Student Accommodation
It is important to start looking for accommodation as soon as you seriously intend to study at Linköping University (LiU). The sooner you join the waiting lists the more accommodation options you will have.
How does student accommodation work at LiU?
If you are a degree student
Linköping University does not generally offer student accommodation unless you are an exchange student. Therefore all students need to join the queue systems for accommodation. Unlike the largest cities in Sweden, our campus cities do not have massive shortages of accommodation nor are the queues several years long, however international students are advised to learn about how the queue point system works. International students can be in for a rude shock if they expect to just quickly rent an apartment off the rental property market. Some students are not able to find anything before arriving so choose to stay in temporary accommodation while they find a place to live.
Most housing companies in Sweden accept applications through an online queuing system, where you will receive one point for each day you are registered in the system. Learn more about how each different housing company operates by following the links to their websites below. If you can't find the right information in English, either get in touch with the housing company directly or use one of the online translation resources such as Google translate.
Tip: We recommend that all prospective students who are very intent on studying at LiU should start joining queues after reading this article. It does not need to cost you anything and you are not obligated to rent a property but if you start studying at LiU you will have more points in the system. Local students often sign up years in advance which means they get the first pick of the best and cheapest apartments. The more organised you are – the more options you will have!
Most housing companies in Sweden accept applications through an online queuing system, where you will receive one point for each day you are registered in the system. Learn more about how each different housing company operates by following the links to their websites below. If you can't find the right information in English, either get in touch with the housing company directly or use one of the online translation resources such as Google translate.
Tip: We recommend that all prospective students who are very intent on studying at LiU should start joining queues after reading this article. It does not need to cost you anything and you are not obligated to rent a property but if you start studying at LiU you will have more points in the system. Local students often sign up years in advance which means they get the first pick of the best and cheapest apartments. The more organised you are – the more options you will have!
If you are an exchange student
LiU can offer some exchange students a student room but there is no guarantee you will receive a room offer because if there are more applicants than rooms, priority will be given to students whose application forms were received first.
LiU has an agreement with the housing company Heimstaden in Linköping and with the housing company Studentbo in Norrköping. Whether or not you will be allocated a room, at the latest you will be notified by post and email by November/December if you are arriving for the spring semester and May/June if you are arriving for the autumn semester. Rooms are rented on a full month basis only. So, for example, if you have been allocated the room from the first of August but arrive mid-month, you still must pay the rent for the whole month.
Keys can be collected from the Info Centre during office hours only. If you have been allocated and accepted the housing offer from LiU, make sure to read through the FAQ for the LiU student accommodation before arrival.
A list of housing options is offered below.
LiU has an agreement with the housing company Heimstaden in Linköping and with the housing company Studentbo in Norrköping. Whether or not you will be allocated a room, at the latest you will be notified by post and email by November/December if you are arriving for the spring semester and May/June if you are arriving for the autumn semester. Rooms are rented on a full month basis only. So, for example, if you have been allocated the room from the first of August but arrive mid-month, you still must pay the rent for the whole month.
Keys can be collected from the Info Centre during office hours only. If you have been allocated and accepted the housing offer from LiU, make sure to read through the FAQ for the LiU student accommodation before arrival.
A list of housing options is offered below.
Types of accommodation
Student housing
- Studentbostäder – Student accommodation provided by Linköping municipality.
- Studentbo – Student accommodation provided by Norrköping municipality.
- Colonia – A student complex on Campus Valla, which is student-led and arranges activity teams to help international students interact. This is only an option if you have a Swedish personal number.
- Heimstaden – (in Swedish) Housing company in Linköping and Norrköping.
- SBS – Brand new student apartments in the center of Norrköping.
- K2A – 90 newly built student apartments in Vallastaden, Linköping.
Photo credit Thor Balkhed
Housing in Linköping
- Stångåstaden – A municipal housing company in Linköping.
- Information about accommodation – Provided by Linköping municipality.
- List of landlords (in Swedish) in Linköping. List maintained by Linköping municipality.
- Qasa – A housing company where you can rent both furnished and unfurnished rooms.
- Subleases or shared accommodation can be found using sites like Blocket or Facebook marketplace or groups in Linköping.
Photo credit Peter Modin
Housing in Norrköping
- Hyresbostäder (in Swedish) – Norrköping's municipal housing company (in Swedish).
- List of landlords (in Swedish) – Provided by Norrköping municipality.
- Qasa – A housing company where you can rent both furnished and unfurnished rooms.
- Subleases or shared accommodation can be found using second-hand sharing sites like Blocket or searching for advertisements or connections through Facebook market place or groups in Norrköping.
5 steps to secure accommodation
1. Register online
There are four main landlords for student accommodation: Heimstaden and Studentbostäder in Linköping and Studentbo and SBS Studentbostäder in Norrköping. You earn one queue point per day. The more points you have, the higher probability you have to secure accommodation.
2. Apply for a maximum of 5 different options per landlord
After you get your Notification of selection result you can start applying for an apartment or a room. Because of this limitation imposed by the landlords, make sure to sign up for several landlords. Note: You can not rank them.
3. Wait for an answer from the landlords
They will get back to you if you are offered a room/apartment.
4. Accept or decline your offer
You have to accept or decline the offer. If you decline or do not respond at all, you risk getting struck off the housing queue and won't be able to register for any other accommodation.
5. Moving date
When accepting the offer, you also agree to comply with the offer indicated in the ad, such as the rent and moving date. If the contract starts on August 1st you pay the rent for the entire month, even if you choose to move in later that month.
Photo credit Teres Wramell
Colonia is located next to campus Valla.
Accommodation process
It is important to look for accommodation even before getting admitted to a programme at Linköping University. This video will guide you through the accommodation process and provide you with some tips on how to find accommodation.
Student accommodation for international students at LiU
Student corridors, apartments and private housing
Student rooms (corridor)
A student room is usually about 20 sqm and includes a private bathroom. Several rooms are often placed in the same corridor or hall, with a shared kitchen and living room; the local students refer to this type of accommodation as a corridor room. The rooms are fully furnished with your basic needs such as a bed, desk, lamps and fire alarm, but you bring your own pillows, sheets, blankets and kitchen utensils. You will have your own part of a fridge and freezer in the shared kitchen, which can sometimes include some basic utensils such as pots, plates and cutlery.
Many of these rooms are in student housing areas, often just a short bike ride from campus. Student rooms can be found through municipal student housing companies. The rent starts at approximately SEK 3,900/month with electricity, heating and internet included in the rent. While you will need to be admitted to LiU to sign a contract, you can register and start collecting queue points well in advance to increase your chances of getting a room.
A corridor room is the most popular choice by most international students. They are affordable, located close to campus, the rooms have basic furniture and you will meet and live with other students straight away. Get a feeling for student corridor life in our video:
Apartments
You can rent apartments of varying sizes through several housing companies. While some companies have student specific queues, you can also apply for the same apartments as a private citizen. It may be easier to find a larger apartment and look for a roommate/s to move in when the semester starts, as smaller apartments are often more popular. Find housing companies through the official list of landlords provided by the municipalities of each city.
Private housing
Private landlords often don’t use queues to choose applicants but will rent available rooms within an apartment or a house to whoever is first to apply or by reviewing applications individually. Find private landlords through the Norrköping or Linköping list of landlords, or on private advertising sites (listed below).
Be careful! Students who wanted to secure accommodation before arriving for their studies have been caught up in scams targeting foreign students.
Learn more about protecting yourself from scammers from the student tenant association at LiU: KOMBO: Don’t get scammed!
Linköping or Norrköping?
Which city am I moving to?
Students could choose to live in either campus city. Looking in both campus cities will increase your opportunities. You could also choose another city or smaller town nearby to your campus or in the countryside.
It is up to you where you want to live or how far you want to travel each day for your studies. A big factor to consider is which campus your studies will be taught on.
For example, if you find an apartment in Norrköping but your programme is on Campus Valla, you can travel for free between the cities using the LiU campus bus and then choose to utilise Campus Norrköping’s library and study rooms. It is up to you.
Warning! It is not advisable to live in Stockholm or Gothenburg and believe you will be able to study full-time at LiU.
It is up to you where you want to live or how far you want to travel each day for your studies. A big factor to consider is which campus your studies will be taught on.
For example, if you find an apartment in Norrköping but your programme is on Campus Valla, you can travel for free between the cities using the LiU campus bus and then choose to utilise Campus Norrköping’s library and study rooms. It is up to you.
Warning! It is not advisable to live in Stockholm or Gothenburg and believe you will be able to study full-time at LiU.
Temporary & emergency solutions
What happens if I can’t find accommodation before the semester starts?
Temporary accommodation
As student rooms are only available for full calendar months, you might need to stay in temporary accommodation if you have not settled into a apartment when the semester starts. There are several youth hostels in both Linköping and Norrköping. It might be difficult to get a room immediately before the term starts, so it is recommended that you book well in advance. Make sure you reach an agreement with the hostel regarding when and how to pick up your key if you arrive late in the evening. There is often a charge for bed linen in youth hostels, so make sure to bring your own if you want to save some money. You can also find temporary accommodation through short-term solutions such as Airbnb or couch-surfing.
Emergency accommodation
If you have trouble finding somewhere to live after you’ve been admitted, contact KOMBO the student tenant association run by LiU students. They can help you with emergency lodging between 1 August to 30 September if you have nowhere to stay when the semester starts. Note: KOMBO can only help with emergency lodging for admitted students, meaning they will not be able to provide lodging for family members coming with you.
Useful link:
Feeling lost?
We recommend checking out KOMBO, a student-run association at LiU that works with all aspects of student accommodation from legal advocacy, student representation and advertises private accommodation. KOMBO has created a lot of content to help students find accommodation, how to avoid scams, and have even created guides to help international students be able to search in Swedish and get an insider’s look at finding accommodation.
