Moving In: Remember before you move in: Make sure you have a home insurance contract (valid from the first day of your lease) Sign a new electricity contract Moving in meeting We recommend that you request a “moving in” meeting with your landlord, so that they can show you around the apartment building, explain important information and answer any questions. They can also explain the rules regarding waste disposal, recycling, smoke detectors, home insurance, service notifications, keys, and being a good neighbour. Checking the condition of the apartment Before you move in, the apartment has been inspected by the landlord along with the previous tenant. The landlord will check that the apartment is in good condition before you move in. But if there should be any problem with the condition of the apartment when you move in, such as damaged fixtures, cabinets or broken refrigerator, or if the apartment has not been not properly cleaned, immediately contact the landlord so that they can correct the situation. As the new tenant, you will be responsible for the condition of the apartment for the duration of your lease. Therefore it is important that you report any problems with the apartment to the landlord immediately, otherwise you can become responsible for damages that you have not caused. Rent Payments and Negotiations Rents are negotiated between the landlord and the tenants association. Your rent can be changed, depending on the following factors: Each year there is a general rent re-negotiation between the landlord’s association and the tenant’s association. These general negotiations mainly take into account the overall increases in cost. Through a re-evaluation, where the apartment and the property is compared to the surrounding properties with comparable standard. A re-evaluation is only made when requested by the tenant or the landlord. As a result of standard-raising measures, such as bathroom or kitchen renovation etc. Standard raising measures that can affect the rent level usually require the tenant’s approval. What happens if I do not pay my rent? If the tenant fails to pay his rent on time, the rent notice/bill will be sent to a claims company for debt collection. If the tenant, despite the debt collection claim, does not pay the rent including all late fees, the matter will be sent to the Enforcement Authority for eviction. What happens if I pay my rent a couple of days late? If you pay late, you have to pay interest on the amount due. This sum will be added to your next rental notice. I have not received any rental notice/bill, do I still pay my rent? Yes, the tenant is obliged under the signed agreement to pay rent without notice by the landlord. I will go away and have not yet received the rent notice/bill for the next month. How do I pay rent before departure? You can use the previous months’ notice/bill and make a payment in advance. The recipient will then make an adjustment and place the amount on the appropriate month. Care and Maintenance: When you move into an apartment, you are responsible for keeping it in good condition and taking care of the maintenance properly. Here is some simple advice on how to care for your apartment: • Be gentle with your floors and vacuum in the first place. Wipe the floor with a damp cloth occasionally, but do not use any harsh detergents. • Wallpaper with a plastic surface can be cleaned by wiping them gently with a damp cloth. Other wallpaper, you should only dust dry. • Wipe the ventilation valves and wash any filters at regular intervals. • Regularly clean the kitchen fan, filters and valves as fat accumulation increases the risk of fire. • Remove grease stains from the stove top and the oven as soon as possible to avoid fat burning in. Remember also to regularly clean behind the stove. • Clean the drain from time to time to reduce the risk of clogging. It is also important not to flush down anything that could cause a clog. The landlord will inspect the apartment upon termination of the lease. Costs for excessive or abnormal wear of the apartment will be charged to the tenant. If you are unsure on what you are allowed to do in the apartment, you can always contact your landlord. Disturbance: Living in an apartment block, means that many people will live and coexist together. It is therefore important that you respect your neighbours and show consideration. Certain sounds from neighbours have to accepted, such as sound from TVs and/or small children. It is possible to prevent most of the potential irritation by communicating with those who live around you. Notify your neighbours, for example if you are having a party. A tenant who disturbs their neighbours and does not stop after being reprimanded and/or receiving warning letters, runs the risk of being evicted from their apartment. Remember that you are also responsible for your family members and your visitors. Examples of sounds that should not be accepted: - Loud noise from music players or personal music-making - Dogs that bark loud and long - Repeated fights and screams - Recurring disturbing events - Drilling and hammering at inappropriate times What if a neighbour disturbs? Firstly, we recommend that you contact your neighbour. It usually solves the problem in most cases. It may be that he or she is not aware that you are disturbed. Secondly, call your house manager during working hours. If the disorder is severe and occurs after business hours, call the emergency number posted on the bulletin board at the entrance. Termination of the lease: Termination of the lease should be done in writing, and at least three months before the desired moving out date. Example, if you want to move October 1 must give notice by June 30. Display Duty After having given notice of the termination of your lease, you are required by law to show your apartment to new prospective tenants. If you are unable to show the apartment during the notice period, somebody else must fill this responsibility. You can ask for help from the maintenance manager, a family member or friend who you trust. Inspection Upon termination of the lease, there will be an inspection of the apartment. The new tenants are welcome to attend this inspection. The inspector will go through the apartment to check for damage and excessive wear. The cost of excessive wear will be fixed at the expense of the tenant. If the inspection of done on the day of moving out, the inspector will also check the final cleaning of the apartment (see check list for final cleaning). Removal The apartment must be left at the latest the day after the date the lease expires. If it is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, it will be the first working day thereafter. Inspection Upon termination of the lease there will be an inspection of the apartment. You need to contact the landlord to arrange this inspection. The new tenants may also attend the inspection. Everything that belongs to the apartment must be in place for the inspection, such as doors and coat rack etc. Fixed cabinets, appliances, loft beds that you have installed or taken over from a previous tenant, need to be removed. If you yourself have installed a dishwasher in the apartment, this also needs to be removed. You then also need to restore the kitchen cupboard and secure that the water is properly stopped. The inspector will go through each room in the apartment to check for damage and excessive wear. If the inspector concludes that the apartment has damages and/or excessive wear, the tenant will have to pay for all needed reparations. Final cleaning The apartment must be thoroughly cleaned before you move. See the check list for final cleaning. If the final cleaning is poorly done, you will be charged a cleaning fee (approx. 3,000 SEK). Moving out You need to move out of the apartment and hand over your keys no later than the day after the lease expires (if it is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, it will be the first weekday). When the keys are handed over, the apartment needs to be empty of all your furniture and personal belongings and thoroughly cleaned. If you should leave any personal belongings behind, the landlord may remove these items at the tenant’s expense. It is the tenant’s responsibility to dispose of any bulky waste, such as unwanted furniture and other large waste, and transport it to the nearest recycling centre. Keys All keys that belong to the apartment and other facilities must be returned to the landlord. This also applies to the keys that you yourself have reproduced and paid for. What to remember if you are moving to another accommodation in Sweden: Move and/or cancel your home insurance Cancel your electricity contract with the electricity network provider (at least one month in advance) Cancel and/or move your contract with your electricity supplier (at least one month in advance) If you have autogiro (direct debit) or e-invoice for rent payments, terminate the service in your bank What to remember if you are leaving Sweden: Cancel your home insurance Cancel your all electricity contracts at least one month in advance (both with network provider and electricity supplier) Cancel any telephone and/or broadband subscriptions If you have autogiro (direct debit) or e-invoice for rent payments, terminate the service in your bank Check this topic about salary of doctors in Sweden
