Moving

Last updated: 3/7-2023

About Sweden – an orientation about Swedish society.

This text is about moving. There are many things to think about when you are moving into a new home. The text describes things that may be useful and important to know when you move.

It describes things like the termination of rental contracts, registering your address change and forwarding of mail.

Everyone is entitled to housing. Your right to housing means that you can apply for help to find some form of housing if you have nowhere to stay. Municipalities have a responsibility to ensure that all of their inhabitants have housing.

You are also entitled to move and to choose where in Sweden you want to live.

Cancel your previous rental contract

If you move out of a rented flat, you need to give notice of termination of your contract. The notice period varies between landlords, but your contract must specify how long the notice period is. It is a good idea to write to your landlord when you want to terminate the contract for your flat.

Population registration and notification of change of address

The Population Register (Folkbokföringen) contains the basic registration of everyone who lives in Sweden. Folkbokföringen has a record of your personal data, such as your residential address and if you are married or have children. Where you are registered as resident determines where you have to pay tax, where you can vote, and rights to various allowances and benefits. Each municipality also plans its activities based on how many people are registered as resident in it.

If you move to a new address, you have to notify the Tax Agency of this within a week of moving. This is important, as the Population Registration Act states that you are obliged to make a notification that you have moved. It is also important in order make sure your mail arrives at the right address. Making a notification when you move is free of charge, and you can do it online on the Tax Agency's website or by filling in a form.

If you live in a flat, your address has to include a flat number. The flat number has four digits, such as 1001, for example, and indicates which floor and where on that floor the flat is. Your flat number is in your rental contract, your post box, or on your front door.

The Swedish Tax Agency has produced a video about population registration and notifications of changes of address. The video is available in Swedish, Arabic, English, Persian, Somali and Tigrinya.

Forwarding of mail

You can request forwarding of your mail, which means that mail sent to your old address will automatically be redirected to your new one. You can request forwarding of mail from Svensk Adressändring AB. Remember that your address in the population register will not change if you request forwarding of your mail.

Subscriptions and contracts

There may be several subscriptions and contracts that you need to cancel or transfer to your new address. Bear in mind that many contracts have a specified period of notice of cancellation or a contract term, so you should give notice of cancellation well before you are going to move. Examples of subscriptions and contracts that may need to be transferred or cancelled:

  • Landline phone subscription (not a mobile subscription)
  • Internet subscription
  • Pay TV channels
  • Electricity contract
  • Parking
  • Alarm
  • Insurance

Which subscriptions and contracts do you need to cancel if you are moving?

It is important to have an insurance policy that protects you and your belongings. Almost all homes in Sweden have home insurance. A home insurance policy is a basic protection that can reimburse the value of your belongings if they are stolen or become damaged by fire or water. A home insurance policy also provides protection for all those who are specified in the policy and who live in the same home. Home insurance policies also include basic travel insurance.

Final cleaning and inspection

Usually, you are responsible for ensuring your home has had a final cleaning when you leave it, regardless of whether you live in a detached house, a tenant-owned flat, or a rented flat. A final cleaning is much more extensive than normal cleaning and requires a lot of time. You can either do the final cleaning yourself or hire a company to do it. If your final cleaning is insufficient, you may become liable to pay for a proper cleaning.

Usually a flat will be inspected when a tenant moves, and a record made of any damage. A tenant may become liable to pay compensation for damage caused to a rented property.

Your new home

It is important that you get all the keys to your new home. If you are moving into a rented flat it is a good idea to check the inspection record against the state of the flat, to ensure that there is no previous damage that has not been recorded.

What is important to bear in mind if you are going to move?