Property Rental

Rental

If you rent a property, the rent is normally not more than the similar properties in the area. But if you live in a property that has been under renovation, the rule does not apply.

Rent assessment committee

If you as a tenant has complaints about your landlord, for example due to a high rent, you should contact first the rent assessment committee in your municipality before you go to the property court. All the municipalities have the rent assessment committee. It costs 121 DKK (2007) to bring the matter to the rent assessment committee.

Your complaint must be in writing and you must enclose some documents explaining the case. It could be a copy of your lease, a copy of your landlord ´s warning of increased rent and etc. When the rent assessment committee has received your complaint, they will send a letter to your landlord about the matter. The landlord has 2 weeks to respond. Thereafter, the rent assessment committee reviews the case and decides.

Rent Increase

The landlord should not just raise the rent. But the landlord can raise the rent if there has been improvements made to the property, but only after the improvements have been made. In most municipalities, the rent is regulated according to how much expenses the property has. Thus, the landlord can raise the rent if the property's cost increases, which may be the property tax, heating costs and etc.

The landlord should not just raise the rent if you lived in the house for less than 2 years, or if it is less than 2 years ago, when the rent was last increased. Rent increase, is usually after three months notice. The landlord must give written notice, explaining why and how much the rent increases.

If you, the tenant cannot accept the lessor´s demand for rent increase, you need a written contact to the landlord within six weeks. If the landlord still wants the rent increase, the landlord can take a legal action at the property court within six weeks after the tenant´s deadline has expired. The property court is the Municipal Court in the locality.

Rent Increase for the entire property

If you live in a big property where you have a resident´s representative, the landlord shall contact the representative prior to the rental increase, if the cost is more than 20 kr. m2. The resident representative shall be informed of the planned maintenance and improvements, specifications and estimates of the rent implications. The resident representative have three weeks to convey this information to the other residents in the property.

Deposit

It is normal for landlords in the private buildings to require a deposit when renting out a property. A deposit is a kind of security for the landlord as tenant is obliged to take care of the lease, then the landlord may repair any damage caused by the tenant when moving out. The deposit can only be regulated so that it corresponds to a possible rent increase. When the tenant moves from the property, the landlord determines its requirements and pay the balance of the deposit to the tenant. The deposit may not exceed three months rent.

Prepaid rent

The landlord may require that you as a tenant shall pay a prepaid rent. Prepaid rent is regulated only for the rent increase, and prepaid rent must not exceed three months rent. The amount is calculated to pay the rent in the last month of tenancy.

Complaints procedure

If you wish to complain about your landlord, your rent, etc., you can complain to the rent assessment committee. Contact your municipality to find the local rent assessment committee in your locality. If you are not satisfied with the decision, you can bring your case to the property court.