This article provides an overview of the rental regulations and is intended for guidance purposes only. The rules may vary depending on the type of property and the specific circumstances of your rental. Therefore, you should always verify which regulations apply to your specific situation. Qasa does not provide legal advice or individual assessments of specific rentals or rent levels.
Content:
- If you sublet your rented apartment
- If you rent out a property you own
- Consequences of excessive rent
Since February 1, 2013, different rules for rent-setting have applied depending on whether you rent out a property you own or a tenancy (rented apartment). At that time, the Private Tenant Act (Lagen [2012:978] om uthyrning av egen bostad) entered into force, giving property owners and tenants greater freedom to agree on the rent, while the same rules as before continued to apply to the subletting of tenancies.
As of July 1, 2026, a brand new Private Tenant Act is in effect, replacing the old 2013 law. The purpose of the new act is to create a more flexible rental market, simplify the regulatory framework for private individuals, as well as increase the supply and make more homes available through a better utilization of the existing housing stock (Prop. 2025/26:187, p. 1). These changes mean that the rules for rent-setting differ significantly depending on whether you rent out a tenancy or a property you own.
If you sublet your rental apartment
If you sublet a tenancy (rental apartment), the Rent Act (Hyreslagen) applies, and the rent level is determined based on the utility value principle (bruksvärdesprincipen). It is therefore not up to you to freely set the rent based on how much the tenant is willing to pay. In short, this means that the rent should generally correspond to the rent you pay yourself, with additions for fixed costs and up to 15 percent if the home is rented out furnished. You can read more about this on the website of the Swedish Courts.
When you rent out your rented home via Qasa, you as the landlord are responsible for ensuring that the rent is legal and reasonable according to Swedish tenancy legislation. The rent is determined through an agreement between you and the tenant. Qasa does not provide advice on what rent level should be set for an individual property; as a landlord, you should ensure that the rent is set in line with the law that applies to your particular rental. Please feel free to contact our support if you need help changing the rent in your lease agreement before signing.
It is good to be aware that case law from the Rent Tribunal (Hyresnämnden) and the Svea Court of Appeal (Svea hovrätt) shows that the total cost to the tenant during subletting can be taken into account when assessing what is considered a reasonable rent (so-called excess rent). This means that any service fee, for example to Qasa, may also be included in the total cost paid by the tenant. As a landlord, it is therefore important to take into account the entire cost that the tenant actually incurs, including any service fee, when setting the rent. If the total cost is deemed to exceed what is legally permitted, it may in some cases lead to a repayment obligation.
We recommend that you set the rent for your rented home with care and in accordance with current regulations, taking into account all costs that affect the tenant.
Other additional charges
You also have the right to make additional charges for other costs related to the apartment (e.g., electricity, gas, TV license, parking space, internet, etc.).
If you rent out a property you own
If you are renting out a condominium (bostadsrätt), villa, or holiday home, or just a single room, you no longer need to consider the utility value (bruksvärde) or the old capital cost method for agreements signed as of July 1, 2026. From this date, the new Private Tenant Act (privatuthyrningslagen) applies, and the rules allow for a significantly freer rent-setting based on market demand.
In short, the starting point is that a reasonable rent is now assessed based on a comparison with what is generally charged for similar private rentals in the local area, instead of being tied to hypothetical interest costs. This change was made to make the rules more accessible and predictable for private individuals. The old capital cost regulations continue to apply to agreements signed before July 1, 2026; therefore, the new rules do not apply retroactively to already ongoing contracts.
When you create an ad for an owned property, our system suggests a recommended rent based on housing data and local market rents via Qasa. However, this is only a suggestion; the rent is determined between you and the tenant, and as a landlord you are responsible for ensuring that the rent level complies with applicable legislation. Qasa does not provide advice on what rent level should be set for an individual property; as a landlord, you should ensure that the rent is set in line with the law that applies to your particular rental.
A bit more about market comparison (previously capital cost):
Under the new rules for agreements signed as of July 1, 2026, the concept of capital cost has been scrapped. Instead, the rent is set at a fixed amount that the parties agree upon. For the rent to be considered reasonable, it must not significantly exceed the market rent for corresponding privately rented homes in the same area.
Variable additions to the rent may only be made if they are based on the actual consumption of, for example, electricity, heating, or water. This was decided to protect tenants against extreme overcharging while allowing landlords to charge a rent that reflects the market value.
A bit more about operating costs and scope:
The new Private Tenant Act has been expanded to apply to the rental of a maximum of two residential apartments that do not form a part of your own home. The government changed this because the previous regulatory framework (which only allowed for one property) was considered to hinder individuals from, for example, renting out both a condominium and an Attefall house on their plot. If you rent out three or more properties, it is considered a commercial operation, and the utility value rules of the Rent Act (Hyreslagen) will instead apply to all tenancies.
Example:
A condominium apartment worth SEK 3 million is sublet in a popular area where similar private homes are usually rented out for approximately SEK 14,000 a month. Previously, you had to calculate a reasonable return on investment interest and add operating costs, which resulted in a strict maximum rent (e.g., SEK 12,700).
After July 1, 2026, you and the tenant can freely agree on, for example, SEK 14,000 a month, as the rent is in line with what similar private rentals cost in the local area. However, it is important to remember that the agreement must state a fixed amount and that you may rent out a maximum of two properties under these flexible rules. You can read more about this on the website of the Swedish Courts.
Consequences of excessive rent
Tenancy (Hyresrätt) – If you have charged an excessive rent, you could receive a very unpleasant letter in the mail, even long after the rental period has ended. Your tenant can apply to the Rent Tribunal (Hyresnämnden) for a review of whether the rent was unreasonably high. You may then be ordered to repay the difference for up to two years between the rent your tenant paid and the rent the Rent Tribunal determines to be the utility value rent (bruksvärdeshyra).
Owned property (Ägd bostad) – A major change as of July 1, 2026, is the introduction of a new protective rule against overcharging for owned properties as well. If the agreed rent is significantly higher than the market rent for similar private rentals in the local area, the Rent Tribunal (Hyresnämnden) can lower the rent.
Unlike before (when a reduction only applied moving forward), you can now be held liable for retroactive repayment from the date the application was submitted to the tribunal. In certain serious cases, it can go even further back if you have acted in bad faith (in breach of good faith and honour/i strid med tro och heder). This change was introduced to strengthen consumer protection for subtenants in a freer market.