# Furnished Flat for Rent in Kalmar: Check the Rent First

*Wilma Strömberg*
*11 november 2026*

> Furnished flats in Kalmar are usually sublets. How to check the permit, the rent and the furniture before you sign – and what Kalmarhem requires of the tenant who sublets.

A furnished flat for rent in Kalmar is almost always a sublet: a tenant lets out their home, furniture included. That decides the rent rules, how long you may stay and what happens if the sublet was never approved. Check the first-hand lease, the landlord's approval and the rent before you pay.

## First question: who is your landlord?

Furnished homes come in three forms. **First hand:** the owner lets directly, usually unfurnished. **Second hand:** a tenant lets the flat to you with the landlord's consent — where almost every furnished ad ends up. **Lodger:** a room in someone's home, shared kitchen or bathroom.

In a sublet the first-hand tenant is your landlord, not the owner; Kalmarhem states it is not a party to that contract. If someone lets out their own condominium or house, the Private Letting Act applies instead.

## The maximum rent

Under Chapter 12, Section 55, fourth paragraph of the Tenancy Act, the rent may not exceed what the first-hand tenant pays, plus an addition for furniture, plus electricity and water at the landlord's actual cost. The furniture addition is capped at 15 per cent of the first-hand rent.

If the first-hand rent is 8,000 kronor, the addition may be at most 1,200 kronor, so the rent tops out at 9,200 kronor plus actual utility costs. Kalmarhem applies the same logic: at most the rent paid to Kalmarhem, plus 0–15 per cent for furniture and actual utility costs.

Hyresnämnden can review a rent that is too high. The Tenants' Association (Hyresgästföreningen) states that overpaid rent can be recovered up to two years back for contracts signed after 30 September 2019.

## Ask to see the permission

A tenant may not sublet without the landlord's consent (Chapter 12, Section 39). The tribunal can grant it afterwards, but that is the tenant's job.

Kalmarhem requires approval in advance, even for a short period. Unapproved letting is unlawful and can cost the tenant the lease without warning; Airbnb, a weekend or an event such as Ironman is not allowed either. Approvals run from four months to one year, and youth flats may never be sublet.

A two-month ad in a Kalmarhem property cannot be correct. Ask for written approval, not a yes in a chat.

## Put the furniture in the contract

A lease must be in writing if either party asks (Chapter 12, Section 2). The Tenants' Association recommends an inventory list and photos on moving in.

List every item — sofa, bed, table, chairs, white goods, television, broadband — in the contract or an attachment. That settles what you hand back and what is normal wear. You have a duty of care under Section 24 and answer for damage caused by negligence; the landlord may inspect under Section 26.

## No fees on top of the rent

Demanding or accepting a special payment for letting someone rent a home is an offence under Chapter 12, Section 65. Such a clause is invalid and the money must be repaid; a tenant who takes payment can forfeit the lease (Section 42).

Agent fees follow Section 65 a: at most one tenth of the price base amount for a flat, one twentieth for a room, only for professional agents and only if the work leads to a lease. Pay nothing beyond the rent.

The deposit is different: agree amount, terms and repayment in writing before you pay. Rent for any month other than the first is due no later than the last weekday before the month begins (Section 20).

## How long may you stay?

A sublease ending within two years carries no security of tenure (Section 45), so you have no right to an extension. After two years you gain security of tenure against the first-hand tenant, per the Tenants' Association, but never a right to take over the lease. Kalmarhem says the same.

After nine consecutive months the contract must be terminated to end, even if fixed-term (Section 3). Notice for a dwelling is three months to a month-end unless you agreed longer (Section 4).

## Get a first-hand flat in Kalmar too

Keep your own queue running while you sublet. Kalmarhem, owned by Kalmar Municipality, has about 5,250 homes and is the city's largest landlord.

Register a profile, collect one queue point a day and register interest in vacant homes; offers go to those with most points. Hem direkt allocates some homes by lottery.

New students at Linnaeus University have a housing guarantee: for autumn 2026 it opened on 13 July and means an offer within two months of starting to search.

## Checklist before you sign

1. Who holds the first-hand lease, and when does it end?
2. Get the landlord's written approval of the sublet.
3. Check the rent: at most 15 per cent furniture addition plus actual utility costs.
4. Pay no fee and no deposit before a viewing and a signed contract.
5. Make an inventory list and photograph the flat on moving in.
6. Check notice period, contract length, and that it is written.
7. Home insurance from day one.
8. Keep your own housing queue running.

## Common questions

**May the landlord charge extra for furniture?** Yes, up to 15 per cent of the first-hand rent (Section 55, fourth paragraph).

**Must the sublease be in writing?** If either party asks, yes (Section 2); both Kalmarhem and the Tenants' Association recommend it.

**May I stay when the contract ends?** Not automatically; a sublease ending within two years carries no security of tenure (Section 45).

## Sources

- Jordabalken (1970:994), Chapter 12 – Sveriges riksdag
- Hyresgästföreningen: Hyra en lägenhet i andra hand; Hyr du till ockerhyra?; Andrahandskontrakt
- Kalmarhem: Uthyrningspolicy, Bli sökande, Andrahandsuthyrning, Om Kalmarhem