Landlords
Renting out a holiday home in Sweden: rules, rent and tax
You can rent out a holiday home in Sweden without approval from a housing association or landlord, as long as you own the house. If you rent it out as a home to someone who will live there, the Private Rental Act (privatuthyrningslagen) applies, and you and the tenant agree on the rent as long as it is not substantially higher than for similar homes. The rental income may be taxable, but you can make deductions.
Calculate what you can charge for your holiday home
A holiday home (fritidshus) often stands empty for much of the year but still costs money. If you rent it out when you are not using it yourself, you get extra income and the house is lived in and looked after. Much of what applies when you rent out a house also applies to a holiday home, but a few things are different.
Renting out a holiday home as a home or as holiday accommodation?
When you rent out a holiday home, it matters what the tenant will use it for. If the tenant is going to live there for a longer period, for example while working in the area or waiting for a home of their own, it counts as renting out a home and the Private Rental Act applies. Since 1 July 2026, that act covers private individuals who rent out their own house, tenant-owned apartment (bostadsrätt) or owner-occupied apartment (ägarlägenhet).
If you instead rent out the house as holiday accommodation, the Private Rental Act does not apply. Nor does it apply if you regularly rent out more than two homes that are not part of your own home. You can read more in our guide to the new Private Rental Act.
Renting out a summer house for longer periods
Renting out a summer house for a longer period works best if the house can be lived in for the whole rental period. Think about heating, water, waste collection and the distance to shops and public transport, because those are the things a tenant who will live in the house asks about.
When you rent out through Samtrygg, the shortest rental period is two months, but the focus is on rentals of six months or longer. That suits you well if you use the summer house yourself in summer and want to rent it out for the rest of the year. With a fixed-term lease, you both know from the start when the house will be free again.
What rent can you charge for a summer house?
There is no fixed price list for renting out a summer house. The rent depends on location, size, standard, whether the house is furnished and how sought-after the area is. Being close to the sea, a lake, nature or a larger town with jobs usually attracts more interest, and so do things like a sauna, a jetty or private parking.
Under the Private Rental Act, you and the tenant agree on the rent. It has to be a fixed amount, but electricity and heating can be charged according to what the tenant actually uses. If the rent is substantially higher than what similar homes normally cost, the tenant can apply to the Rent Tribunal (hyresnämnden) for a review, and the tribunal can then lower the rent from the date of the application. Read more in How much rent can I charge?
For a starting point, use the rent calculator. It is based on completed rentals of similar homes through Samtrygg, and only on those that are relevant to today’s rent levels. So you get a reasonable estimate to start from, but no guarantee of a particular rent.
Tax when you rent out a holiday home
If you rent out a holiday home or cottage, the rental income may be taxable. But you can make deductions, so not everything you take in is necessarily taxed. How much tax you pay depends on how much you rent out for and which deductions you are entitled to.
Check what applies to you with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), which has a calculation tool for renting out a private home. For an overview first, read our tax guide for landlords.
Lease and notice when you rent out your holiday home
Always sign a lease when you rent out your holiday home, so that you agree on the rent, the rental period and what the rent includes. A fixed-term lease ends when the rental period is over, without anyone having to give notice. A lease that runs until further notice can be terminated by either of you with three months’ notice, to the end of a month.
The tenant can always terminate a fixed-term lease too, with three months’ notice, and the notice must be in writing. The tenant has no security of tenure, though, so once the lease has ended correctly there is no right to stay. That also applies when you rent out a house. Read more about security of tenure when you rent out.
What insurance do you need when you rent out a holiday home?
Start by asking your insurance company what your house or holiday home insurance covers while the house is rented out, because terms differ between insurers. When you rent out through Samtrygg, rental insurance that covers damage a standard home insurance does not cover is included.
Document the condition of your holiday home
Go through the house together with the tenant at move-in and move-out and document its condition. When you sign the lease through Samtrygg, you get an inspection report to fill in, as well as an inventory list and a key receipt. That is especially useful in a holiday home, which often has a lot of furniture, kitchenware and equipment such as a boat, bikes or garden tools.
Take photos of every room during the inspection. That makes it easier to compare the condition when the tenant moves out.
Prepare your holiday home for renting out
First decide whether to rent the house out furnished or unfurnished, and make room for the tenant’s belongings. Gather practical information in one place: how the heating and water work, when the bins are collected and who to call if something breaks. Put things like cleaning, snow clearing and lawn mowing in the lease, so it is clear who is responsible for what.
Viewings can be held on site or digitally, where you show the house to interested home seekers by video. That way, home seekers who live far from the holiday home can also see it without travelling there. Upload a picture of the floor plan to the listing, so home seekers get a good idea of the house before the viewing.
Why rent out your holiday home through Samtrygg
With Samtrygg, your listing reaches thousands of home seekers, and you always choose who gets to rent. Home seekers are verified and credit-checked before the lease is signed, so you know more about the person moving into your house. And when you are not there yourself, you have the Safety Package behind you, including a rent guarantee for up to 12 months and rental insurance.
The listing is free, and before it is published we contact you and help you assess the rent. You sign the lease directly with the tenant, digitally. Behind the service is experience from more than 25,000 rentals. Samtrygg is the trusted marketplace for home rentals.
The Safety Package is included free of charge for landlords.
- Rent guarantee for up to 12 months
- Rental insurance that covers damage a standard home insurance does not cover
- Verified home seekers and credit checks of tenants
- Standardised lease, written by Samtrygg’s lawyers
- Inspection report at move-in and move-out
- Legal advice
- Free marketing
- Personal service and help throughout the process
Frequently asked questions about renting out a holiday home
Do I need permission to rent out my holiday home?
If you own the holiday home, no housing association or landlord needs to approve the rental. If the holiday home is a tenant-owned apartment (bostadsrätt), you need the housing association’s consent, just as when you rent out any other tenant-owned apartment.
Can I rent out my summer house for just a few months?
Yes, you decide how long you want to rent out, and the Private Rental Act sets no maximum rental period. Through Samtrygg, the shortest rental period is two months, and the focus is on rentals of six months or longer. A fixed-term lease ends by itself when the rental period is over.
Do I have to pay tax when I rent out a cottage?
The income may be taxable when you rent out a cottage, but you can make deductions that reduce what is taxed. How much it comes to depends on your income and which deductions you are entitled to. The Swedish Tax Agency’s calculation tool shows what applies in your case.
Does the tenant have security of tenure in my holiday home?
No, not when you rent out the holiday home as a home under the Private Rental Act. Once the lease has ended correctly, the tenant has no right to stay. A lease that runs until further notice has three months’ notice.
What happens if the rent for my summer house is too high?
If the rent is substantially higher than for similar homes, the tenant can turn to the Rent Tribunal. The tribunal can lower the rent from the date of the application, and you then pay back what was overpaid, with interest. The law sets no percentage limit for when rent is too high.
How do I rent out my holiday home through Samtrygg?
You create a free listing with photos and, ideally, a picture of the floor plan. Before the listing is published, we contact you and help you assess the rent. Then you hold viewings on site or digitally, choose a tenant and sign the lease digitally.
Summary
Renting out a holiday home can give you extra income from a house that would otherwise stand empty. If you rent it out as a home, the Private Rental Act applies: you agree on the rent, the tenant has no security of tenure, and leases that run until further notice have three months’ notice. Check your insurance, document the condition and check the tax with the Swedish Tax Agency, and you have a good basis for a safe rental.
See what your holiday home could be rented out for
Last updated 30 October 2026
