Rent Hero

Rent Hero provided data to the article picked up by DR, raising awareness of the exploitation of expats in the media

Our monthly column in The International focuses on various issues relating to rental law

Rent Hero brought the story of how City Apartments were overpricing rent-controlled housing targeted expats to the press.

Think you’re paying too much rent?

We can help you get a fair rent. If you’re living in accommodation built before 1992, then it comes under rent control legislation. If you’re an expat, the data shows you are likely to be paying 30-40% above the legal limit. This needs to change!

We’ll deal with the landlord to negotiate a fair settlement or, if necessary, pursue legal action to make sure you’re paying no more than the legal limit.

No win, no pay. Our business is focused on getting results, meaning we only get paid if we win the case – so far we’ve handled more than 500 cases and have won 99%. If we lose, our service is free of charge.

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Read the reviews

“Can I really get my rent reduced?”

Yes, you can. In Denmark, if you rent your home and the landlord is charging you too much, the law is on your side. The rules for regulated housing are there to protect everyone renting their homes, so we can all enjoy affordable accommodation, equality in society and social mobility.

Sadly, this is not the case everywhere. In most major cities like Berlin, London and Stockholm, the rented housing market is not widely regulated. Prices have skyrocketed to benefit only the richest, and renters often struggle to afford their home. This should not happen here.

Are you familiar with the rules? We explain them simply in this guide:

Read the rules

Why are we helping expats?

Unscrupulous landlords often look for expats to rent out their property, knowing they might be unaware of all the laws. Did you know that, on average, expats pay 28% more in rent for rent-controlled housing compared to Danes (and in some cases 40-50% more)?

We’ve seen how expats are sometimes in a vulnerable position compared to Danish nationals, and want to create a level playing field for everyone when it comes to rental rates. How much extra might you be paying?

Calculate your rent

How do you know where the rent will get set?

Part of what we believe makes us stand out when handling a case regarding rent-controlled housing is our vast database of previous verdicts. We’ve collected more than 700+ verdicts which help us get our clients’ good outcomes through the judicial system or fair settlements with their landlords.

Client feedback on Rent Hero

People come to us mainly about unfair rent and sometimes other issues around payments, where landlords take advantage of your expat status to ignore the rules. We assess each case and then take it further on your behalf, to get you a fair deal.

Read our case study to find out how we helped one client reclaim a withheld deposit, while also getting a back-payment for excess rent!

See the case study

READ MORE REVIEWS

“If I complain, won’t my landlord throw me out?”

The short answer is No. Your landlord cannot terminate your lease if you simply want to pay the legally acceptable level of rent.

Danish rental laws are designed to protect tenants from landlords abruptly deciding to terminate the lease, as well as time-limited rentals. You might be surprised to learn that most rental contracts are void anyway due to many landlords ignoring the regulations.

If you have any doubts or concerns about your rights, please read our guide:

READ THE RENT GUIDE

The process to getting a fair rent agreement

Here’s a simple overview of the three steps towards getting a fair deal:

1) You provide us with all the details about your accommodation and rent, and we can then assess your situation. If you have a case, and you decide to pursue it, we’ll contact your landlord on your behalf to achieve a settlement.

2) If your landlord does not want to settle, we will pursue legal action on your behalf and will take care of everything. The case does not require your involvement.

3) Once the court gives its verdict, your landlord must abide by the new terms or appeal it. We are with you all the way, to ensure that you get the money you’re owed and not just a piece of paper with a verdict – that’s why we also assist with ‘enforcement court’ and ‘housing court’ if necessary.

Throughout the entire process, we will keep you updated, communicate to the courts and landlord on your behalf, and take care of everything. At the end of the process, you should have a new, fair, legally-binding rental agreement and a back-payment of overpaid rent transferred to your bank account.

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“Sounds great! But how much does it cost?”

Thank you for asking. We base our whole business around getting results, so if we don’t win a case, then we won’t charge you a cent. No win, no pay.

We have a transparable fee structure so it’s easy for you to know what you’re going to pay when we win (and only once you have the money you’re owed in your account). Our fee is always significantly lower than what you can expect to get back and is based on an individual evaluation of your case – we evaluate all cases for free.

We have handled more than 500 cases and have won 99% of them – we’d be happy to help you get good results as well.

Want to pay less, get a refund and save money? Get a free evaluation now

Get started

Hi! We’re Alex and Mads, the team behind Rent Hero.

That’s us – Mads on the left, and Alex on the right. You’re probably wondering if we’re the right guys to help you out, so here’s a little about ourselves.

Mads: Hi there – I spent 5 years studying law at Copenhagen University, and it’s my job to make sure your case is air-tight and you get a fair settlement. By now I’ve handled more than 500+ cases and have seen just about anything. I once got recommended by a landlord, which had a friend who was a tenant in need of help – he said I was the best. Looking forward to helping you out.

Alex: I started Rent Hero because of one eye-opening incident: I was looking for a rental apartment in Copenhagen and was told I couldn’t go to a viewing because I wasn’t an expat. This made me suspicious – what were they hiding? When I saw how many landlords only want expats as tenants so they can overcharge for rent-controlled housing, I wanted to do something about it. I’ve been an entrepreneur for the past nine years, primarily in the real estate industry. Many of the start-ups I helped create still exist today, and I take what I do very seriously.

We both believe strongly that a regulated market must be enforced if we want to ensure affordable housing in our cities – both for people renting and buying. In an unregulated market, there are only two winners: large corporations and ruthless landlords. If you feel the same way, get in touch today for a chat about how we can help you out.

Get in touch

Frequently asked questions

People coming to us usually share the same concerns, so here is a run-through of the questions we often hear. If you don’t see the answer you need, feel free to email us at hi@renthero.dk or drop us a message in the chat box.

I'm about to sign a contract and I have some questions?

It can be hard to understand what you’re going into when signing a contract. Learn more about the service we offer here: www.renthero.dk/rental-agreement

What happens if my case goes to housing court?

As we work ‘no win, no pay’ we have a large stake in cases not only being won in the rent board (huslejenævnet) but also in housing court (boligretten). Due to this, we’ve spent the past three years building the tools and database necessary to win the case here.

You can read more about what we can do to help here: www.renthero.dk/housing-court

Do you help Danes as well or only expats?

We also help Danes with rent cases, but we have chosen to specialize in expats as they typically have different needs than Danes. Therefore our contracts are in English and all communication is done in English. If you are a Dane (or would just like to improve your Danish) we can of course also handle communication in Danish.

Will I only be able to get a rent reduction going forward, or can I get a back-payment as well?

If you file a successful case within 12 months of moving in, you can get a back-payment of the excess rent you paid for the full period. If you have been there for more than 12 months, you’ll be able to get a back-payment from the date of your last rent increase. In some cases, you could be eligible for an excess rent rebate going back 36 months, but this is not a common scenario.

Email us at post@renthero.dk to get feedback on your individual situation.

How much of an impact does furniture have on how the legal rent is calculated?

Typically a landlord is allowed to earn 5% more if the apartment is furnished. Meaning, if the legal rent without furniture is set at 10.000kr a month, then a furnished apartment should cost 10.500kr a month.

If you’ve been charged separately for furniture, you are eligible for a back-payment going back 36 months.

Will I get kicked out of my apartment?

You are not alone in being concerned about this – almost everyone asks, and the answer is a definite No. Your landlord is not able to cancel your contract because you have a case against them. In almost all cases, expats have signed invalid rental agreements anyway, and as an existing tenant, you have your rights. Read more about Danish Rental Law relating to this issue in our quick guide here: https://renthero.dk/termination-of-lease

What does a typical case look like?

First, we’ll assess your case by checking the details of your accommodation and looking over your lease. If you’re being overcharged for rent-controlled housing we offer to handle your case in a ‘no win, no pay’ setup and make a contract of representation.

Around 50% of private landlords enter into settlements with us. However, if no settlement can be made we will have to pursue legal action. A case typically takes around 10-12 months to get a ruling in – the upside is that you can collect interest on the owed amount of around 8% during the case.

How long does a case take?

A typical case usually takes less than a month if a settlement can be made. However, if your landlord chooses not to settle, the case will take around 10-12 months to get a ruling in. Fortunately, you will get paid retroactively from the day your case is sent to the courts, and the payment will land in your bank account when the verdict is completed.

How do you know what a fair price is?

A big part of Rent Hero’s ‘secret sauce’ is our access to more than 20,000 rental price data entries, which helps us to calculate a fair rate for a number of different properties. This data also makes it easy for us to make fair settlement offers and win court cases.

What if i'm no longer living in the apartment?

You don’t have to be still living in the property to have a case. If it’s less than 12 months ago that you moved in or less than 12 months ago you had a rent-increase then you might still have a case. Furniture rental besides the rent, deposit cases, and overchargement of utilities goes back 36 months. In some cases, rent claims can also go back 36 months, but it’s not that typical.

Are we missing something?

As someone famous once said: “you don’t know what you don’t know.” These FAQs deal with the most common queries we get, but you may have a unique question that relates to your own individual situation. If you don’t see what you need to know here, write to alex@renthero.dk and we’ll give you an answer. And we’ll also add it to our FAQs for others to learn from too!

Rent Hero Aps

Nannasgade 28

2200 København N

CVR: 40217584

Phone Number: +4531222788

Email: hi@renthero.dk