Student Housing in Sweden: Queues, Housing Guarantees and Sublets

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

For many students, housing is the hardest part of moving to Sweden. Rentals are allocated through queues, and in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Lund and Uppsala demand before the autumn semester far exceeds supply. The rule that matters most: join every queue you can, as early as you can.

Who rents to students

Most student rooms belong to student housing companies and foundations, not to universities. Each city has its own, usually with a queue counted in days:

SGS Studentbostäder, Gothenburg: one queue point per day in the queue. Rooms are easier to get mid-semester than just before term.
SSSB, Stockholm: you collect queue days after registering an account. To collect more than 90 days, and to live there, you must be a student union member studying at least half-time, 15 credits a semester.
AF Bostäder, Lund: its Novisch priority queue reserves at least 250 homes for new Lund University students. You need an admission decision and Studentlund membership. Priority helps but guarantees nothing.
Uppsala: each of the 13 student nations has housing for its members. The municipal queue, Uppsala Bostadsförmedling, also accepts international students without a Swedish personal identity number.

Your university's housing page lists the organisations in other towns.

Guarantees for fee-paying students

Some universities promise housing to students who pay tuition:

Uppsala University guarantees housing to all fee-paying bachelor's and master's students who pay the tuition fee by the deadline. Rooms are furnished; families are not housed.
Lund University gives fee-paying students one housing offer if they join its queue in time, pay tuition on time and apply before the deadline. You must accept that offer and pay the first rent and a deposit as instructed.

Ask every university on your list about this. A guarantee can matter more than a small difference in fees.

What it costs

The University of Gothenburg estimates a room in student housing at SEK 4,000 to 7,500 a month (about €360 to €675) and a small flat at SEK 6,000 to 10,000 (about €540 to €900). Smaller towns are usually cheaper. Check what the rent includes: electricity, internet and furniture are not always part of it. For a full budget see how much it costs to study in Sweden.

Second-hand contracts

First-hand rental contracts also go through queues, where newcomers stand little chance at first. So many students rent second-hand (andrahandskontrakt) from a tenant who is away, or live as a lodger. The law protects you:

Permission. A tenant needs written permission from the landlord or the rent tribunal (hyresnämnden) to sublet a rental flat. Ask to see it.
Rent limit. A sublet rental flat may cost no more than the tenant's own rent, plus at most 15% if furnished. Electricity or internet may be added only at real cost.
Money back. If you paid too much, the rent tribunal can order a refund: up to two years back for contracts made after 1 October 2019. Apply within three months of moving out.
No key money. Asking for or accepting a special payment just to let you rent is a crime.

The Swedish Union of Tenants (Hyresgästföreningen) advises its members to sign a written contract, photograph the flat on moving in and pay a deposit of no more than a couple of months' rent.

Registering your address

If you stay a year or more, you register with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) to get a personal identity number. You need the full address, including the four-digit flat number. Your name must be on the door or the post box; "c/o" addresses are not accepted. Non-EU students not yet registered must also give the Migration Agency their address within 30 days and after each move; see student visa for Sweden.

Avoiding scams

Fake listings peak at the start of the semester. Uppsala University advises paying nothing until both sides have signed the contract and you have checked the landlord. Be wary of anyone who cannot show the flat or the permission to sublet. Read how to find student housing in Europe without being scammed.

Tips

Register with student housing queues in your target cities when you apply to universities.
Pay tuition on time if your university offers a guarantee.
Book a short-term room for the first weeks if you have no contract yet.
Keep every contract and payment record.

Where to look next

Official sources

Living costs: University of Gothenburg
Housing guarantee: Uppsala University
Housing guarantee: Lund University Accommodation
Reasonable rent when subletting (in Swedish): Swedish Courts
Renting a flat second-hand (in Swedish): Swedish Union of Tenants

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.