Thinking about renting out your condominium apartment but unsure whether your housing association can say no? Here’s an overview of the rules following the legislative changes that came into effect on July 1, 2026, including which reasons are generally accepted and what you can do if the board rejects your request.
The main rule: you need permission
Renting out a condominium apartment to a second-hand tenant always requires permission from the housing association’s board. This applies regardless of how long you intend to rent out the apartment and regardless of who the tenant is. Renting out without permission can, in the worst-case scenario, result in the forfeiture of your right to the apartment, meaning you could ultimately lose it.
To obtain permission, you need to have a valid reason for the subletting. Since a legislative change in 2014, it has been sufficient to demonstrate “reasons” (skäl), whereas previously the law required “significant reasons” (beaktansvärda skäl), which involved a considerably stricter assessment. The aim of the legislative change was to make it easier for condominium owners to sublet, and this is clearly reflected in how applications are assessed today.
Which reasons are normally accepted?
The most common and well-established reasons include:
Work or studies in another location. This is by far the most common reason. To qualify as a valid reason, the distance should generally be such that daily commuting is not reasonably practical- in practice, often more than 80–100 kilometres or more than approximately 1.5 hours of travel each way.
Trial cohabitation. Moving in with a partner you have not previously lived with is generally considered a valid reason. Permission is normally granted for up to one year.
Age, illness, or caring for a relative. If you temporarily need to live closer to medical care or move in with a relative who needs assistance, this is commonly accepted as a valid reason. A medical certificate can significantly strengthen your application.
Difficulty selling the apartment. If you have already moved and are having difficulty selling the apartment at a reasonable price, this may constitute a valid reason. However, the evidentiary requirements are relatively high. You need to be able to demonstrate actual attempts to sell the property, rather than simply relying on a verbal assessment from a real estate agent.
Staying abroad. An extended stay abroad can be accepted as a reason for subletting, although the strength of the reason may decrease the longer the absence lasts and the weaker your connection to the apartment becomes over time.
When does the housing association have valid grounds to refuse?
A housing association cannot reject an application arbitrarily. There must be a legitimate and objectively justified reason for doing so. Common grounds for refusal include:
- There is no valid reason for the subletting, or the reason has not been sufficiently substantiated
- The proposed tenant is considered unsuitable, for example due to a history of causing disturbances in previous housing
- The subletting would continue for a very long period without the original reason remaining valid
- The association’s bylaws contain conditions that weigh against the application, such as age restrictions
- The application is considered speculative, for example if the apartment was purchased specifically with the intention of renting it out
A common misconception is that a housing association can reject an application simply because it believes that too many apartments are already being sublet. That is not how the rules work. Each application should be assessed individually, based on the specific circumstances and reasons of the individual condominium owner.
New rules from July 1, 2026
As of July 1, 2026, new and more flexible rules regarding the subletting of condominium apartments have come into effect. In brief, the changes limit the housing association’s ability to refuse subletting, particularly when it comes to extensions of existing subletting arrangements.
Previously, a housing association could rely on the fact that an apartment had already been sublet for an extended period as a reason for refusing a continued subletting arrangement. This is no longer sufficient on its own. An association can only refuse an extension if there are other grounds for doing so, unless the apartment has been sublet to a significant extent over a long period of time.
This represents a genuine change for condominium owners who want to sublet their apartments for longer periods, for example during an extended assignment abroad. At the same time, it takes time for case law from the Regional Rent and Tenancy Tribunals (Hyresnämnden) to develop under the new legislation. The exact boundaries in individual cases will therefore become clearer gradually over the coming year.
What should you do if the board says no?
If the board rejects your application despite you having valid reasons, you can apply to the Regional Rent and Tenancy Tribunal (Hyresnämnden). The tribunal makes its own independent assessment and can grant permission even if the housing association has rejected your request, provided that you have valid reasons and the association has no legitimate grounds for refusing.
What strengthens an application most is written evidence. Depending on your circumstances, this could include an employment certificate, university admission letter, medical certificate, documentation from a real estate agent, or extracts from the Swedish Population Register. The clearer and more comprehensive your documentation, the stronger your case will be.
It is also worth knowing that decisions by the Regional Rent and Tenancy Tribunal in these matters generally cannot be appealed further to the Svea Court of Appeal, except in cases of particular legal or precedential importance. This makes it particularly important to prepare your application carefully, as there is rarely a second chance.
What can the housing association charge for subletting?
The housing association may charge you a separate fee for subletting, provided that this is permitted under the association’s bylaws. The fee may amount to a maximum of 10% of the annual Swedish price base amount (prisbasbelopp). For 2025, this corresponds to SEK 6,000 per year, or SEK 500 per month. If the apartment is sublet for only part of the year, the fee is calculated proportionally.
Our recommendation
In our experience, applications that are clear, well documented, and submitted well in advance are the easiest to process with the housing association’s board. The more clearly you can demonstrate why you need to sublet your apartment, the smoother the process is likely to be.
We regularly help condominium owners in Stockholm throughout the entire process- from submitting the application to arranging the tenancy agreement and ensuring a smooth move-in for the tenant.
Thinking about renting out your apartment? Feel free to contact us and we’ll help you find the perfect tenant:
