Moving? How to Find Accommodation?

After a long time living in a corridor room with lots of international students, I finally decided to move. This is actually very common for second-year students, especially during the thesis period. Many people go back to their home countries or move to other parts of Europe.

In my case, I moved from Lund to Malmö to get more of a city vibe 🌆. Here I’ll tell you where I looked and how long it took me to find accommodation!

Where to look? 👀

I was renting through LU Accommodation, which is the housing option provided by the university for international students. So… how do you move on from that?

One of the most common options is AF Bostäder. Some of my classmates managed to get really nice apartments there. However, if you’re not registered (like me!), don’t panic! There are still other ways.

A very common option is through people you know. For example, one Chinese friend and one Peruvian friend found rooms simply because they knew someone from their home countries who had a room available. Easy and fast!

Another great option is Qasa. You can find many accommodation options there every day, and that’s actually where I found the place I’m living in now 🥹. The platform is super easy to use, and I really like that you can also pay your rent directly through it, very convenient!

How much time did it take? ⏳

I started looking for a place in November, because my plan was always to move in January. However… it wasn’t easy.

To rent an apartment, many owners check if you have a job and a personnummer. It totally makes sense, but it also makes things harder if you’re “just” a student. That’s why I think it’s generally easier to find a room rather than a whole apartment.

Still, you need to consider many things:
✔️ the rules of the apartment
✔️ the location
✔️ the price
✔️ and the fact that you’re not the only one applying

I actually lost a very nice option just because I didn’t reply to a message on time 😭. So yes, you really have to be very attentive.

In total, it took me around two months to find the room I finally moved into. Luckily, I’m very happy with the location, the price, and the apartment rules, so it was worth it.

The difficulties 😮‍💨

You don’t really realize how many things you’ve accumulated during your studies… until you move. I’ve been here for a year and a half, and trust me, my three suitcases were not enough anymore.

I had to make around four trips from Lund to Malmö to move all my stuff, and of course I needed help because the suitcases and bags were so heavy. It was physically exhausting 💪😵.

On top of that, leaving a place you’ve called home for so long is emotionally hard too. I cried a little (okay, more than a little 🥲), and even now I still feel exhausted. I did the whole moving process just last week, and honestly, every part of my body still hurts.

So tell me… are you planning to move to another part of Sweden soon? ✨