Finding a place to live in Gothenburg

While the rental market in Gothenburg is competitive, it’s not impossible to find a good place for a reasonable price. Finding an apartment should be your number one priority on moving, and it’s important to start looking as soon as your place on your course, or your internship, is confirmed! We’re experts in finding accommodation for students, so let’s get into it.

Renting an apartment

Renting an apartment in Sweden can be a little more convoluted than in some other countries, but the basic premise is the same: you need to respond quickly to ads, and you’ll probably have to fight off a lot of competition to get a nice place for a reasonable price. Pricing is usually determined by the size of the apartment (in square metres, aka boarea in Swedish) and the number of rooms. All flats will come with a cooker, fridge-freezer and usually a washing machine.

There are two types of contract you can take out: first or second hand contracts.

First Hand (förstahandskontrakt)

This is where you rent directly through the owner of the flat, or building. These are less common and aren’t generally allowed on a short-term basis. As a result they aren’t usually taken on by students. Another point to note is that all first-hand apartments will be unfurnished, which is probably not what you want when you’re only there for 3-9 months!

Second Hand (andrahandskontrakt)

Much more appealing to students are second hand contracts. Here you will sublet from the person or agency who is renting directly from the owner. This type of contract is usually shorter (which is ideal) and often the apartments are furnished, which is even better. These attract a lot of interest, so you need to get in there quickly to stand a chance!

Renting from other students

Another rental option is to simply rent a room in a student flat. If someone has moved away on exchange, or is graduating and leaving the city, there will be an empty bed in an otherwise full flat. Try using the Housing Anywhere Gothenburg search, as we are always updating our site with quality, central locations suitable for students.

Student-specific housing

It is possible that you could get student-specific housing through your university, if you’re attending University of Gothenburg or Chalmers Technical University, you should check out their sites and see what they can do for you. These are usually quite simple, a bit expensive but all-inclusive, so you don’t have anything to worry about.

Find flatmates through Facebook

We own and manage a few different Facebook groups, each of which is geared towards helping students connect and find new flatmates in Gothenburg. Check them out, and see if you and a few like minded people can find an apartment together!

Room prices

It’s unusually difficult to pin an "average" room cost for Gothenburg. Prices can vary anywhere from €350 per month to nearly €800. This is partially because some flats advertise as including bills and utilities, where many other do not. The quality of apartment also varies from exceptionally plush and large to closet-sized, so you’ll need to do a fair amount of research.

All-told, rent in Sweden is pretty high and in line with the overall cost of living which is much higher than in central Europe. It’s best you know that going in, as you could easily pay €500-600 per month (on rent alone) for a very average quality room. That’s why it’s best to start looking early, so you can snatch up any good deals before everyone else is looking!

Stay switched on

While most of the rental market is open and fair, there are scam artists as well, looking to make easy money off desperate students and travellers. Here are a few points to watch out for to stay safe:

  • Ensure the landlord has the right to sublet (through the owner).

  • Make sure you sign a full, comprehensive tenancy agreement before making any payment.

  • Only use secure payment methods, and never send money to a foreign bank account, as all legitimate landlords will have Swedish accounts.


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