---
title: "Are You Allowed to Put Up an Awning on Your Balcony in a Rental Flat?"
author: "Philip Rönnmark"
authorUrl: "https://bofrid.se/en/articles/authors/philip-ronnmark"
datePublished: "2026-08-10T17:00:12.973Z"
dateModified: "2026-08-11T08:33:13.208Z"
description: "Can you put up an awning on a rental flat balcony in Sweden? What Chapter 12, Section 24 of the Land Code says about facade work, permission, planning permission and liability."
keywords: ["awning on rental flat balcony Sweden", "landlord permission awning Sweden", "drilling into facade rental flat", "balcony rules rental flat Sweden", "planning permission awning apartment building"]
categories: ["Guider", "Hyresvärd"]
canonical: "https://bofrid.se/en/articles/are-you-allowed-to-put-up-an-awning-on-your-balcony-in-a-rental-flat"
language: "en"
image: "https://bofrid.media/cms/f529dde1077366eef84ee7a008b3402b07217e74.webp"
---

# Are You Allowed to Put Up an Awning on Your Balcony in a Rental Flat?

You may only put up an awning on the balcony of your hyresrätt (rental flat) if the hyresvärd (landlord) has given permission. An awning that is screwed into the facade, into the balcony ceiling or into the railing is a permanent alteration to the landlord's property – not a piece of furniture you place outside. The boundary is set by the duty of care in Chapter 12, Section 24 of jordabalken (the Land Code), which states that you must take good care of the flat and compensate for any damage you cause.

## Awnings on a rental flat balcony – what jordabalken (the Land Code) says

A tenant's right to alter their home is narrower than many people assume. Chapter 12, Section 24 a of jordabalken (the Land Code) contains an express right to carry out painting, wallpapering and comparable measures at your own expense inside the flat. That right covers interior surfaces – it does not give you the right to interfere with the exterior of the building.

An awning mounted on the facade is precisely an intervention in the exterior of the building. You drill into render, brick or concrete, you place a load on the structure and you change the appearance of the building. That falls outside what a tenant may decide on their own.

On top of this comes Chapter 12, Section 25 of jordabalken (the Land Code), under which the hyresgäst (tenant) is obliged to observe everything required to preserve health, order and good condition within the property. Many landlords have specific balcony house rules based on that provision: no fixed installations, nothing hanging outside the railing, no fixings without written approval.

### The balcony belongs to the flat – the facade does not

If the balcony is let together with the flat, it counts as part of what you rent. You may use it, furnish it and look after it. But the balcony slab, the railing, the underside of the balcony above and the facade wall are parts of the building that the landlord is responsible for and maintains. That is where the dividing line runs.

For this reason, the awning question works in much the same way as the question of other fixed installations in a hyresrätt (rental flat) – see the reasoning in our article on [whether the landlord can require you to remove your washing machine](https://bofrid.com/en/articles/can-the-landlord-demand-that-you-remove-your-washing-machine). Loose equipment is your business; permanently mounted equipment requires a decision from the landlord.

## The difference between a loose sunshade and a fixed awning

It is the mounting, not the product, that decides. An awning that stands on the floor with a weighted base is in practice a piece of furniture. An awning that is screwed to the wall is part of the building.

| Solution | Landlord's permission | Interference with facade or railing | On moving out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free-standing parasol or awning with a base | Not normally needed, but house rules may restrict it | No | You take it with you |
| Clamp-fixed awning or screen on the railing | Always ask – many landlords say no | No drilling, but a risk of paint damage and wind load | Dismantled; any marks may be at your expense |
| Awning screwed into the facade or balcony ceiling | Yes, always, and in writing | Yes | Governed by the permission – left in place or dismantled with reinstatement |
| Glazing or a fixed roof | Yes, and the property owner handles the planning permission question | Yes | May not be done on your own initiative |

Two things in particular make landlords restrictive. One is wind load: an awning catches the wind and can tear the fixing loose or fall into the street. The other is the uniform appearance of the facade – many properties have a set type of awning and a set colour that all tenants must keep to.

## Planning permission is the property owner's issue, not yours

Under Chapter 9, Section 2 of plan- och bygglagen (the Planning and Building Act), planning permission (bygglov) is required to alter a building so that its external appearance is significantly affected, where the building lies within an area covered by a detailed development plan (detaljplan). Whether an individual awning reaches that threshold is decided by the municipal building committee (byggnadsnämnden) and by what the detailed development plan and any heritage-environment provisions say. Many municipalities regard an awning on an apartment building as a facade alteration that must be assessed; others do not.

The practical answer for you as a tenant is simple: you should not apply for planning permission for somebody else's building. The application is made by the property owner. If you ask your landlord and get a yes, it is the landlord who is responsible for making sure the municipal assessment has been carried out.

The weather is one reason the question has become more common. More hours of sunshine and stronger gusts place demands on fixings and materials – we cover the broader perspective in our guide to [climate-proofing your home against extreme weather](https://bofrid.com/en/articles/climate-proofing-your-home-in-sweden-a-guide-to-protecting-your-property-from-extreme-weather).

## Putting up an awning on a rental flat balcony without permission – what happens then?

If you put up a fixed awning without permission, you risk three things.

**A demand to remove it.** The landlord can require the awning to be dismantled and the facade reinstated. That is the most common outcome.

**Liability to pay compensation.** Under Chapter 12, Section 24 of jordabalken (the Land Code), you are liable for damage arising through your own fault or through negligence. Drill holes in render, corrosion and cracks in the facade layer are the kind of damage that can cost considerably more than the awning itself.

**In serious cases, a risk to the tenancy itself.** In cases of gross neglect or repeated refusal to comply, the tenancy may be forfeited under Chapter 12, Section 42 of jordabalken (the Land Code). That requires more than a single awning, but the possibility exists.

### On moving out, the permission decides

If you have obtained written permission, it should also state what applies when you move out: whether the awning may remain, whether it must be dismantled, and who pays for reinstatement. Without something in writing, you will be the one who struggles to prove what was agreed. Take photographs of the facade before installation.

## How to get a yes

Send a written request to the landlord with the make, dimensions, colour, exact position and how the fixing will be carried out. State that the installation will be done by a professional and, ideally, attach the quotation. Ask for a reply in writing.

Some landlords offer an awning as an optional extra in return for a rent supplement. In that case the landlord is responsible for installation, maintenance and inspection, and you avoid liability for the fixing. The supplement is added to the rent, and you can read more about how rent is set in general in our review of [how much rent you are allowed to charge](https://bofrid.com/en/articles/rent-condo).

If you get a no, there is no legal route to force a yes. The difference compared with a bostadsrätt (tenant-owned flat), where the association's statutes and general meeting govern, is striking – we compare the forms of tenure in our article on [rental flat or tenant-owned flat](https://bofrid.com/en/articles/rental-vs-cooperative-apartment-sweden-difference).

## Frequently asked questions

**Can I put up an awning that is only clamped to the balcony railing?**

Ask first. Clamp fixings make no drill holes, but they can scratch the paint on the railing and they rarely withstand strong winds. Damage to the railing is damage to the landlord's property and is covered by the duty of care in Chapter 12, Section 24 of jordabalken (the Land Code).

**Can the landlord require a particular colour and model?**

Yes. Since the facade is the landlord's property, the landlord may attach conditions to its permission, for example a set colour and a set type of awning for the whole building.

**Does a parasol on the balcony count as an awning?**

No, a free-standing parasol is movable property and is most closely comparable to furniture. It must not project beyond the balcony railing or risk being blown down, since under Chapter 12, Section 25 of jordabalken (the Land Code) you must preserve order and good condition within the property.

**Do I have the right to put up an awning if I rent through subletting?**

No. A andrahandshyresgäst (subtenant) cannot have greater rights than the tenant holding the förstahandskontrakt (first-hand, primary contract), and the permission must come from the property owner. We go through what the different contracts mean in [first-hand or second-hand tenancy](https://bofrid.com/en/articles/firsthand-or-secondhand-rental-contract-sweden).

*This text is general information and does not constitute legal advice in an individual matter.*