Warning about rental scams
Spring and summer are peak seasons for rental scams on housing platforms and social media. New students are particularly at risk. We're here to help you avoid being scammed.
Lund offers more housing for new students than most other university cities in Sweden. The largest providers are AF Bostäder, LU Bostäder, and BoPoolen. You’ll find links and more information about them below.
Even though experience shows that most students do find a place to live, many feel stressed about housing during spring and summer. This can lead to rushed decisions and, unfortunately, falling victim to scams – something that happens every year. Here are five simple tips to help you stay safe when responding to housing ads:
- Always verify the identity of the person you’re speaking with before sharing any personal information. Ask for a copy of their ID and check the address.
- Make sure the person renting out the home is officially registered at that address. You can check this via services like upplysning.se, hitta.se, or eniro.se.
- Never share your bank details, Bank-ID or similar credentials.
- Never pay a deposit or advance payment before signing a rental agreement. Always try to visit the property in person.
- Never enter into agreements with people who are in a hurry, claim to be “abroad”, request large upfront payments, or lack a Swedish bank account.
As mentioned, housing availability for new students in Lund is good. So, there’s no need to jump at the first offer you see without doing a proper background check. If you do fall victim, you should contact the police and file a report.
Good luck with your housing search!
AF Bostäder, LU Bostäder and BoPoolen
AF Bostäder is a foundation that offers 6,200 student homes – all located within Lund city. AF Bostäder rents exclusively to active students at Lund University. Half of the housing consists of shared corridor accommodation, with around 900 furnished rooms. The rest are apartments with 1–4 rooms and a kitchen. Internet, heating, hot water and free laundry detergent are always included in the rent. In most cases, electricity is also included.
LU Bostäder is part of Lund University and offers just over 1,200 furnished homes, mainly in Lund but also in Malmö and Helsingborg. LU Bostäder rents exclusively to international students and visiting researchers. One third of the homes are shared corridor-style rooms. All are furnished. Internet, heating, hot water and electricity are included in all rents.
BoPoolen is a student housing service run by the student unions at Lund University (LUS). Since the 1980s, BoPoolen has helped students looking for housing and local landlords by offering housing advertisements, advice and information. BoPoolen’s main purpose is to provide safe and reliable housing for Lund University students.