How long do you have to wait in line for a rental apartment in your country?

[Deathknightish]

Here in my city in Sweden you have to wait 6~ years just for the pleasure to live in the worst areas. 10-12 for the better ones. I managed to get an apartment through trading with another, but in the queue system where I've been standing for 7 years I'm in the kind of okay but still not-areas.

In Stockholm it's worse. Then it's like 10 years for the worst and 20-25 for the central parts.

Even in smaller cities I hear the waiting time is growing, to like 5 years for central parts.

So parents put their kids in queue the moment they turn 18, and until they get their own apartment it's second hand renting through others, which they are only allowed to rent for a year before it's time for the next second hand apartment, or if they have rich parents the parents buy them one.

[Deathknightish]

This is for city owned apartments, right?

Municipal rental companies, yes, but not state-owned. The municipalities run them, but they run a lot like private companies. There are hundreds of these.

There is another site for private companies called HomeQ, but even then we are talking years to get one. not AS many but I've been in line there for 3 years and still haven't been offered anything nice.

[jonnysensible]

what the fuck are you talking about?

if i want to rent a place i go to the estate agent and go 'i want to rent this place' they do all the checks and take the piss with costs and then bosh 20 days or so later you are in the gaff

[Deathknightish]

I've never rented an apartment through a company. Always directly from the owner and the wait time is zero.

I see. I don't think there are anything like that here. I've never heard of individuals owning and renting specific apartments in a building here, only companier, municipality-owned and private.

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what the fuck are you talking about?

if i want to rent a place i go to the estate agent and go 'i want to rent this place' they do all the checks and take the piss with costs and then bosh 20 days or so later you are in the gaff

So you can get an apartment right away? I envy you.

[Dezerte]

Here in my town (15k pop.) the wait time is around 6 months.

[kamuimac]

Here in my city in Sweden you have to wait 6~ years just for the pleasure to live in the worst areas. 10-12 for the better ones. I managed to get an apartment through trading with another, but in the queue system where I've been standing for 7 years I'm in the kind of okay but still not-areas.

In Stockholm it's worse. Then it's like 10 years for the worst and 20-25 for the central parts.

Even in smaller cities I hear the waiting time is growing, to like 5 years for central parts.

So parents put their kids in queue the moment they turn 18, and until they get their own apartment it's second hand renting through others, which they are only allowed to rent for a year before it's time for the next second hand apartment, or if they have rich parents the parents buy them one.

you can always rent apartment from owner instead waiting for handouts from state/city

imo state shouldnt provide that because its just promoting laziness and unwillingness to work .

[Deathknightish]

you can always rent apartment from owner instead waiting for handouts from state/city

imo state shouldnt provide that because its just promoting laziness and unwillingness to work .

You misunderstand. Municipal apartments aren't a last resort here for people who can't get anything else, they are just one alternative. They are a big thing. There are 308 different municipality-owned apartment companies who together own 910 000 apartments across the country.

Queuing for these apartments is something everybody does, because it's the smart thing to do because of the long wait times.

[Amerissis]

you can always rent apartment from owner instead waiting for handouts from state/city

imo state shouldnt provide that because its just promoting laziness and unwillingness to work .

Wut? Handouts? If you don't know how things work, just don't respond, ok? Or ask about it first.

Anyways, we have 20+ years in major cities here, 8-10 in normal cities and a few years in small rural towns no one wants to live in.

[Deathknightish]

Here in my town (15k pop.) the wait time is around 6 months.

Yeah, I got the impression that in such small towns it's not that bad, but in smaller towns that are still quite big, like Jönköping, I think it's around 5 years for central flats.

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Wut? Handouts? If you don't know how things work, just don't respond, ok? Or ask about it first.

Anyways, we have 20+ years in major cities here, 8-10 in normal cities and a few years in small rural towns no one wants to live in.

Wow, you mention cities as in plural? So not only Amsterdam? Here we are lucky that only Stockholm has THOSE kind of years for one. At least in Gothenburg, where I live, you "only" need 10-12 years for the good stuff.

[Amerissis]

Wow, you mention cities as in plural? So not only Amsterdam? Here we are lucky that only Stockholm has THOSE kind of years for one. At least in Gothenburg, where I live, you "only" need 10-12 years for the good stuff.

Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, even Eindhoven, they're all long. I recon you can get something after 10 years, but not in an area I'd want to live

I live in a small town of about 15k people and it's already 8 years here for a simple apartment. It's ridiculous. I'm lucky we can buy, because renting is just terrible.

[Mihalik]

you can always rent apartment from owner instead waiting for handouts from state/city

imo state shouldnt provide that because its just promoting laziness and unwillingness to work .

This is not social housing. It is public housing, but not in the sense it's understood in the US.

Municipalities (counties) use a part of their budget to invest in real estate. They set up a company that builds and manages real estate. Then they rent that real estate out in a very similar manner as private companies, essentially just being on the market. Then they recover the tax money from the rent they collect over time.

Tho they typically tend to offer more competitive rates/conditions as they are not profit driven.

Because in the US we don't do publicly owned companies it's a bit hard for people to imagine how this works exactly.

Government can do a lot and do it better than most people imagine if you don't intentionally by design make your government dysfunctional as we do in the US.

[Deathknightish]

This is not social housing. It is public housing, but not in the sense it's understood in the US.

Municipalities (counties) use a part of their budget to invest in real estate. They set up a company that builds and manages real estate. Then they rent that real estate out in a very similar manner as private companies, essentially just being on the market. Then they recover the tax money from the rent they collect over time.

Tho they typically tend to offer more competitive rates/conditions as they are not profit driven.

Because in the US we don't do publicly owned companies it's a bit hard for people to imagine how this works exactly.

Government can do a lot and do it better than most people imagine if you don't intentionally by design make your government dysfunctional as we do in the US.

This^ except for the thing about the cost of rent, for Sweden. We don't have free market on rent, but regulations, so private actors, nor the public ones, aren't allowed to demand as much as they want in rent, so public and private all have about the same cost.

[Azadina]

Never had to wait. Just last summer we moved to the dead middle of the city (120k population) in couple weeks . That's including getting the idea of moving, looking for a nice spot, going for a look at the place, doing the paperwork and moving. This was mid corona even. Years of wait times, wtf is that?

All of my other moves have been similar.

[Deathknightish]

Never had to wait. Just last summer we moved to the dead middle of the city (120k population) in couple weeks . That's including getting the idea of moving, looking for a nice spot, going for a look at the place, doing the paperwork and moving. This was mid corona even. Years of wait times, wtf is that?

All of my other moves have been similar.

That's what happen when they don't build enough. We've had a housing crisis since the early 90s.

[Lochton]

Here in my city in Sweden you have to wait 6~ years just for the pleasure to live in the worst areas. 10-12 for the better ones. I managed to get an apartment through trading with another, but in the queue system where I've been standing for 7 years I'm in the kind of okay but still not-areas.

In Stockholm it's worse. Then it's like 10 years for the worst and 20-25 for the central parts.

Even in smaller cities I hear the waiting time is growing, to like 5 years for central parts.

So parents put their kids in queue the moment they turn 18, and until they get their own apartment it's second hand renting through others, which they are only allowed to rent for a year before it's time for the next second hand apartment, or if they have rich parents the parents buy them one.

These are for housing associations
In big cities:6-10 years (+5 if you wish to level central Copenhagen or Aarhus).
In average cities: 3-6 years.
In small cities: 2-3 years.
In towns: 1-4 years.
In small towns: 2-5 years.

You get faster in queue if you are following:
Handicapped.
Elderly/pensioner (65+).
Family with kids.

You have less options if you are the following:
A smoker.
A pet owner.

In my country, the city has offered all rental housing to be run by housing associations on the premise that they keep properties up to date and managed, as well as offer faster service for the three categories I've stated. Some housing associations are sadly slower or more expensive than others - while others just scrape the minimum permit of the agreement and claim high prices, others are luckily in between with an average functional price for Denmark.

As well, looking for housing of course expect the cities will be more expensive, almost at an explosive rate depending on what part of the city. One section can be cheap, then travel 5 minutes, and suddenly 200% more in cost.

Bear in mind, you have to sign up at housing associations, and you can then keep paying the fee yearly to keep your position in queue in favor for you, making next move within the same housing association be much much faster, almost 80% faster.

[Deathknightish]

These are for housing associations
In big cities:6-10 years (+5 if you wish to level central Copenhagen or Aarhus).
In average cities: 3-6 years.
In small cities: 2-3 years.
In towns: 1-4 years.
In small towns: 2-5 years.

You get faster in queue if you are following:
Handicapped.
Elderly/pensioner (65+).
Family with kids.

You have less options if you are the following:
A smoker.
A pet owner.

In my country, the city has offered all rental housing to be run by housing associations on the premise that they keep properties up to date and managed, as well as offer faster service for the three categories I've stated. Some housing associations are sadly slower or more expensive than others - while others just scrape the minimum permit of the agreement and claim high prices, others are luckily in between with an average functional price for Denmark.

As well, looking for housing of course expect the cities will be more expensive, almost at an explosive rate depending on what part of the city. One section can be cheap, then travel 5 minutes, and suddenly 200% more in cost.

Intersting to see that it's so much shorter in neighbouring Denmark.

The last part makes me wonder though. Do you have free market prices on rent in Denmark? I had the impression that it was regulated like here, where a central apartment in Stockholm costs the same as one in any random ass small town? (Still lots of illegal businesses with apartments in Stockholm though where they prey on the desperate and illegaly skyrocket the prices, but the companies owning the apartment gets fined when they are found out).

[Collegeguy]

This is not social housing. It is public housing, but not in the sense it's understood in the US.

Municipalities (counties) use a part of their budget to invest in real estate. They set up a company that builds and manages real estate. Then they rent that real estate out in a very similar manner as private companies, essentially just being on the market. Then they recover the tax money from the rent they collect over time.

Tho they typically tend to offer more competitive rates/conditions as they are not profit driven.

Because in the US we don't do publicly owned companies it's a bit hard for people to imagine how this works exactly.

Government can do a lot and do it better than most people imagine if you don't intentionally by design make your government dysfunctional as we do in the US.

Sounds better. Glad I don't have to wait years however. I just pay money and walk in.

[Amerissis]

Sounds better. Glad I don't have to wait years however. I just pay money and walk in.

Well, you can still do that here at least, but those homes are not rent controlled and you won't get rent benefits. It's fine if you have plenty of money. You can also buy of course.

[Pannonian]

Depends.

In my city about 40% of apartments are owned by the city and are relatively cheap. Waiting for one of those: about 1-5 years depending on how where you want to live and what your family situation is like.

If you rent private - well... last time i think it took me 2 days (my current apartment, though privately owned has a maximum of how much they can charge (depending on how old the house is). This gets adapted every 1 or 2 years)

[Deathknightish]

Another question; in other countrys, when you buy an apartment, do you actually buy it or do you just buy the right to live in/use it?

Here there are in fact extremely few apartments that you buy and can do whatever you want with. Most that you "buy", you only buy the rights to, but in reality the association of that building/area owns it and and can kick you out if you don't live up to standards.