Accommodation
There are two ways to get accommodation in Kolding depending on which type of student you are:
Exchange students: IBA manages accommodation that is rented out
only to international
exchange students and students who enroll for less than 1 year. These apartments all have a kitchen with a stove and a fridge – they are furnished – however limited to a bed, table and chairs. In most of these apartments you will also find some kitchen utensils but you should expect to buy extra if you find there isn’t enough (it is quite cheap to buy second hand kitchen utensils in one of Kolding’s many second hand shops).
We allow exchange students to share accommodation in order to save money. Check
here for examples of accommodation and prices. When you apply for exchange at IBA you will get information from IBA about how to reserve an apartment, payment etc. The price per person is normally between 2400 dkk to 4600 dkk per month (including heating, water and electricity). In Denmark you always pay rent in advance for the coming month. Normally you pay a deposit of three month’s rent but in the IBA system it can be less depending on the apartment you get.
In order to book an apartment you must prepay a reservation fee of 3,500 dkk. You will get more info about this procedure when you enroll.
Please note that these apartments are reserved on a first in first reserved basis so the sooner you pay the reservation fee the better chance you have for getting one of these apartments.
International students: Until now the IBA has dealt with all accommodation issues for international students. The rules and regulations have now been changed and you have to apply through Kolding City Housing administration – this is a database which controls and reserves student apartments based on a waiting list. International students will normally have first priority over students who already live in Denmark, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find an apartment if you are from abroad – in fact it is our experience that in previous years it has not been difficult to find apartments in Kolding. The apartments in the database all have own bathroom, they aren’t furnished but they will as a minimum have a fridge and cooking plates (or a stove).
It is our experience that the majority of students would like to share an apartment in order to save money. As you may not know other students at IBA we advise you to find a person that you can share with though IBA facebook. IBA will each year create a facebook group for new students (you will get a link in your admission notice) – here you can connect with other students who are searching for accommodation. If you find a person through facebook then the two of you must apply for accommodation together and you must pre-pay the deposit and rent before you can get the apartment. We expect that in many situations this can be done with a bank transfer before you go to Denmark but if you would like to meet your potential roommate before you pay then it should be possible to arrange with the landlord that you pay upon arrival.
Rent: In Denmark you always pay rent in advance for the coming month. You will get a bill each month from the land lord. If you pay later than the date stated in the bill you will get a fee for paying late. You must pay the bill in a Danish Bank. Therefore we advise you to get a Danish Bank account - if you don’t want to get a Danish Bank account you can withdraw the money from your credit card and pay the bill in a Danish Bank.
Electricity: Electricity is not included in the rent – the normal price for a one room apartment is approximately 2-3000 dkk per month.
Heating and water supply: You pay a fixed amount every month (included in the rent). Every year you will get an overview of last year’s consumption. If you have used more than you have pre-paid for you will get a bill - if you have used less, you will get money back.
Contract and deposit: In Denmark it is customary for landlords to ask for a deposit of 3 months’ rent. When you accept an offer for an apartment you will receive a contract which must be signed and returned to the landlord and you must pay the deposit and first month’s rent before the take-over-date. This contract is binding and when you want to move out you must give notice to the landlord 3 three months in advance before the first of a month. In this period you do of course still pay rent. The landlord will always expect that you are out of the apartment 14 days before the final date so that he has time to redecorate the apartment - please know that under the Danish rental system you need to pay 2 weeks rent after you vacate the flat. The amount to cover the redecoration and repair broken items (if any) is taken from your deposit and you will receive the remaining amount hereafter (if you leave the apartment as you got it and you didn’t break anything you will probably get around half of the deposit).
Media License (“DR”): If you choose to have a TV, PC or mobile with internet connection, you’ll need to buy/pay a radio/tv licence. Read here about
media license. If you don’t sign up yourself DR has the right to send a bill to you if they have been to your apartment and checked whether you must pay or not. This system can be difficult to understand for students but you can see it as a kind of tax: you must accept to pay it if and when DR sends the bill to you.
