Huslejenævnet: Denmark's Rent Tribunal Explained
Short answer: Huslejenævnet (the local rent tribunal) is a municipal body that settles most disagreements between tenants and landlords – about rent, deposits, maintenance and utility statements, for example. Bringing a case costs 367 kr. (2026), and if you win in full, the landlord pays a fee of 7,027 kr. (2026) to the tribunal. You don't need a lawyer.
The name suggests it's only about how much rent you pay, but the rent tribunal deals with far more than that. Here's what it is, what it can and can't decide, and how to use it.
Who sits on the rent tribunal?
Every municipality must have at least one rent tribunal, and several municipalities can share one (section 78 of the Danish Housing Conditions Act, boligforholdsloven). The tribunal consists of a chair who is a law graduate and two members nominated by landlords' and tenants' associations respectively (section 79). The tribunal is neutral: it makes decisions, but it doesn't advise tenants or landlords, and it can't open a case on its own initiative.
What can the rent tribunal decide?
- The amount of rent and notified rent increases
- Deposits, prepaid rent and claims for repairs when you move out
- Defects in the home when you moved in – the tribunal can order the landlord to fix them (section 92 of the Rent Act, lejeloven)
- Maintenance, where the tribunal can order the landlord to carry out specific work (section 114)
- Utility statements for heating, water and electricity, and the size of a conto payments
- Cases about good order and conduct, such as noise – but only the landlord can bring these (section 155)
What doesn't the rent tribunal decide?
Some disputes belong to boligretten (the housing court), which is part of the district court. These include:
- termination of the lease, with or without notice
- a proportionate rent reduction for defects, backdated
- compensation
- disputes about swapping and subletting
- general interpretation of the terms in your lease
If you live in social housing (almen bolig), your case goes to beboerklagenævnet (the social-housing tenants' complaints board) instead.
What does it cost?
| Fee | Amount (2026) |
|---|---|
| Bringing a case before the rent tribunal | 367 kr. |
| Paid by the landlord if the tenant wins in full | 7,027 kr. |
| Appeal to the appeals board in Copenhagen Municipality (per tenancy) | 194 kr. |
| Bringing a case before beboerklagenævnet (social housing) | 172 kr. |
The amounts are adjusted annually. According to the City of Copenhagen, if the tenant only wins in part, or the parties settle, the landlord doesn't pay the 7,027 kr. fee.
How to file a complaint
The complaint must be in writing, with the necessary documentation attached (section 82 of the Housing Conditions Act). Many municipalities have a digital form. Send it to the rent tribunal in the municipality where the home is located, and have this ready:
- The address of the home and your contact details
- A short written explanation of what the tribunal should decide – ideally split into points
- The entire lease
- Your correspondence with the landlord, such as emails, letters and messages – including any you've exchanged on LejLet.nu
- The move-out report if the case is about moving out, or the utility statement if it's about heating or water
- A power of attorney from the other tenants if there are several of you on the lease and you're not complaining together
Always try to resolve the disagreement with your landlord in writing first. That way you also have the documentation.
How long does a case take?
Within 1 week of receiving the case, the tribunal sends it to the other party, who gets 2 weeks to respond (section 82(3)). The law says the tribunal must then decide within 4 weeks of receiving the other party's response (section 86). In practice many cases take months: the City of Copenhagen says processing typically takes 8-10 months. Outside Copenhagen Municipality, if the tribunal misses its deadline, you can take the case straight to the housing court (section 88(6)) – but think carefully first, because a housing court case can be considerably more expensive. In Copenhagen Municipality, the case can go to the appeals board instead (section 89).
What if you disagree with the decision?
Outside Copenhagen Municipality, both tenant and landlord can bring the decision before the housing court within 4 weeks of being notified of it (section 88). In Copenhagen Municipality, most decisions go to an appeals board within the same deadline instead (section 89), while decisions on good order and conduct go straight to the housing court. A housing court case follows the ordinary rules of civil procedure and can be considerably more expensive than a tribunal case. So get advice before you go further, for example from Lejernes LO (LLO), the national tenants' union, which advises its members.
If your case is about the size of your rent, also read Is your rent too high?, and if it's about the heating bill, see Heating statements.
Sources
- Danish Housing Conditions Act, chapter 9 on rent tribunals – retsinformation.dk (opens in a new tab)
- Rates in rental legislation for 2026 (guidance no. 9886 of 4 September 2025) – retsinformation.dk (opens in a new tab)
- Bringing a case before the rent tribunal – City of Copenhagen (Danish) (opens in a new tab)
- What the rent tribunals can decide – City of Copenhagen (Danish) (opens in a new tab)