What’s up with Dormitories in Denmark?

Simple Danish Newsletter #36

Hi friends,

This week we’re changing topics and sharing something Antonina found surprising when she came to Denmark: Dormitories are actually quite nice.

When Antonina and I met, I was studying at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), just outside Copenhagen, and living in a dormitory near the university.

Antonina later shared with me that she was quite skeptical about visiting me upon hearing I was living in a dorm. It turns out dormitories in Denmark and Poland are not very similar.

Where I was living, you had your own 12 m² room, a small entrance, and a private bathroom and shower for a net sum of 3200 DKK per month (430 EUR). Unlike elsewhere, where dorms often mean sharing a single room with multiple people (= no privacy), living in a dorm in Denmark can be quite comfortable. Adding to that, I only had to bike 3 kilometers to my university. I thought living in a dorm was quite a steal.

You do share a kitchen with other students (and in some dorms, bathrooms and showers as well). In my case, we were 13 students sharing a kitchen.

This meant that living in a dorm came with dorm- and kitchen-dependent traditions, socializing, and parties. Basically, friends and a social life were guaranteed.

It also meant sharing a kitchen with 13 people, each with different levels of cleanliness, social skills, drinking habits, music tastes, and much more. Dorms usually have other amenities, such as a gym or laundromats as well. My dorm even had a kayaking club, and I had a small plot of land for a tiny garden.

I was personally a big fan of living in a dorm. It was cheap, which meant I could spend my money on things that were more important to me, and it was social, making it a great way to meet new people.

How to Find a Dorm Room

Some dorms are very difficult to get into and require either good grades from previous studies or an impressive application. These are usually old, small, and historical dormitories. They come with tons of traditions, but also, in my opinion, a hint of arrogance.

Most dorms, however, operate with a waiting list for new applicants. That’s something Antonina discovered Denmark is very fond of: waiting lists. We have waiting lists for dorms, flats with low rent, “andelsboliger,” winter-bathing clubs, and much more. Waiting lists are everywhere in Denmark, but that’s a topic for another time.

Your position on the waiting list is often influenced by how far away you live from your studies. If you’re moving from the other side of Denmark (or abroad), you will not have to wait as long as someone living next to the university. Personally, I was on a waiting list for 7 months before getting a spot, while living 1.5 hours from my university. Some universities, like DTU, will also help you find accommodation for something like the first 6 months if you’re moving from abroad.

Most universities share resources for finding accommodation near campus or can point you in the right direction if you reach out. You typically need to be enrolled at a university before signing up for waiting lists, and some dormitories might have additional restrictions, such as minimum and maximum age limits. We have put a bunch of helpful links in the bottom of this mail.

Recently, commercial dormitories have started popping up around Denmark. They don’t use waiting lists and have nicer amenities but much higher rents. While this increases the supply of student housing (which is needed), these newer places are so expensive that you’d likely need either 1) financial support from your parents or 2) a high number of working hours on the side—most of which will go toward paying the rent.

Are Dorms Why Danes Move Out Early?

Compared to many other countries, Danes tend to move out at an early age. In fact, in 2022, the average age for leaving the parental home was 21.7 years. I don’t have a source to back this up, but I’m confident that dormitories in Denmark, combined with the fact that students are paid to study, play a large part in explaining why this age is so low.

Getting paid to study is a huge contributing factor. If you study in Denmark, you can qualify for “Statens Uddannelsesstøtte,” better known as SU—a monthly stipend for students in Denmark. If you’re an EU citizen, certain terms and conditions apply, but you can still qualify for SU.

If you live in a cheap dorm, it’s possible to live solely on this stipend. However, finding a student job will make life much more comfortable. For EU citizens, you will need to work a minimum of 10-12 hours per week before you can qualify for SU.

Helpful Links and One Warning

Useful Links:

Warning: Be careful with private ads for rooms or flats. A common scam involves listing a flat online and requesting a deposit upfront, claiming high demand. Sometimes, scammers even show apartments rented short-term through Airbnb.

Red Flags:

  • Requests to transfer money to a non-Danish bank account.
  • Unusually large upfront payments.
  • The owner won’t meet you in person to hand over the keys.

If possible, visit the apartment before. Verify that the name of your landlord matches someone who is registered at this address. Use krak.dk for the verification. Google your landlord’s name, google the adress. See what pops up and if the names and pictures seem to match. Reverse search the images on google as well.
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That was quite a different topic for this week’s newsletter. What did you think?

As always don’t hesitate to reach out if you have comments, suggestions or otherwise have questions 😊

Kram fra,

Antonina & Rasmus

Denmark&Me

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