JohnnyO

Hi all,

Wanting to move to Sweden - to Örebro - as soon as possible - to be with my girlfriend. I'll be coming in on my British passport so that is no problem - but the problem is my girlfriend is struggling to find a suitable flat for us.

She is in a small student flat which is great for one but not for two - the only delay with us being together is that we need a bigger flat - I work from home so we basically need a two bedroom flat in Örebro for long term rental.

If possible I would like to not have to pay more than about 6000 Krona per month.

I thought I would see if anyone here would have or know of an apartment for rent. The sooner I can get the place sorted the sooner I can be back on the plane and with my girlfriend again

Many thanks,

Johnny.

Pythagoras

I take it you’ve already done all the serious planning of finances, language learning, negotiating your way through Swedish bureaucracy (etc)

You could check out this website although if your girlfriend is already in Sweden, she may be in a better position to search for flats to rent.

You'd neeed to register with the Skatteverket (tax agency) for a personnummer, once you have a Swedish address - and be liable to pay tax to them.

Good luck!

JohnnyO

Many thanks for the lead Pythagoras - at this stage I will take all the help I can get

JohnnyO

PS That site you gave me? My GF is already checking it every day - and so far we now (finally) have a few leads - nothing definite yet - mostly 2 bedroom rentals between 8000 and 9000 Krona a month - probably as good as we can get I am thinking...

The Local

I just wanted to give you a warning regarding Blocket and apartments.
Scamming is widespread on that site in regards to second hand apartment contracts.
So be very careful as many people loose a lot of cash because of Blocket scams.
And under no circumstances, agree to a rental where the person will ship you the keys (usually claiming they are living in London or some other place)

You will also need to make sure both your names are on any apartment rental contract, but this could be a problem until you are registered and in the system.which brings me onto the next part - make sure you know all the ins and outs regarding the legality of moving to Sweden, from employment laws to registration , private health care insurance and so on. It is a mine field of issues relating to this, especially if you are moving from the uk to Sweden.

It's actually a lot easier for a Swede to move to the UK, than the other way arround.

Also if you are not aware, Örebro has a lot of gang related crime.
Most notably relating to murder and gun related crimes, often between the Romanos and the Black Cobra's. Along with high economic and cultural tensions from other groups.

Much of the fire fights have spilled onto the streets and been in broad daylight.
Often in densely populated areas such as main shopping streets.

While I don't want to talk bad about the area, you would be well advised to research the area if you haven't already. Especially in regards to gun related killings.

Personally I wouldn't move there, for all the tea in China.

Pythagoras

Blocket may be useful in giving an overview of what apartments are available – but yes, its true: there are scams of the ‘Pay First’ variety.

I’ve only ever used Blocket once – to buy a second hand Mondeo for my partner to get to work (she was fed up with the rail travel experience of seats, made dirty by people putting their feet up, as well as beggars hassling her for money etc etc). At the time, I checked the vehicle, was satisfied and paid cash

Quite frankly, another option would be for the OP to simply move in with GF for the time being – and get some local knowledge of best places to rent an apartment. Looking on the bright side – if you’re only renting (as opposed to buying a place outright) it should be easier to ‘evacuate’ from Sweden if you decide its not for you

JohnnyO

Thanks for the heads up Fortunately I've been there for a while (previously) and sort of know what I am walking into - my GF will finish her studies in 12 months and then I think we WILL move elsewhere - the problem is that I will need a flat there big enough for the two of us (for me to work and her to study - and for us to not drive each other crazy while we are doing it) for the next 12 months.

Johnny.

PS DOES it normally take so long to find a flat there? She has a few leads and has checked one out that just wasn't right for us but even her friends are saying it could take up to THREE MONTHS for us to find a flat (?) I've changed the budget now and told my GF that we can go up to 9,000 krona a month if we have to - with that sort of budget I would have thought we would have found several possibilities by now (?)

JohnnyO

(We are after a 2 bedroom flat - furnished or unfurnished - although of course furnished would be better because it would save us money and make it easier for us when it comes to moving time again...)

The Local

i think realistically 3 months could be optimistic.
Sweden has been swamped with refugees and they are housing people wherever they can.
And this includes large towns and cities, as local councils are having to throw money at any option possible at the moment.

To be fair, I don't live in Örebro so I can't say for definite.
But if it's anywhere similar to other parts of Sweden then 9k for a 2nd hand apartment isn't going to get you much.

But while I don't know your exact situation.
I am wondering if you know how the system works over here? As there has been many changes recently in the past 12 months in regards to EU residents looking to stay.

If you are planning to stay for more than 90 days, and want access to things like doctors etc. Then it really is worth squatting up as many aspects have changed recently. Such as the requirement of priVate health insurance , as a EHIC card is not valid for anyone seeking residency or over for more than 90 days.

Good luck

JohnnyO

Okay - thanks for the heads up there - I'd better DO that squatting before I go then. If you've got any links that you would recommend please post (?)

JohnnyO

PS Re: pricing there - for apartments - the ones my GF has seen advertised have typically been between 7000 and 9000 krona per month...

Pythagoras

There is a lot of useful info, with associated links on the Migrationsverket website

It does actually say there that EU citizens have right of residence (and no need to visit the Migrationsverket) if you "are employed, self-employed, a student or have sufficient means to support yourself."

I've always been able to support myself, but still found myself being 'shepherded' to a Migrationsverket office for a PUT (permanent residence permit).

Government department officials are sometimes muppets, and you may be well advised to get hold of current legislation (tax, residency etc) so you can 'cross-check' they are not making mistakes.

Hope you make a 'go' of things!

The Local

Moving to Sweden | Skatteverket [NS4 version]

The Local

I will try and write a brief summary.

As a EU citizen you have the right to visit for 90 days.

Any person who intends to stay for more than 180 in any tax year is expected to register with the authorities.

If you are planning to move here for a set period of time, as an Eu citizen you have 2 ways.

1. come over as a loaded tourist and pay a premium (private health care insurance, as well as paying a premium for other services)

2. Register with the tax office to receive a personal number (similar to a national id).
This is a quintessential part of life in Sweden as everything from the hospital to the utility companies, collecting mail from the post office etc often require this. Even most landlords require this from their tenants.

This number basically acts as a way to show you are part of the population and that if anything goes wrong their is a way of contacting you.

Now when it comes to renting an apartment, it is hard in Sweden. Very hard.
There are different types of apartments.

1. Owned (paid for) - Usually bought for a few million krona.

2. Rented (1st hand contract) - Very hard to find with waiting lists that span years.

3. Rented (2nd hand contract) - Most common on places like Blocket.
Also the most common for scammers and things to go wrong.
As you have no rights whatsoever.

These are places where most of the time, the person who lives in said apartment is looking to rent it out as they are away etc.

But these contracts (2nd hand) give you no rights and often if the owner changes their mind or their plans change (which happens a lot), then you could find yourself out n the street. You have to pay the official owner/tenant(1st hand) of the apartment the rent (usually at an inflated cost), and they in-turn pay the rent to the house as they are the official tenant. But if they decide to pocket the money (not uncommon) then you will get kicked out with no fall back.

In larger cities it is not uncommon to find people staying for long periods of time in expensive hostels etc, because they can't find anywhere to rent.

4. Rented (Agency) - These are a select group of apartments that are privately owned and usually rented out to companies for their expat workers. These apartments usually carry a premium and usually cost at least 50% more than usual. And are for fixed periods of time. (all above board)

At a guess I would say the majority of all legit landlords, 2nd hand renters and agencies will require a personal number for all potential renters. Or a credit check with a Swedish employer. This is to make sure they can pay the rent. If you were to go through your GF's number and use that, then most renters would want a credit check or guarantee that she has the funds. And many would be sceptical that a single young student had 9k a month for rent alone.

So remember, you need private health care insurance no matter what.
As the EHIC is not valid for people intending to stay more than 90 days.

A personal number is needed unless you are absolutely minted. And this can take time also.

And if you plan to register with the tax office to get a personal number, you will be liable to the high cost of self employment in sweden. (in terms of taxes and contributions).

JohnnyO

MANY MANY thanks for that ''The Local'' - you've definitely done a good job on that summary there...

I will probably try and go for this personal number you've mentioned.

In terms of work - I am self employed - have been for years - all I need to work is a phone line and internet connection - everything else I do via international call forwarding (DID technology) which is dirt cheap and makes it possible.

The best hope we have right now is one guy who is taking the weekend to look at all the prospective renters he has for his apartment - we are very nigh on his list though apparently because we are both pretty much non-drinkers and I get the feeling he's had bad experiences with tenants in the past (i.e. drunken parties and trashing the place...

The other thing he likes is that we're the quiet sorts - I work many hours a day - from home on the phone - and my GF studies and works long hours also...

Apparently he's getting back to us soon - next few days - and if its a go I'll be on the next plane...

I'm going to read through the info you've given me and probably print some of it out for a small take with me list of things to check/do on arrival.

A lot of people there DO seem to be doing the ''second hand'' rental thing - and that is the one thing that worries me to be honest - the rest all sorts like it is do-able for someone like myself - I'll have to rely on my girl to really suss this chap out and get a feel for what he is like.

Johnny.