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

[Lochton]

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).

Mostly rent here is regulated in comparison to the operation and management cost of the property divided out into the amount of homes within, and then they add a little on top to make a bit of coin of course.

Here you can as well have an A or a B contract.

A contract: Pay deposit + 1 month rent upfront -> move in and pay your rent -> move out -> see renovation cost and clean up taken from your deposit, either giving you some back or giving you a bill for more.

B contract: Pay deposit + 1 month rent upfront -> move in and pay your rent -> housing association takes 10% of your rent and saves it for when you move out -> move out -> see renovation cost and clean up taken from your 10% saved pr. month pr. year -> if more is needed, they will take from your deposit, else they tend to pay out your whole deposit without an extra bill (Of course depending on your time living there).

- - - Updated - - -

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.

In Denmark, you have two ways.

Ownership: You own the place and may do what you wish if your wish is up to code with the regulations of the council/kommune/state. (Ownership: You pay your housing tax, management cost and the likes as if it was a house but without property tax and your insurance is less).

Share of ownership: Share of ownership has you following a strict set of rules within the building, such as what windows to use, what paint to use on exterior walls, what companies to use for certain tasks as well as you have to ask the other shared owners for permission for altering your apartment before you may apply for permission from council/kommune/state. (Commonly a shared ownership is cheaper than buying an apartment, as well as you sadly do pay a sort of rent).

[Zuben]

I don't know what that's about, people in need of a place just check for online ads for available ones or contact an agent. Just checked one site for available apartments in Helsinki and got 162 pages worth of ads. We have our nation-owned rent firms that often handle entire apartment houses, but individual lessors are a common thing as well. I've never heard of queues for such.

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.

I own my current apartment, at least for the amount I've paid the bank back for the initial loan I had to take. As long as I abide the rules of the housing association they can't kick me out, and even if I do violate them there's a number of official warnings I have to receive before they can take action, and even if they do end up kicking me out it's only a temporary situation. Aside from that, it varies what parts of the apartment are your responsibility to maintain and what's the HA's responsibility. So, all in all, I don't have the freedom with my apartment I would with an actual house, but if your lifestyle is reasonable (=you're not a neighbor from hell) there's quite little difference. When I finally sell this place the money I get is mine (minus transfer tax and what I owe the bank at that point).

[Low Hanging Fruit]

I can rent one in about 24 hours anywhere in the city.

[Shadowferal]

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

I think this needs emphasis for those born in the US. Here in the US it's just a matter of seeing the obligatory "for rent" sign, and depending on the state procedure, it can be a matter of going through a background check, to simply slapping down cash and have a done deal.
I believe things done very differently elsewhere reflects issues that reflect population.

[Sorensen]

Wtf? Waiting in line for an apt? In america you pay money to rent an apt. No line needed at least in the good parts.

Where do people even live if you have to wait years for an apartment?

[minteK917]

Yesh in canada theres no real wait time, they usually prepare to rent as soon as someonr doesent renew, so you can just prepare yourself months before you want to move. There is also a % of rents that needs to be vacated at all time
That really depends on cities.

[Sorensen]

It was the 6th word of the OP for starters..

Doesn't answer any of my questions. Sounds like there is massive homelessness in sweden which honestly doesn't sound great.

[Deathknightish]

Doesn't answer any of my questions. Sounds like there is massive homelessness in sweden which honestly doesn't sound great.

I mean, we do have homeless people but it's not because of a lack of apartments. It's because of them often having problems making them incapable of holding onto an apartment, such as mental illness, druguse etc.

[Lochton]

Wtf? Waiting in line for an apt? In america you pay money to rent an apt. No line needed at least in the good parts.

Where do people even live if you have to wait years for an apartment?

People queue for better quality living and located apartments. Privates, at least in my country, are considered the lowest tier of rental apartments because they don't know what it means to be a real landlord.

Doesn't answer any of my questions. Sounds like there is massive homelessness in sweden which honestly doesn't sound great.

I'm sorry but queue or no queue doesn't factor all homelessness, I mean, just look at the huge amount in the US compared to many other places. There was once a documentary on TV in Denmark about homeless people being able to be re-homed without a problem if the state just took the empty homes for the use but still, you don't solve all problems that a homeless person has just by giving them a roof over their heads. Still many factors to count in.

[cubby]

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.

How does that work? Where do you live while you are waiting in the queue?

I'm in the United States - and there is no waiting time. If I wanted to rent an apartment, I could get one tomorrow (just a background check, usually same day results).

[Deathknightish]

People queue for better quality living and located apartments. Privates, at least in my country, are considered the lowest tier of rental apartments because they don't know what it means to be a real landlord.

This sounds like private individuals resting out an apartment part of a bigger building, is this correct? It seems to be quite common outside of Sweden. I know Spain has that as well. We don't have private individuals owning specific apartments in a complex. Here, private means a private company who owns and runs a whole building.

[Sorensen]

People queue for better quality living and located apartments. Privates, at least in my country, are considered the lowest tier of rental apartments because they don't know what it means to be a real landlord.



I'm sorry but queue or no queue doesn't factor all homelessness, I mean, just look at the huge amount in the US compared to many other places. There was once a documentary on TV in Denmark about homeless people being able to be re-homed without a problem if the state just took the empty homes for the use but still, you don't solve all problems that a homeless person has just by giving them a roof over their heads. Still many factors to count in.

So you have nowhere to live but the line is 6 years. In what world does that not create massive homelessness issues?

[Deathknightish]

How does that work? Where do you live while you are waiting in the queue?

I'm in the United States - and there is no waiting time. If I wanted to rent an apartment, I could get one tomorrow (just a background check, usually same day results).

Either at home, through the second hand market (but like I said, you are only allowed to live there for a year before you need to find something new), student apartments which you are eligible for if you study, or simply move to one of the surrounding towns in the meantime, where you are more likely to be able to get an apartment in a much shorter span.

- - - Updated - - -

So you have nowhere to live but the line is 6 years. In what world does that not create massive homelessness issues?

Like I wrote in my previous reply, either at home, through second hand or in a smaller town where you don't have to wait as long. I can just take the bus 30 minutes away and the 6 years becomes like half a year-a year in one of the surrounding towns.

[Sorensen]

Either at home, through the second hand market (but like I said, you are only allowed to live there for a year before you need to find something new), student apartments which you are eligible for if you study, or simply move to one of the surrounding towns in the meantime, where you are more likely to be able to get an apartment in a much shorter span.

These all sound like the most made up problems. I know the USA has it's issues but at least finding a place to lives doesn't require a years long line.

[cubby]

Either at home, through the second hand market (but like I said, you are only allowed to live there for a year before you need to find something new), student apartments which you are eligible for if you study, or simply move to one of the surrounding towns in the meantime, where you are more likely to be able to get an apartment in a much shorter span.

That's fascinating. Why is the wait so long? And this is in Sweden - is this situation typical for the larger cities in the whole country? Do more people buy than rent? And where are the people going who move out to open up a space for incoming renters?

[Unholyground]

No idea I have never rented other than a year of college but there was no line. I was smart and lived at home while I saved for my own home and helped my rents with their bills and then moved directly into my own home after saving 40K over like 3 years.

[Deathknightish]

That's fascinating. Why is the wait so long? And this is in Sweden - is this situation typical for the larger cities in the whole country? Do more people buy than rent? And where are the people going who move out to open up a space for incoming renters?

They build too little, which has been the case since the 90s. I just know the case for the three largest cities, Stockholm, Göteborg/Gothenburg and Malmö, but I've heard that even in the cities that are semi-big, like Jönköping, which got 140k inhabitants (yeye, I know that's a billage to you in other countries but here it's quite big!), it's still a few years for central flats.

No idea how many people buy and how many people rent, but among my friends only one lives in a bought apartment, and that was because she got a 16 year older boyfriend who already owned it. I think it's quite common when you're 40+, but not in my age (31).

I assume to bigger apartments, or they buy a house, because they either find someone or their family grows bigger and they need more space.

[Lochton]

These all sound like the most made up problems. I know the USA has it's issues but at least finding a place to lives doesn't require a years long line.

But it does if you can't afford it? If you can't maintain it?

As well, for Denmark, if you are a homeless person and wish to reconnect with society and work, you are bumped high up the list thanks to the government.

- - - Updated - - -

This sounds like private individuals resting out an apartment part of a bigger building, is this correct? It seems to be quite common outside of Sweden. I know Spain has that as well. We don't have private individuals owning specific apartments in a complex. Here, private means a private company who owns and runs a whole building.

Nah, what you quoted was a statement to privates owning large buildings with multiple homes within or houses for rent. A private means a non-registered landlord, which most of the team means unsafe contracts, less service and bad maintenance.

[Sorensen]

But it does if you can't afford it? If you can't maintain it?

As well, for Denmark, if you are a homeless person and wish to reconnect with society and work, you are bumped high up the list thanks to the government.

- - - Updated - - -



Nah, what you quoted was a statement to privates owning large buildings with multiple homes within or houses for rent. A private means a non-registered landlord, which most of the team means unsafe contracts, less service and bad maintenance.

If you are bumped up is that's why the line for anyone else can last year's?

Why not build additional housing for everyone?

[Deathknightish]

But it does if you can't afford it? If you can't maintain it?

As well, for Denmark, if you are a homeless person and wish to reconnect with society and work, you are bumped high up the list thanks to the government.

- - - Updated - - -



Nah, what you quoted was a statement to privates owning large buildings with multiple homes within or houses for rent. A private means a non-registered landlord, which most of the team means unsafe contracts, less service and bad maintenance.

Aha, I see!