| Warm rent | Cold rent | |
|---|---|---|
| Heating included | Yes | No (paid separately) |
| Hot water included | Usually |
Rental listings can be hard to compare when one shows SEK 7,200 a month and another SEK 6,400 – but the cheaper one turns out costlier once winter arrives. The difference is often cold rent (kallhyra) versus warm rent (varmhyra). Here is what is included, how they differ and how to work out your real housing cost.
What does warm rent (varmhyra) mean?
Warm rent means heating and usually hot water are included in the rent. You pay the same amount every month – summer and winter – and the landlord covers the heating cost. Most Swedish rental flats have historically used warm rent.
The advantage is predictability: your cost is the same in January as in July, no matter how cold it is outside.
What does cold rent (kallhyra) mean?
Cold rent means heating – and sometimes hot water – is not included and is paid separately. The rent looks lower in the listing, but heating costs that vary by season and consumption are added on top.
Cold rent is increasingly common in new builds and in buildings with individual metering. The risk is that an attractive low rent hides high winter costs.
