Written by Annamaria
28 Mar 2022
Finding affordable accommodation in Sweden is the biggest worry of almost all international students. The universities often offer housing for students but there are limited spots as well. So what other options do you have? And what if you want to share an apartment with a spouse or your friends? Do you need to rely on student housing and share a kitchen with 50 other students?? What does the student accommodation look like anyway?
Now that you came across this post, you can shake the worry off. Brooke and I interviewed current digital ambassadors and gathered some useful tips. Hopefully, learning about their experiences with the accommodation in Sweden will provide you with all you need to find the right Swedish home for you!
Accommodation in larger cities
Stockholm (Narmina, Stockholm University)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I live in a student dorm. My room is a corridor room which means it has its own bathroom but I share the kitchen with 9 other students.
How did you find your accommodation?
I was searching everywhere but most of the housing companies were listed on my university’s webpage, so the webpage provided the best guidance.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
I started looking after I was accepted. Booking a room is usually linked to your credit days which is your waiting time in the housing queue. First, I registered at the company webpage which is www.sssb.se, and started to accumulate credit days. Then, every day I was checking if there was accommodation available. I preferred furnished rooms as an international student.
As soon as I saw the room, I booked it and a few days later the company confirmed my booking. I’d say my building is very cozy and close to nature but people find it a bit far away from the campus, as a result, it took me only about 60 credit days to secure it. Although as far as I know, accommodations closer to the school can require more days.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
My room including the bathroom is 17 sq.m. and I pay SEK 3150 per month. I think this is the cheapest price in Stockholm. The room is fully furnished (bed, desk, chair, bookshelf) but I share a kitchen with other people who live in the same corridor. I chose this accommodation because of the price and also the area, it’s very close to nature.
What are the pros and cons of this accommodation?
Pros: Sharing a kitchen and meeting new people – making friends, sharing ideas and stories.
Cons: You might need to clean the kitchen right after cooking, even before eating your food. So if you are hungry, you can’t be lazy as you could be in your private kitchen.
Final advice:
Prospective students should decide what the main criterion is for them when it comes to housing, is it the distance to the campus, price, area, or the size of the accommodation. Also, it’s very important to start looking for housing as soon as they know the admission results. And most importantly try to find a place from a reliable source which you can mostly find on the university’s website.
Gothenburg (Edwina, University of Gothenburg)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I live in private housing that I found outside the university. It is basically a renovated basement of a house.
How did you find your accommodation?
I was lucky enough to find my current housing through Blocket Bostad, a Swedish website where you can search for accommodation (and other things). It’s a great platform that many people here in Sweden use to find rooms or entire apartments to rent.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
As soon as I got my acceptance email, I started looking for accommodation. You can never start early enough for things like these. This is actually the second accommodation I moved in since I came in 2020. The first one took me 2 weeks to find (through a Facebook group). This one took about three weeks.
When I found the ad for the room, I contacted the landlord through Blocket to arrange a viewing. I went there the next day to get to know the owners (they live upstairs). Both parties were quite comfortable with the situation so I told them I wanted to take the room. Then they invited me again to sign the contract and go through the details.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
I have my own room which is my safe space. It is 18 sq.m. and I pay SEK 3900 per month. There was no deposit. The most important furniture items were already here. All I had to do was buy my own pillows which I got from Ikea. I also got a cabinet for more storage. I share the kitchen and bathroom with another female student.
It was clear to me from the start that I didn’t want to live in student housing. I knew from my Erasmus experience that while students in the dorms have a lot of fun together, it can also be quite noisy. For this reason, I have decided to find my own quiet space where I can recharge.
What are the pros and cons of this housing? Would you choose it again?
Pros: It’s quiet and calm, you don’t have to share your bathroom and kitchen with many people. You rarely have to compromise. It feels like your own little apartment.
Cons: You may miss out on the fun and the kind of bonding that people have in the dorms. Maybe it is also a little more expensive than student housing.
Would I choose it again? Yes, I would choose it again. Maybe with a few small tweaks here and there.
Final advises:
1. Be aware of scammers, don’t transfer any money before you sign a contract!
2. Don’t be afraid to move to the outskirts of a city – it’s usually not that far anyway and you might even have a beautiful nature surrounding the place and also the prices tend to be a bit lower.
3. The concept of sharing a private accommodation with other students is not that common in Sweden. If you still want to, find other students a create your own flatshare.
Malmö (Jed, Malmö University)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I live in student housing.
How did you find your accommodation?
I found my housing through the Malmö University website when I was applying.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
I started looking for accommodation as soon as I was accepted and I applied around May 2021. I sent an application through the university housing website. It was fast and easy for me to secure housing because I am a fee-paying student.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
It is a fully-furnished room (and bathroom) about 17 sq.m. big. I share a kitchen, dining area, and a common room with 9 other students. I chose it because I wanted to experience student housing.
What are the pros and cons of this housing?
Pros: You meet people from different cultures and it is quite easy to find friends.
Cons: You can get easily distracted from studying or working.
Final advice:
Read as much information as you can to ensure that you are moving into the right living space for you! Also, it’s a good idea to start looking for housing options as soon as you can.
Accommodation in smaller cities and towns
Norrköping (Brooke, Linköping University)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I live in student housing where I have my own room and bathroom but share a kitchen with other students.
How did you find your accommodation?
Once I got my acceptance letter in April, I was approached by Studentbo, a local student housing organisation. They informed me that in order to arrange accommodation I would have to apply for it between June 1 – July 1. The process was easy, I just went on the Studentbo’s website, answered all required questions, and paid the deposit.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
I didn’t start looking for accommodation until I paid my first tuition fee payment to the university which secured my acceptance. Since I am a non-EU student (from the USA), the process was very quick and seamless. Shortly after applying for accommodation through the website, I was contacted by a Studenbo employee who laid out all the accommodation options for me, including the prices and it was my decision to choose. Then, I received the final email with a contract to sign and to pay the first month’s rent.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
The room (including the bathroom) is about 17-19 sq.m. and currently I pay SEK 4090. I have a fully-furnished room with a bed, desk, fridge, bookshelf, and a nightstand. But the kitchen is shared with 7-9 other flatmates on the same floor. I chose this type of housing because it allowed me to have privacy as well as not to ‘break my bank’ as the rent is semi-affordable. Additionally, I liked the close distance to the university and that the room was furnished.
What are the pros and cons of this housing?
Pros: You get to know a lot of interesting people and make new friends by sharing a kitchen.
Cons: Living in student housing can be quite loud as there are a lot of parties. My room is small and sometimes I wish I had my own kitchen.
Final advice:
Look what type of accommodation is available in your city and don’t procrastinate!
Skövde (Annamaria, University of Skövde)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I live in a shared apartment with my partner.
How did you find your accommodation?
We found the apartment through a Facebook group called Lägenheter i Skövde (apartments in Skövde). I sent a message directly to a girl who posted an offer.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
I started looking right after I applied for the university. I think I worried too soon. We found this apartment just about a month before coming to Sweden and luckily secured it right away. It was all about keeping track of the offers and replying as soon as possible. The girl got about 40 other messages afterward even in such a small city as Skövde. I also didn’t know at that time that I could have lived in student housing with my partner which would probably be a little easier to secure. For that, I would have to apply for a Skövde Bostäder queue which is where most students get their accommodation.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
It is a 49 sq.m. apartment with its own kitchen and bathroom located just about 10 minutes from the university. Similarly to the student housing in Skövde, it was not really furnished. We had to buy a bed, kitchen utensils, and some decorations (We also bought a sofa later from the Facebook Marketplace). Luckily, the landlord was very helpful and drove us to the shops, including IKEA and Erikshjälpen Second Hand so we got everything for a good price. We share laundry rooms with other apartments in the building. The price is SEK 6500 per month and it includes the internet, TV, water, heating, and electricity. We chose the place because it was spacious, in a good location, and for an affordable price.
What are the pros and cons of this housing? Would you choose it again?
Pros: Complete privacy and quite a large space. It’s also very close to the city center, train station, supermarkets, and the university.
Cons: Since it’s quite isolated from other students, it was a bit harder at first to make connections since everyone knew each other from the dorms. I always had to just randomly approach someone and that can sometimes be a little more awkward. 😅
Would I choose it again? Yes. I think the benefits outweigh any negatives.
Final advice:
Respond to offers quickly, especially on Facebook or the Blocket Bostad. Introduce yourself in the messages and include specifics like why you need the apartment, what you are going to study, who you are planning to move with, etc.
Trollhätan (Nozie, University West)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
Student housing administered by Eidar Housing Agency.
How did you find your accommodation?
The agency was recommended by the school. I contacted the international office at my school. Later, they sent me information about apartments that were available at one complex. I did not like the first apartment so I decided to email for a second one from another agency. They offered me the place where I am currently staying.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
I started looking about 2 months before starting school. The international office was really helpful in this regard. Initially, I was offered an apartment in another area but it did not meet my needs so I looked for an alternative. I signed the contract about a month before coming to Sweden.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
I liked the idea of having a fully-furnished apartment because I did not have to start buying everything to make the space habitable. I also liked the idea of having my own space. It’s a 29 sq.m. studio apartment which costs approximately SEK 4400 per month. I have my own room with a kitchenette and a bathroom. I do not share the room with anyone but we have a shared living room that can be used for studying or just hanging out. And we also share a laundry room.
What are the pros and cons of this housing? Would you choose it again?
Pros: Living in a non-shared space without inconveniencing other students. You can choose when to cook, clean up, etc.
Cons: The rent! LOL. The rental cost is quite high for studio apartments compared to shared apartments.
Would I choose it again? Yes. Definitely!
Final advice:
Start early. The more you delay starting the search for accommodation, the fewer apartments will be available when you apply.
Lund (Catha, Lund University)
What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I lived for a year and 2 months in student housing – LU accommodation – and just moved to a private apartment.
How did you find your accommodation?
As a Brazilian (non-EU student), I had a housing guarantee from Lund University. That’s why I was able to apply for student housing through LU Accommodation website.
How soon did you start looking and how long did it take to secure it?
As soon as the application was open on the LU Accommodation website, 2 or 3 weeks after submitting my application for studies in Sweden. A few weeks after I applied, I got an email from the university giving further information on which student housing I was allocated and my room offer. I accepted the offer and paid a deposit of SEK 2000. The deposit was paid online via my housing account. The application process was quite simple for me but I do know some students, mainly EU students, who struggled a lot with finding housing.
Can you tell me more about your apartment and why did you choose this type of housing?
During the application process, I selected 4 options according to my preferences. I ranked them but it didn’t mean that I would get my first option. Actually, I ended up getting my last option. A two-bedroom apartment in the newest student building. One fully-furnished room was about 12 sq.m. for SEK 5759 per month. I had the option to buy a package with beddings in advance through the university. I knew that the first days in Sweden would be hectic, so I bought it. It was from IKEA.
Did you share the apartment with anyone?
During my first year, I shared with a Taiwanese girl, and during my second year with a Chinese girl. I had my own room but the bathroom, kitchen, and living room were shared.
What are the pros and cons of this housing?
Pros: More privacy compared to corridor rooms and laundry facilities were included in the rent. It was close to the supermarket and just above the main office of LU Accommodation, so I could easily reach out to them to solve any issue.
Cons: Higher price compared to other student accommodations. The common area was very small and we didn’t have a sofa or TV. Also, we (my roomie and I) needed to buy extra utensils for the kitchen.
Final advice:
Try to look as soon as possible! Join the housing queue such as the ÄF Bostader and use Facebook groups in your favour. Or if you know someone already living in the city, ask for help! A good way to avoid scams.
Summary
Places to look:
1. your university website – student housing (or contact the university for information regarding accommodation)
2. Blocket Bostad
3. search for a Facebook group where people put ads for apartments, usually, each bigger city has its own
Tips:
- start early
- research all your options
- don’t be afraid to move to the outskirts of a city
- be aware of scammers
- respond to offers quickly
- if you won’t like your first accommodation, you can always find another
Before you leave, I suggest checking out this video about student dorm life (by Narmina, Stockholm). It might help you decide whether dorm life would be something for you.
