Which rental agreement should I choose? Residential, commercial, sublet, and vacation home

Fact-checked: October 1, 2026 · Swedish rental law

There is no single standard template that fits every rental situation. The right agreement depends on whether you are renting out a standard apartment, subletting a rental property (hyresrätt), leasing a privately owned house or tenant-owned apartment (bostadsrätt), a commercial premise, a room, or a vacation home.

Residential lease agreement

Used when a residence is let for rent and Chapter 12 of the Land Code applies. The agreement should regulate the property, rent, lease period, payment, what is included, duty of care, and notice of termination.

Subletting agreement for rental property

When a primary tenant rents out the apartment for independent use, the landlord's consent or the Rent Tribunal's permission is normally required. The primary tenant remains responsible toward their landlord.

Private rental of a house or bostadsrätt

For agreements entered into from July 1, 2026, the Private Rental Act (2026:772) may apply when an individual or an estate rents out a house or part of a house for residential purposes and no exemption affects the rental. The act does not apply, for example, if the landlord holds the property as a rental (hyresrätt) or if the letting is for vacation purposes.

Agreements entered into under the old act before July 1, 2026, continue to follow the 2012 rules. The 2026:772 act also provides different rules regarding rent review and termination than the 2012 act. For new agreements under 2026:772, the tenant may terminate a fixed-term agreement to the end of a month no earlier than three months after notice (Chapter 6, Section 1). When reviewing rent under the new act, the rent is primarily compared with rents for similar private rentals (Chapter 2, Section 5), not with the old capital cost model. Read the guide to the new Private Rental Act and the guide for renting out a house.

Commercial lease agreement

Commercial leasing allows for greater freedom of contract than residential leasing, but simultaneously involves strict formal rules regarding termination and changes to terms. Indirect tenure protection can have significant financial consequences after more than nine months of a rental relationship.

A lodger is not the same as a subtenant

If the landlord lives in the home and the other person does not have independent use of the property, it is normally a case of a lodger, not a sublease. For rental properties, the landlord's permission is generally not required, but the letting may not take place to such an extent that the landlord cannot reasonably be expected to accept it.

Vacation and short-term rental

The length of the agreement alone does not determine which regulations apply. A one-week rental may be legally evaluated differently depending on whether the lease is for vacation/leisure, temporary housing, or hotel-like operations. Read the guide to short-term rentals.

Arrende (Land lease) – separate from rent

If the letting primarily concerns land, the rules on "arrende" may be relevant instead of rent. Arrende is categorized into, among others, agricultural lease, residential lease, facility lease, and apartment lease.

Sources

• Land Code (Jordabalken)
• Private Rental Act (2026:772)

Explore the full collection of rental agreement templates (in Swedish) and review each product's formats and intended use before choosing.