Bliv medlem
Bliv medlem

Moving in and out – securing your deposit

A lot of people frequently ask us, “How do I get most of my deposit back from my landlord?”. The answer isn’t simple however there are a few key things that you should be aware of, especially if you are a foreigner. This can be a disadvantage, as a foreigner wouldn’t know the law and the written words of the contract, however it can also be an advantage in certain situations as the landlord might make more mistakes – if you know the basics you should have a fair understanding of when the landlord might make a mistake. The following is specifically for tenants living at private landlords.

2 min.

Morten Hermann Bidstrup

English

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Bliv medlem

When moving in

When moving in it is very important that you as a tenant make a list with pictures of all the damages that you can see and that you wouldn’t want to pay for when you move out. You have a period of 14 days of moving in to do this, and the list needs to be sent to the landlord in a way that it can be used as documentation later.

If the landlord has more than one apartment that are used for rental, they need summon you to a move-in inspection. They will need to make a report that states the condition of the house, and it is made in the landlord interest, which is why the list mentioned above is more important to you. It is not in your interest to remind the landlord of the move-in inspection, as the law protects the tenant if it happens. The landlord will lose the ability to claim normal wear and tear from the tenant regarding moving out, however if you agree with the landlord to do it later as it might make this point invalid.

When moving out

When moving out it is very important to clean and tidying up the apartment. We always recommend that you take general pictures of the apartment before handing over the keys.

The keys need to be handed over in a documentable fashion, as this is an important moment legally speaking. It is from the handover of the keys that key duties of the landlord are put into place, and there will be a certain time for the landlord to call you in for a move-out inspection or send claims.

If the landlord has more than one apartment that are used for rental, they need to have a move-out inspection.

The move out inspection need to be within 14 days of you handing over the keys.  Furthermore, the landlord needs to summon you with a notice of 7 days. If the landlord doesn’t do this, they lose the right to make claims against you.

For landlords with only one rental property, they need to forward their claims within 14 days (this can be different in the contract) of you handing over the keys.

The report made at the move-out inspection is especially tricky as a lot of landlords use the report to make the tenant sign a deal. As a foreigner you will have no idea what you are signing, and that can be a crucial mistake. If you participate in the move-out inspection, we advise not to sign it at any cost unless you fully understand what you are signing. It is not required of the tenant to sign the papers, even if the landlord tells you so. If you don’t sign papers the landlord needs to send the report within 14 days of the inspection-day.

The above-mentioned situations are not a comprehensive walk-through of the procedures when moving out, however those are the most critical points to know when you are about to move out an apartment in Denmark. If you have any questions feel free to use our option to get the first advice for free, and we will explain further what the next steps should be.

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