How to Get Picked by a Landlord in Sweden!

Have you sent a chat and not gotten a response or been viewing properties and wondered why the owner chooses other tenants? Sure, there can be various factors involved such as budget, private versus corporate signing or preference in tenants. However, what if we told you that you can influence this? What behavior sends red flags or makes the owner uncomfortable? Follow our tips below to maximise your opportunities! Some may seem obvious and basic, but we have seen so many tenants sink their own efforts by not practicing these fundamental tips. 

1. Be clear and detailed about your situation from the first chat, call or email. You are picky about your new home just as the owner is picky about who they want to live in their home. Write a nice introduction about yourself such as why you are moving to Sweden or switching housing; how long you want to rent; where you are working and why you like their property (flattery always hits home). You can even save your standard introduction using our tool on the website. Login to your account, press my pages, go to settings, scroll down to and find “a standard text about yourself”. Now, every time you press “contact landlord” this text will populate your first message.
2. Do not hide important information. If you have a pet for example, tell the owner in your introduction. Some owners may prefer dogs instead of cats or the other way around. For some, this is a deal breaker. Tell them from the start to not waste yours and their time during the viewing.
3. Be responsive and answer quickly. This shows that you are engaged in your housing search and that you will be responsive if the owner needs to inform you of things regarding the property in the future.
4. Get to the viewing on time. By getting to your meeting on time you show the owner that you are organized and that you appreciate their time. In Sweden people are very punctual and it is unusual to be late. If you are late, inform them.
5. Use tact. Do not say that you find their furniture or styling ugly, even if you do. There are ways to ask politely if something can be stored away. The most important factor is that you like the house or apartment. Furnishing can be changed and this is not a good negotiation tactic to use.
6. Do not play “hard to get” for bargaining purposes. Rental prices are seldom negotiable in Sweden, it is better to search within your budget. Naturally, you can ask but do it before the showing. Some owners may not want to decrease the rent and they may find that by going to the viewing, you are wasting their time. In Sweden, it is still a “landlord’s market”.
7. Show them your sparkling personality. During the viewing, have a discussion with the landlord. Do not walk around and be quiet or only speak your mother tongue. Often the owner wants to get a sense of who you are during the first meeting and being polite can help make a good impression. Only speaking another language can make the owner feel uncomfortable in that you may be saying things you do not want them to hear.

To conclude, it is all about making a good and lasting first impression. A typical bias is “anchoring”, which means that people anchor their perception of you to your first communication. If you manage to make a good first impression, chances are that they will want to keep the conversation going. Most owners are mostly concerned about having a good tenant that will stay the whole rental period. Our suggestions are to treat someone how you would like to be treated. By being honest and communicating clearly, you will be successful in your search for a new home. We cannot stress enough how important the personal connection is, renting out a home is personal so it is not just a business transaction for almost all owners.