Hard to sell your apartment? Rent it out while you wait
Written by Jasmin, writing assistant at BY Administration · 7 October 2026 · 8 min read · Market news
Contents
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If you are struggling to sell your apartment right now, you are not the only one. In the Municipality of Copenhagen there are twice as many owner-occupied apartments for sale as at New Year, and in August over a third fewer were sold than a year earlier. You have three options: cut the price, leave the apartment empty until it sells, or rent it out on a fixed-term lease that ends on a set date. The last one gives you rental income while you wait, and the apartment is free for a buyer when the lease period ends.
The Copenhagen apartment market has shifted gear
After several years in which apartments in Copenhagen sold quickly, the pace has slowed. According to Boligsiden (in Danish), supply is at its highest since early 2024, and price reductions are getting bigger, because each apartment competes with more others for buyers’ attention.
| What the figures show | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2,057 owner-occupied apartments for sale in the Municipality of Copenhagen, 94.2% more than a year earlier | Early October 2026 | Boligsiden |
| 390 owner-occupied apartments sold in the Municipality of Copenhagen, 36% fewer than a year earlier | August 2026 | Boligsiden |
| 23.8% fewer viewings of owner-occupied apartments in the Capital Region than a year earlier | September 2026 | home and Danske Bank |
| Average discount of 1.8% on the latest asking price, against 0.8% in autumn and winter 2025/26 | August 2026 | Nordea |
| Apartment prices in the Municipality of Copenhagen 0.5% lower than the month before, but 18.7% higher than a year earlier | August 2026 | Boligsiden |
The sources do not measure the same thing, but point the same way. According to Nordea, property tax on many Copenhagen owner-occupied apartments rises from the new year, and Danmarks Nationalbank (in Danish) raised its interest rate in September for the second time this year, after a rise in June (in Danish).
It is a shift, not a crisis. Prices are still about 18% above last year, and according to Finans Danmark (in Danish) it took an average of 51 days to sell an owner-occupied apartment in the Municipality of Copenhagen in the second quarter. The shift mainly applies to apartments: nationwide, house sales in August were at the third-highest August level in Boligsiden’s statistics. The first signs came in the summer, when apartment prices in Copenhagen levelled off.
Three routes when the apartment does not sell
If the apartment has been for sale for a long time without an offer you can accept, there are three routes. They can also be combined.
| Route | What it means | Suits you if |
|---|---|---|
| Cut the price | You may sell faster, but you take the discount now. Discounts are still small on average. | You need the money, or you have already bought a new home. |
| Leave the apartment empty while it is for sale | The apartment can be shown at any time, but you pay the fixed costs yourself, and the municipality must be told. | You expect a sale within a short time. |
| Rent out with a fixed end date | You get rental income, but a buyer can only move in after the end date, and viewings take place by agreement with the tenant. | You can wait with the sale, or sell with handover after the end date. |
If the apartment is empty, the municipality must be told
Most homes in Copenhagen are subject to the residence requirement (bopælspligt). The Municipality of Copenhagen (in Danish) writes that a home must be reported empty no later than 6 weeks after the last occupant moved out. That the home is for sale can give you a deadline, and under § 5, subsection 6, of the Housing Conditions Act (lov om boligforhold, in Danish), the municipality cannot assign a tenant to a home you have put up for sale. According to the municipality, the rules on year-round occupation do not fall away because the sale drags on, though. A tenant who lives in the apartment meets the requirement for it to be used as a home (§ 5, subsection 1). See our guide to the residence requirement in Copenhagen.
Rent out with an end date that fits the sale
A lease without an end date runs until it is terminated, and a sale is not a reason to terminate a tenancy under §§ 170 and 171 of the Rent Act (in Danish). Under § 181, the rules in §§ 171-179 on termination by the landlord cannot be departed from to the tenant’s detriment, and according to the explanatory notes to the bill (in Danish), a tenant cannot sign away those rights in advance. A clause saying that the tenant must move out on 3 months’ notice when the apartment is sold therefore does not hold.
What works is a fixed-term lease under § 173 with a fixed end date and the sale as the reason. According to the explanatory notes, both a wish to sell and a wish to wait with the sale to avoid a loss can justify a fixed term. Set the buyer’s handover date after the end date. How to write the lease, when the tenant must give access for viewings (§ 186), and what the buyer takes over are covered in the guide to renting out your apartment while it is for sale. The rules are also in the article on the fixed-term lease. Under the standard articles, a co-op apartment (andelsbolig) cannot be sublet once you have moved out (see rent out a co-op apartment).
Why long-term rental and not 70 days on Airbnb
The 70 days are set out in § 5 of the Summer Houses Act (sommerhusloven, in Danish) and only apply when you rent out your own permanent home to holiday guests through a platform that reports the rental income. Without such a platform, the limit is 30 days. If you have moved out to sell, the apartment is no longer your permanent home. In Copenhagen and other regulated municipalities, a home that has been used for year-round living within the last 5 years may not, under § 7, subsection 1, of the Housing Conditions Act (in Danish), be used for holiday rentals or other temporary use without the municipality’s consent.
An ordinary lease under the Rent Act has no limit on days. The tenant lives in the apartment, and you get a fixed monthly rent instead of individual bookings. If you still live in the apartment yourself and want to rent it out for short periods, the rules are in the article on Airbnb rules in Copenhagen.
We handle the rental while you wait
If you choose to rent out, we handle it from listing to move-out:
- We advertise the apartment on our homes to rent page and target the listing at tenants who suit the period, for example students and expats.
- Every tenant is screened before a viewing, and you make the final choice.
- We draw up the lease under the Rent Act with the end date and the reason written in.
- We collect the deposit, prepaid rent and rent, and follow up if the rent is not paid.
- We carry out move-in and move-out inspections with written and photo documentation.
It costs 8.5% excl. VAT of the monthly rent, with VAT added on top. With a rent of DKK 15,000, the fee is DKK 1,275 plus DKK 318.75 in VAT. Whether renting out pays off compared with selling now is worked through in the article on whether to rent out or sell your apartment, and the full service is described on the page on how to rent out your apartment temporarily.
If you want to know what your apartment could bring in, tell us about it in the rental income calculator and get a personal estimate within 24 hours. You can also contact us about long-term rental while the apartment is for sale.
The article is based on market figures read on 7 October 2026 and on the law as it applies in October 2026. It is general information and not legal advice.
Sources
- Boligsiden: Over 2.000 ejerlejligheder til salg i København (6 October 2026, in Danish)
- Boligsiden: Lejlighedssalget bremser op (17 September 2026, in Danish)
- Boligsiden: Lejlighedspriserne i København skifter retning (10 September 2026, in Danish)
- home and Danske Bank: Boligbrief September 2026 (in Danish)
- Nordea: Festen på det københavnske ejerlejlighedsmarked er slut (15 September 2026, in Danish)
- Danmarks Nationalbank: Renteforhøjelse (11 June 2026, in Danish)
- Danmarks Nationalbank: Renteforhøjelse (10 September 2026, in Danish)
- Finans Danmark: Salgstider på boligmarkedet (BM030, in Danish)
- Municipality of Copenhagen: Regler for bopælspligt (in Danish)
- Danish Rent Act (lejeloven), Act no. 341 of 22 March 2022 (retsinformation.dk, in Danish)
- Bill on the Rent Act (L 47), explanatory notes to §§ 173 and 181 (in Danish)
- Housing Conditions Act (lov om boligforhold) (retsinformation.dk, in Danish)
- Summer Houses Act (sommerhusloven), Consolidated Act no. 400 of 2024 (retsinformation.dk, in Danish)
Have another question?Call +45 50 52 15 37 or book a meeting.
Frequently asked questions
The key questions, answered briefly.
Have another question?Call +45 50 52 15 37 or book a meeting.
Why is it hard to sell an apartment in Copenhagen right now?
Far more apartments have come up for sale, and fewer are being sold. According to Boligsiden, 2,057 owner-occupied apartments were for sale in the Municipality of Copenhagen in early October 2026, against just under 1,000 at New Year, and 36% fewer were sold in August than a year earlier. Buyers have more to choose from, and discounts have grown, even though prices are still above last year.
Should I cut the price to get it sold?
That depends on how quickly you need to sell. Discounts have grown, but they are still small: according to Nordea, the average discount was 1.8% in August 2026. If you need the money now, a lower price may be the right route. If you can wait, a fixed-term rental can give you rental income in the meantime.
Can my apartment stand empty while it is for sale?
Yes, but in Copenhagen you must report it empty to the municipality no later than 6 weeks after the last occupant moved out. That the home is for sale is a valid reason to get a deadline, and the municipality cannot assign a tenant to a home you have put up for sale. The rules on year-round occupation do not fall away because the sale drags on, though.
How long does it take to sell an apartment in Copenhagen?
According to Finans Danmark, it took an average of 51 days to sell an owner-occupied apartment in the Municipality of Copenhagen in the second quarter of 2026. Since then, supply has risen to its highest level since early 2024, according to Boligsiden, and according to home and Danske Bank there were 23.8% fewer viewings of owner-occupied apartments in the Capital Region in September than a year earlier.
Can I rent out the apartment on Airbnb once I have moved out?
As a rule, no. The 70-day rule in the Summer Houses Act only applies to your own permanent home. In Copenhagen and other regulated municipalities, holiday rentals require the municipality’s consent under § 7 of the Housing Conditions Act if the apartment has been used for year-round living within the last 5 years. An ordinary lease under the Rent Act has no limit on days.
What does it cost to have you rent out the apartment?
The fee is 8.5% excl. VAT of the monthly rent, with VAT added on top. It covers advertising, screening, a lease with an end date and reason, collecting the deposit and rent, and move-in and move-out inspections. Maintenance is charged separately. If you want to know what your apartment could bring in, you get a personal estimate within 24 hours through the rental income calculator.
