Rent, buy or build?

Renting

Many newcomers initially move into rented accommodation rather than investing immediately in buying an apartment or house. Renting first allows you to explore your new surroundings before you decide to build or buy.

In Denmark there are a large number of housing cooperatives, as well as private landlords. You can find a selection of these in the list below.

Landlords

Buying real estate

If you are sure that you would like to live permanently in Denmark and you know where you would like to live, you might consider wanting to buy a property. In the long run, this can be cheaper than renting an apartment or house. At the same time, you acquire an increase in value with the property.
Consult a lawyer, a bank and a real estate agent to see what requirements you must meet in order for you to be able to purchase a property.

There are special housing loans in Denmark, where the purchase price plus interest can be paid over the course of 10-30 years. As a prerequisite, however, the banks and real estate credit institutions require that there is an available amount in your budget.

You can find an overview of all real estate agents on our “Buy or rent?” website.

House purchase

Who can buy a house in Denmark without separate approval from Civilstyrelsen?

• Anyone residing in Denmark
• Anyone who has lived in Denmark for 5 years
• Anyone who inherited the property
• Anyone who receives the property as a gift in a straight line, ascending or descending

Every citizen

• is an employee in Denmark, a member state of the EU or the EEA, or
• would like to work independently in Denmark and
• the property must be intended for year-round use

All others require permission from Civilstyrelsen.