Buying a house or apartment

If you choose to buy a house or apartment, it is important to be aware of the following types of contracts and ownership rights in Sweden:

Buying an apartment

An apartment that you buy is called a bostadsrätt, which literally means right to inhabit the apartment. Technically, you do not fully own the apartment in the same way that you might in other countries. More accurately, you are buying a share in the entire building, which includes access and joint decision rights concerning the building’s courtyards, laundry rooms and other facilities. It also means that you must ask the permission of your building’s housing board, or styrelse, if you want to rent out your apartment to others. In some ways, this is similar to owning an apartment in a cooperative building in other countries.

In addition to the price paid for the apartment itself, you will also pay a monthly fee that covers building maintenance, renovation and other costs.

Buying a house

If you purchase a house in Sweden, you will most likely have full ownership of the house and its property.