Good to know - Housing in Odense

Good to know

• The rental market in Odense is very dynamic, so one needs to react to ads of apartments available quite fast. In addition, apartments are posted for rent 2-3 months in advance to the moving in date. Therefore, it is advised to start looking for a rental around 2-3 months before your arrival to Odense.
• Most Danish rental properties are unfurnished. However, even unfurnished rentals in Denmark have functional kitchens with a fridge (often freezer as well), hob and oven.
• Rental ads in Denmark state a number of rooms (not bedrooms). For instance, a 2 room apartment consists of kitchen, bathroom and 2 rooms which may be used as bedroom and/or living room.
• 1st floor is not always 1st floor. In Denmark, the first floor of a building is called stuen or stueetage (st.), translated as “ground floor”. After the ground floor, the following floors are called 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
• If you see “tv” next to the floor number, it means the apartment is located "til venstre" (on the left) of the landing, and if it is “th”, it means it is "til hoejre" (to the right) of the entrance.  Not very common, but there is also "mf", which mean "midtfor"-  in the center of the floor.
• Many private rental companies require future tenants to be present in a viewing (open house). Therefore, it is good if you have a person (i.e. a future colleague), who could help you with viewings before arrival. 

Contracts

The rental contract defines rights and obligations of the tenant and the landlord, including the amount of rent you must pay and the conditions for moving-in and moving-out.

It is a common practice that landlords in Denmark use the authorized version of a standard rental contract in Danish. The English version of the rental contract is not authorized but can be used as a translation of the authorized Danish contract.

• Danish version (Officially authorized)
• English version (Not officially authorized)

Deposit and prepaid rent

When signing a contract the tenant has to pay a deposit and, in some cases, prepaid rent (forudbetalt leje). The deposit may, according to Danish law, be 3 times the rent not including utilities. Prepaid rent should not exceed three times the rent not including utilities. In total most of the landlords may require 3 times rent as deposit, 3 times rent as prepaid rent and first month's rent from the new tenant upon moving in. It is a general practice in Denmark, regulated by law.

The landlord can use the deposit to cover the cost of damages and repair of the apartment upon termination of the lease. The pre-paid rent will cover your last month(s) of your rent after you decide to terminate the lease.

Monthly expenses

When renting an apartment you will be paying a monthly rent and fixed monthly charge for water and heating (aconto). Once per year the difference between what has been paid and what has been used will be calculated and settled between landlord and tenant. Most often utilities such as electricity, internet, tv-antenne and package are to be paid to providers directly based on the usage and/or plan you have.

The costs for the rent of an apartment highly depends on several criteria, such as number of rooms, state of the property (newly build/recently renovated), location. A good way to get an overview of prices is by checking accommodation portals and websites of private rental companies.

Short-term and/or shared accommodation

For a short-term accommodation options check AirBnB or see Visit Odense's website for a list of hotels and hostels in Odense. 

If you are looking for a room in a shared apartment, have a look at Facebook groups, such as Internationals in Odense and International Students in Odense.

Please note that in order to register with the Danish authorities and receive CPR number (Danish registration number), you need to have an address where you will be staying for a period longer than 3 months.

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