Bostadsrätt

Bostadsrätt (roughly translate "right to accommodation") is the Swedish version of the condominium.

However, the owner of a bostadsrätt does not really own the place. Instead, the house is owned of a cooperative, and the bostadsrätt is a share of that. So, technically the bostadsrätt is more like a club membership which gives the exclusive right to live in a certain appartment.

The exclusive right to live in the appartment does not extend to others. The owner has to live in the appartment. If he wants to rent out the place to others, he has to get a permit. This permit is usually temporary. If the rules are not obeyed, the cooperative may in some cases even initiate a forced sale of the share of one member.

Tenants have to pay the monthly fee (avgift). This covers maintenance for the house and its facilites. Furthermore the cooperative has to invest into renovations and other things from time to time. If the cooperative has debts, it is also used for the back payment. Depending on the financial health of the cooperative, the fee may be anything from zero to 10.000 SEK.