right or wrong answer to whether the property should be furnished or unfurnished. In smaller homes that are rented out over a short period of time, however, it can be an advantage that the home is furnished. In the case of a larger home that is rented out over a longer period of time, it can conversely be an advantage that the home is unfurnished.
Rent your home furnished
The advantages of furnished home rental are, firstly, that you as a landlord do not have to spend a lot of energy on emptying the apartment when moving out. Having to empty a large villa, for example, can be a costly and energy-intensive affair.
Second, furnished home rental is an advantage when it comes to pricing the rental home. A fully furnished home is worth more for foreign tenants who simply need a place to live for a limited period, which is why the pricing here is usually also higher than with unfurnished rental housing.
The only downside to furnished home rentals
With furnished home rental, there is one obvious disadvantage, which is of course common use and wear and tear of the furniture. You can not avoid the fact that a tenant will wear out your home’s furniture to some extent over time. However, both physical and cosmetic damages can be deducted from the tenant’s deposit when the damages exceed normal wear and tear. A good piece of advice for furnished home rentals is therefore to remove furniture that is of particular value to you, like expensive paintings or valuable antiques, for example.
It usually does not matter much which floor your apartment is located on. Tenants are generally more interested in layouts, amenities, and interior design. However, there are of course exceptions and some tenants will have personal preferences.
Usually properties with apartments on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floor that are among the most in demand. Apartments on higher floors can be more difficult to rent out to older tenants. Our job as your rental company is to find a tenant who is best tailored for your home.
Nordic Housing as a housing rental company: Your help in finding the right tenant
The floor that the property is located on generally does not affect the rental price of the property. If the building has an elevator, however, this can be a big plus and you can often price the property higher. Elevators are a great amenity to all types of tenants, and there is therefore great demand for them.
We can find tenants for properties in all conditions. However, there are some basic guidelines for what is expected of a landlord.
Rent your home neat and tidy
The basic requirements we at Nordic Housing place on our landlords in connection with renting out housing is that the home is cleaned and in a tidy condition. It is therefore important that floors, walls and any furniture are cleaned and thus appear presentable. Clean and tidy homes increase the probability of finding a tenant quickly.
Rental of housing in functional condition
In addition to the home being cleaned and in a tidy condition, it is also important that it is functional without important defects. It is important that the kitchen, bathroom, water, heating and the like are fully usable.
Paint and floor treatment increase the rental price
In addition to the home being tidy and otherwise fully functional, there are two more ways to ensure optimal pricing when renting out a home. Nordic Housing recommends that you, as a property owner, consider renting out the property, newly painted and with newly treated floors. In
addition to increasing the value of your property, new painting and newly treated floors at the beginning og the rental period make it easier to identify any damages made by your tenant when they later move out, also making it easier for you to evaluate any deductions from the deposit.
This is the question we hear the most from potential landlords.
There are several factors that play a significant role in renting out a property. Based on our experience, we know that the closer to Copenhagen a rental home is, and the smaller it is, the faster the home will be rented out. Properties with lower rents are also currently in great demand and therefore rent out quickly.
Rental of an apartment in Copenhagen for companies
Nordic Housing has a large network of larger companies, embassies, consulates, etc., which constantly need properties for their posted employees, who often come to Denmark from abroad to work. Thus, we have a large customer base with companies that need properties in Copenhagen. Having this existing network makes it easier to find a tenant quickly.
On average, Nordic Housing finds a tenant in less than four weeks, which applies to the entire line of apartments and houses we rent out in Copenhagen and Zealand.
When a company rents a property on its employee’s behalf, it is important to know whether it is the company or the tenant himself who signs the lease. Our experience at Nordic Housing is that it usually makes the most sense for both parties if it is the tenant himself who signs the lease. It often makes sense, though, for the company to handle the negotiations and explain the Danish lease to the tenant so everyone is in agreement on the terms of the contract.
Should the business be the tenant?
Until recently, for businesses, there was a tax advantage associated with renting housing, but that is no longer the case. Therefore, it does not matter whether it is a company or a tenant who signs the lease.
When renting a home for a company, it is very important that the business, the tenant, and the landlord are on the same page in relation to who is living in the apartment. Sometimes companies are interested in renting a home with the condition that the person living in the apartment does not have to be the same throughout the rental period.
At Nordic Housing, we do not recommend entering into a contract on these terms, as more tenants
over time usually result in increased wear and tear of the landlord’s home. At the same time, housing rental for companies is based on a mistaken belief that companies cannot go to the rent board. That was once the case, but today companies have exactly the same options as an individual tenant when it comes to complaining about any discrepancies that may arise.
Housing rental through Nordic Housing is based on security. As a landlord, there can be many worries associated with renting out your home to a stranger. Therefore, we also have some very clear rules regarding deposit, which all of our tenants are made aware of.
Rent your home with peace of mind
As a housing rental company, we at Nordic Housing ensure that the tenant in question pays a deposit corresponding to three months’ rent and the first month’s rent to you as a landlord no later than six days after the lease has been signed unless another agreement has been made between you and your tenant.
With a three-month deposit, you are covered financially in the event of non-payment of rent, damage to furniture and the like. However, the three-month deposit is rarely used, as we at Nordic Housing put a lot of effort into finding reliable and proper tenants with a healthy economy.
Security deposit – your security when renting a home
In the case of rental housing, the three-month deposit plus one month’s rent is of course paid into the landlord’s account. This means that Nordic Housing, as an intermediary, never stores this money and cannot claim it.
