SWEDEN | Accommodation | Finding accommodation
General (student) housing conditions
In Sweden, accommodation prices depend on region, location, and quality. Finding accommodation in September or January when students return to the university can be difficult.
Before you start looking for an accommodation, you should ask yourself a few questions:
- Would I prefer to live on my own or share accommodation with others?
- What is my budget?
- Do I already have a preferred area where I would like to live?
Types of accommodation
The following are the main types of rented accommodation:
- Student apartment
- Student dormitory
- Ordinary apartments
- Hostels
- Renting a room in a house with a family
- University halls of residence: Interns in Sweden typically secure university halls of residence through campus housing portals, although availability for non-students is limited. Since queues can be lengthy, the best options include checking dedicated short-stay providers, city-specific coliving spaces, or directly contacting the university's housing office.
Finding accommodation
If you have not arranged your accommodation in advance, it is advisable that you contact a nearby university and also look at the student notice boards and community notice boards in local supermarkets. You can also ask your placement tutor or office to put you in touch with either last year's placement students to that city or a placement student currently out there. Not only will they be a valuable source of information, but they may even be vacating their accommodation at a time that would suit you to take on their tenancy, saving you both time and effort
Once you have found suitable accommodation that meets your needs and preferences, you should consider the following:
- Is the accommodation secure? (Check the locks on doors and windows)
- Is the accommodation multicultural?
- Is the accommodation located near you place of work?
- What is the public transport like?
- What equipment is available in the accommodation (furniture, appliances), and is everything working?
- What type of heating is it, and is there an extra charge for it?
- Are there extra charges for electricity and water?
- Do I have any allergies, for example to animals?