Location, as with any country, often determines how much rent you will pay. The average monthly rent for an apartment in Copenhagen is likely to be much more than for a place outside the city. At the same time, this does not mean that accommodation located miles away from Copenhagen is going to be cheap. Overall, accommodation in Denmark is rather pricey. If you are a student or generally have a low budget, looking for shared accommodation is probably your best option.
You should also consider whether it makes sense to pay more for a furnished place, or to look for unfurnished accommodation. It is not unusual for prices for the latter to be around 25 – 30% lower than those for a furnished place. So if you are planning to remain in Denmark for at least a year, it is probably worth the effort of buying your own furniture and renting an unfurnished place.
It is important that you know what your responsibilities are in terms of paying for utilities when renting a property in Denmark. Utilities costs are usually excluded from the rent, so ask the landlord how much extra you will be paying per month. In some apartment blocks there is heating and hot water supplied to the residents centrally. In this case your utilities costs will be paid with your rent on a monthly basis, and then adjusted at the end of each year according to how much you have consumed.
Paying a deposit
Landlords in Denmark often ask for a deposit which can be anything up to the value of three months’ rent. Find out from your landlord whether this deposit should be paid before the beginning of the contract or when the contract begins. Any deposit higher than 3 months’ rent should raise suspicion.