Landlords

Reasonable rent in Sweden: how much rent can you charge when you rent out?

Reasonable rent (skälig hyra) is the rent the Rent Tribunal (hyresnämnden) can set if your tenant thinks the rent is too high. If you rent out your tenant-owned apartment (bostadsrätt), your house or a room in your home, you and your tenant have agreed on the rent freely since 1 July 2026, as long as it is not significantly higher than what similar homes are rented out for. If you sublet a rental apartment (hyresrätt), the rent is instead based on its utility value (bruksvärde), which in most cases means your own rent plus a supplement if the apartment is furnished.

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What is reasonable rent?

Reasonable rent is the legal measure of how high a rent may be, and what counts as reasonable depends on which law applies to your rental. For privately owned homes, the rent is compared with what similar homes are rented out for. For rental apartments, it is compared with the utility value, meaning what the apartment is worth to live in based on size, standard and location compared with similar rental apartments.

The term only matters once a rent is challenged. The Rent Tribunal, a public body that settles disputes between landlords and tenants, decides whether a rent is reasonable. As long as nobody applies for a review, the rent in your lease is the one that applies.

How much rent can you charge for a tenant-owned apartment?

For a tenant-owned apartment, you and your tenant decide the rent together. This follows from the Private Rental Act, which came into force on 1 July 2026 and replaced the previous act on renting out your own home. The rent must be a fixed monthly amount, but you may agree that electricity, heating and water are paid according to consumption.

The limit is a rent that is significantly higher than what is generally charged for similar homes, or for homes in similar demand. In that case your tenant can turn to the Rent Tribunal, which lowers the rent to a reasonable amount compared with those homes. The law sets no percentage limit, so keep your rent in line with what comparable homes actually rent for.

Keep in mind that you need the housing cooperative’s consent to rent out your tenant-owned apartment second-hand. If you signed your lease before 1 July 2026, the older rules still apply to that lease.

How to calculate the rent for a tenant-owned apartment

To calculate a second-hand rent for a tenant-owned apartment, start from what similar homes in the area are rented out for. The old method, where the rent was based on the apartment’s capital and running costs, no longer applies to new leases. The easiest way is to begin with the rent calculator. It is based on actual rentals of similar homes, so you get a reasonable rent that reflects what homes like yours really rent for. Then adjust for whatever makes your home stand out.

These factors affect the rent the most:

• location and access to public transport
• size and number of rooms
• standard, condition and recent renovations
• whether the home is furnished
• whether electricity, internet, parking or storage is included

An example: you rent out a furnished two-room apartment of 55 square metres, and similar furnished apartments in the area rent for between SEK 13,000 and 15,000 a month. If you set the rent at SEK 14,500, you are in line with the comparable homes. If you ask SEK 19,000 for the same apartment, you risk the rent being judged significantly higher, and the Rent Tribunal can then lower it.

Reasonable rent for a house

If you rent out your house, townhouse or owner-occupied apartment, the same rules apply as for a tenant-owned apartment. You agree on the rent freely, and the Rent Tribunal can only lower it if it is significantly higher than for similar houses. Read more in our guide to renting out a house.

Running costs matter a lot for a house, so state clearly in the lease who pays for electricity, heating, water, waste collection and snow clearing. An example: you rent out an unfurnished house of 120 square metres where comparable houses in the area rent for SEK 18,000 to 21,000 a month. If heating and water are included, you can aim for the upper part of that range, but if the tenant pays all consumption it makes sense to go lower.

If you rent out a holiday home as someone’s permanent home, the Private Rental Act applies. If you rent it out for holidays and leisure, the rules in the Swedish Land Code apply instead.

Reasonable rent when you sublet a rental apartment

If you sublet your rental apartment, the rent may not be higher than what is reasonable given the apartment’s utility value. This follows from the Swedish Land Code, and in practice it means your own rent plus a supplement if you rent it out furnished. The Rent Tribunal usually accepts a supplement of 10 to 15 per cent for a fully furnished apartment, and if electricity or internet is included you may add what it costs you.

An example: your rent to your landlord is SEK 9,000 a month and you sublet the apartment fully furnished. With a furniture supplement the rent ends up between SEK 9,900 and 10,350, and if internet costing SEK 300 a month is included it becomes SEK 10,200 to 10,650. If you charge more than that, your tenant can ask to be repaid the amount above the reasonable rent.

You also need your landlord’s consent or the Rent Tribunal’s permission to sublet a rental apartment.

What happens if the rent is too high?

An unreasonable rent is a rent higher than the law allows, and overcharged rent is the part above the reasonable level. For a tenant-owned apartment or a house, the tenant applies to the Rent Tribunal to have the rent lowered. In most cases the new rent applies from the date of the application, but the tribunal can decide that it applies from an earlier date. If the rent is lowered for a past period, you must repay what you received in excess, with interest.

The tribunal’s decision then applies as a term for the rest of the rental. So it is not only about the past overcharge but also about lower income going forward, which is why it pays to set a reasonable rent from the start.

Is there market-based rent in Sweden?

Rental apartments in Sweden do not have rents set freely by supply and demand, because their rent is based on utility value. The Private Rental Act instead compares with what similar homes in similar demand are rented out for, so the rent for a privately owned home follows demand in practice, with protection against rents that are significantly higher.

When you rent out through Samtrygg, you use the rent calculator to work out a reasonable rent based on demand, so you neither leave money on the table nor scare off good tenants.

Why rent out safely through Samtrygg

With the right rent from the start, it is easier to find a good tenant and you reduce the risk of disagreements about the rent later. On Samtrygg you create a free listing, calculate a reasonable rent with the rent calculator and always choose your tenant yourself. Samtrygg is a marketplace, so you sign the lease directly with your tenant, with the rent clearly stated as a fixed amount.

The Safety Package is included free of charge for landlords:

• Rent guarantee for up to 12 months
• Rental insurance that covers damage a standard home insurance does not cover
• Verified home seekers and credit checks of tenants
• Standardised lease, written by Samtrygg’s lawyers
• Inspection report at move-in and move-out
• Legal advice
• Free marketing
• Personal service and help throughout the process

Behind the service is experience from more than 25,000 rentals, so you get help from people who know how it usually works.

Frequently asked questions about reasonable rent

How much can I charge for my tenant-owned apartment?

You may charge the rent you and your tenant agree on, as long as it is not significantly higher than what similar homes are rented out for. This applies to leases signed from 1 July 2026. There is no fixed maximum rent; the rent is compared with homes of the same type, size and location.

Is there a calculator for reasonable rent?

There is no official calculator for what is reasonable under the law, since it is ultimately the Rent Tribunal that decides. Samtrygg’s rent calculator gives you a reasonable rent for your home, which is a good starting point when you compare with similar homes.

Does the capital cost method still apply?

No, not for new leases. Previously, the rent for a tenant-owned apartment or house could be based on its capital and running costs, but that model disappeared when the Private Rental Act came into force on 1 July 2026. Leases signed before then still follow the older rules.

Can I charge more if the home is furnished?

Yes. For a tenant-owned apartment or house, furniture is taken into account when the rent is compared with similar furnished homes, and our guide to renting out furnished or unfurnished helps you choose. When you sublet a rental apartment, the Rent Tribunal usually accepts a supplement of 10 to 15 per cent for a fully furnished apartment.

Does the Private Rental Act apply if I rent out a room or several homes?

Yes, if you rent out a room in the home where you live, the Private Rental Act applies and the room does not count towards the limit. The act applies as long as you do not regularly rent out more than two homes besides your own. If you rent out more than that, the Swedish Land Code and the utility value apply to the rent.

Can I raise the rent during the rental period?

Only if you have agreed on it in the lease, for example by linking the rent to an index. You must then notify your tenant in writing, and the new rent applies at the earliest from the turn of the month one month after the notice. The previous rent must also have applied for at least one year.

Summary

Reasonable rent is the legal limit for how high a rent may be. For tenant-owned apartments, houses and rooms in your home, you and your tenant agree on the rent, as long as it is not significantly higher than for similar homes. When you sublet a rental apartment, the utility value applies, which usually means your own rent plus a supplement for furniture. Compare with similar homes, state the rent as a clear amount in the lease and use the rent calculator as your starting point. Rental income may also be taxable, so read our tax guide and use the Swedish Tax Agency’s (Skatteverket) calculation tools for your own situation.

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Last updated 14 October 2026