Housing hunt begins for students as one in three pay more in rent than they receive in state grants

Around 60,000 applicants have now received their university admission results in Denmark, and for many, the next challenge is securing housing—a task that has grown increasingly difficult, reports DR.

In Copenhagen, the situation is particularly dire, according to Rasmus Okholm-Hansen, deputy director of CIU, which manages waiting lists for student housing in the capital. “It’s tight. Tighter than last year, and last year was tighter than the year before,” he said.

Curt Lilliegreen, director of the Housing Economic Knowledge Center, confirmed the trend, noting that Copenhagen’s population has grown by 172,000 over the past 20 years—equivalent to the entire city of Aalborg moving in. Waiting lists for student housing now stretch from three months to two years, with many students forced to pay more in rent than they receive in state educational grants (SU).

Lilliegreen advised new students not to expect to find a flat in Copenhagen within weeks and to consider alternatives such as shared private rentals, Airbnb arrangements with acquaintances, or signing up for dormitory waiting lists. He noted that 58% of students around age 20 now share private apartments, often splitting costs among four or five people to afford newer, pricier units.

Aarhus faces similar pressures, though to a lesser extent. While the city has also seen population growth, housing remains more accessible slightly outside the center, unlike Copenhagen, where no affordable dorm rooms are available even 5-6 kilometers from downtown.