Housing

Start your search early

Searching for a new home takes time and hard work. It often pays off to invest time in your search.
The earlier you start, the better.

Make sure to sign up on various housing platforms, explore options for dorm rooms, student housing, and youth housing. Set up notifications from these platforms to stay updated on housing opportunities that match your preferences.

Utilise your network

When starting a housing search, always involve your network if you have such in Denmark. If you know other international students in Copenhagen, ask them for help.  Don’t hesitate to reach further out.

Use social media and post about your housing search. You never know who holds the key to your next student accommodation in Copenhagen.

Sign up for waiting lists

Are you planning to stay in Copenhagen for a longer period?  Then you should make sure to register as a user on various housing portals, sign up on waiting lists for student housing and youth housing.

Also make sure to get notifications from various housing portals when there are homes that suit your wishes.

See a list of housing websites where you can sign up

Share rent and expenses with others

Consider moving in with others. Look into opportunities to share an apartment with other students. This way, you can save money on everything from rent to internet, water, heating, etc. 

At the same time, it is a good way to get to know more people. 

Urgent need of housing?

If you don’t find a permanent housing solution when you first move to Copenhagen, start with a short-term sublet. This gives you time to find a better and more permanent solution as you get to know the city better. Many students live in several different places during their studies.

Are you approaching the start of your studies and in urgent need of housing? Then Startup Housing might be something for you. Otherwise, advancing on waiting lists for student housing may be possible.

Through Startup Housing, the City of Copenhagen, byStudents, and Studenterhuset offer temporary housing on Vesterbro for up to 2 weeks during the start of your studies.

As a student, you may be able to move up on the waiting list for student housing if you meet a number of specific requirements. For example, if you a...

Apply for a dormitory

Interested in living in a dormitory? There are many different dormitories in Copenhagen—new and old, cheap and expensive, some with communal dining several times a week and others without. Likewise, there are dormitories with many social events and others with fewer.
Regardless, plan your application and check if students in your field of study have priority access to specific dormitories. 

Ask other students for advice. You can often find information on KUnet (requires login from current students). Here, we advertise vacant rooms in dormitories that collaborate with the University of Copenhagen. You can also visit Studenterhuset to look for post'its about dormitories.

Look for housing outside central Copenhagen

Include areas outside the most central parts of Copenhagen in your search. It’s usually cheaper to live in more remote areas, and from most of these areas, you can reach the university campuses within 30 minutes by public transport or bike. This applies to places like Vanløse, Brønshøj, Rødovre, Hvidovre, Sydhavn, Ydre Amager, and Søborg.

Avoid being scammed

Make sure to view the property before signing a rental contract. Transfer the deposit and rent via your bank and never pay in cash. Avoid deals that seem too good to be true on social media, especially those with urgent deadlines.
Remember to read the rental contract thoroughly before signing. Use your judgment and, if possible, have family or friends review the contract with you.

Accommodation in Copenhagen is expensive

Please note that accommodation in Copenhagen is very expensive, with rent ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 DKK a month (and higher!).

It is also common practice in Denmark to pay 3 months’ rent in advance (typically this will be saved as the rent for the last 3 months’ of the rental period) as well as a deposit equal to 3 months rent. 

This means that you will almost always have to pay a large sum of money in the beginning.

Searching for accommodation on your own

Almost all exchange students book accommodation through Housing Foundation Copenhagen, but it is possible for students to search for accommodation on their own. 

However, we do advise students to be careful, since there have been cases of students who have paid large deposits only to find out that the apartment did not belong to the person advertising it.