October 14, 2026
Huslejenævnet: how the Danish rent tribunal works and how to file a complaint
Huslejenævnet, the Danish rent tribunal, is a municipal board that settles disputes between tenants and private landlords about rent, deposits, maintenance and utility statements. Every Danish municipality must have one, alone or shared with other municipalities, and bringing a case costs DKK 367 in 2026. If you are looking for a new home, you can search rental waitlists on Waitly.
Last updated: 13 October 2026.
In short
The rent tribunal handles most disputes in private rentals: the rent level, rent increases, maintenance, repairs when you move out, deposits and utility statements. You complain in writing to the tribunal in the municipality where the home is, and pay DKK 367. The tribunal cannot rule on terminations or claims for a rent reduction, which belong to the housing court. If you disagree with the decision, you can take it to the housing court within 4 weeks, in Copenhagen to the Appeals Board.
What is huslejenævnet?
Huslejenævnet is an independent board with three members: a chair who is a lawyer, and two members nominated by landlord and tenant associations. The rules are in chapter 9 of the Housing Conditions Act (lov om boligforhold), and the municipality provides the secretariat and premises.
The tribunal covers privately rented properties. If you live in social housing (almen bolig), a separate residents' complaints board (beboerklagenævn) handles the case. According to a political agreement from December 2025, Denmark's rent tribunals make about 5,500 decisions a year.
Which cases does huslejenævnet handle?
According to borger.dk (in Danish), the rent tribunal handles cases including:
The rent level for residential leases
Rent increases under the cost-based rent rules and the rental value rules
Increases after improvements and notice of improvement works
The landlord's and tenant's duty to maintain the home
Repairs when you move out and repayment of the deposit
Utility statements, for example water and heating
Under section 92 of the Rent Act, the tribunal also decides disputes about whether the home had defects when you moved in.
Many cases start with a notice of higher rent, and many others with money held back from a deposit. Documenting the condition of the home on day one makes a deposit case far easier, so use a moving-in checklist and keep photos.
What can huslejenævnet not handle?
The rent tribunal cannot rule on termination or cancellation of a lease, apart from certain disputes about rented rooms. It also does not handle your right of use when subletting, swapping or continuing a lease, or claims for a proportional rent reduction because of defects.
Those cases go straight to the housing court (boligretten), which is the district court for the area where the home is. The tribunal can also reject a case and refer it to the housing court if it requires real evidence such as witness statements or expert surveys.
How to file a complaint with huslejenævnet
A complaint must be in writing, and it goes to the tribunal in the municipality where the home is. Here is how:
Contact your landlord in writing first and try to find a solution. Keep the tone factual, and check what not to tell landlords.
Find the complaint form through your municipality or the self-service on borger.dk.
Describe exactly what the tribunal should decide. If you have several questions, split them into sections.
Attach the full lease, relevant correspondence and, for example, the move-out report or utility statement.
Pay the DKK 367 fee. If several tenants are on the lease, all must complain, or you need power of attorney from the others.
The list of documents is based on the guidance from the City of Copenhagen (in Danish), and most municipalities ask for the same. If you rent in the capital, comparing listings such as Copenhagen rentals with a balcony gives you a sense of local rent levels before you complain.
What does a case at huslejenævnet cost?
As a tenant you pay DKK 367 per case in 2026. If the tribunal finds fully in your favour, the landlord must pay a fee to the tribunal, which in Copenhagen is DKK 7,027 in 2026. If you only partly win, or you settle, the landlord pays no fee.
Landlords pay DKK 614 to have the rent pre-approved when letting an owner-occupied or cooperative flat. In Copenhagen, appealing a decision to the Appeals Board costs DKK 194 per lease. You do not need a lawyer to bring a case, and the procedure is in writing.
How long does a case at huslejenævnet take?
By law, the tribunal must notify the landlord no later than one week after your complaint, and the landlord normally has 2 weeks to reply. The tribunal must then decide no later than 4 weeks after it has the reply, the reply deadline has passed, or the parties have met.
In practice it takes much longer. The City of Copenhagen states that cases typically take eight to ten months and are handled in the order they arrive. If the tribunal does not decide within the legal deadline, section 88 of the Housing Conditions Act lets you take the case to the housing court without waiting.
If the landlord does not reply in time, the tribunal can base its decision on your account. The tribunal can also inspect the home, and both of you must then be summoned with at least one week's notice.
When does a case go to the housing court?
If you or the landlord disagree with the tribunal's decision, the case can be brought before the housing court no later than 4 weeks after the decision was sent. In Copenhagen, most cases first go to the Appeals Board for the Copenhagen rent tribunals, with the same deadline. The housing court can exceptionally allow a late case if you apply within a year of the decision.
A decision that is not appealed becomes final, but today it cannot be enforced directly by the bailiff's court. Under the agreement on the future rent tribunals (in Danish) of 12 December 2025, decisions made from 1 January 2027 are to become enforceable once the appeal deadline has passed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I complain to huslejenævnet after I have moved out?
Yes. Cases about repairs on moving out and repayment of the deposit arise precisely after you have left, and the tribunal handles them. Keep the move-out report and all correspondence with the landlord.
Can my landlord bring a case against me?
Yes. The landlord can bring cases about, for example, the rent level and maintenance. Cases about a tenant breaching good order in the building can only be brought by the landlord.
Does huslejenævnet cover social housing?
No. Disputes in social housing go to the municipality's residents' complaints board, and the fee is DKK 172 in 2026. Those cases fall under a different act on renting social housing.
Find a home with clear terms
A clear lease and a landlord who follows the rules are the best way to avoid a tribunal case. Learn how rental waitlists work and browse Waitly's lists and options, where you can read each landlord's terms before you sign up. Signing up improves your chances, but it does not guarantee a home.
