Copenhagen has been ranked as the second most liveable city in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2024 Global Liveability Index. Indeed, the Danish capital is known and loved for its beautiful green urban spaces, lively culture, and healthy work/life balance. Yet, life in Copenhagen doesn’t come cheap, and expats moving here need to budget accordingly. Read on and learn more about smart steps to rent the perfect Copenhagen apartment.
A one-room city center apartment, for example, costs over 9,450 kr on average a month. As long as you keep your apartment search to areas within your budget, plan for all expenses, and submit rental applications fast, you’re bound to find the perfect apartment in no time.
Where to look for rentals (based on budget)
Which part of Copenhagen you move to is ultimately determined by your budget. A minimum monthly budget of 16,000 kr, means you can pretty much afford a spacious one-bedroom apartment anywhere, including one in the city center, Indre By. As Indre By is both beautiful and full of things to do, it’s very competitive and apartments here go fast. On the other hand, you can also look in Østerbro with a similar high budget. Østerbro is an attractive family area just north of the city center — the perfect spot if you love nature as it’s full of parks, lakes, forests, and even a beach.
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Alternatively, you can look in more affordable districts if needed, such as, Nordvest, Nørrebro, Vesterbro, Vanløse, and Ørestad. You can expect to pay a minimum of 6,000 kr in these areas. Nørrebro and Vesterbro are city center districts, while Nordvest, Ørestad, and Vanløse are slightly further afield. It’s particularly easy to find affordable apartments in Ørestad. This area is generally quite quiet, and you can catch the subway or train into Copenhagen.
Act fast to beat the competition
As the market is so competitive, it usually takes some time to find a good rental in Copenhagen. So, book a few weeks in a hotel or airbnb to accommodate this. Once you find something you like, you need to act fast, otherwise someone else will snap it up first. So, book a viewing asap — and if it feels right, submit an application. You can then expect to be vetted by the landlord. This process usually takes a few days. In particular, payment problems and eviction history are the top two concerns landlords have about potential tenants, a recent SmartMove survey reveals. So, these are key areas in your rental history you should expect your landlord to research. If you do have a history of late payments, you can work to improve your reputation. For instance, report your on-time rent payments to credit bureaus. This also helps improve your credit score over time.
The rental contract itself will also obviously be written in Danish, so it’s important to translate it before you sign anything. You therefore won’t agree to points you’re not happy with. In particular, the contract will state the condition you should leave the rental in once the contract ends. This may require you to repaint or redecorate, which can be expensive, so you’ll need to budget accordingly.
Financial considerations
Usually, tenants are required to pay a three-month deposit in order to qualify for a rental. On top of that, you may also have to pay three months’ rent in advance, which then covers your rental payments over the final three months of your contract. So, you may therefore have to be prepared to make an upfront payment of six months’ rent in total. Keep in mind, rent doesn’t always include water, heating, or electricity, either, so you’ll also have to check that and work it into your budget.
Move-in costs are another financial consideration — although these vary considerably between furnished vs. unfurnished apartments. Unfurnished apartments come with fully-fitted kitchens and electrical appliances, and, although they’re typically cheaper than furnished accommodations, you obviously have to buy the furniture. If you go this route, you can find good deals on new and used products on DBA, Denmark’s largest online marketplace.
Copenhagen is a great place to live, and finding an apartment here is well worth your effort. As long as your smart and plan for the process carefully, you’ll secure your dream rental in no time.
Smart Steps To Rent The Perfect Copenhagen Apartment, written dedicatedly for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.