How much can you live in a sommerhus in Denmark?
| Period | Rule |
|---|---|
| 1 March - 31 October | No restrictions |
| 1 November - end of February | Only short stays, in total no more than half of the winter period |
The rule applies equally to the owner and to tenants (Bolius). In practice that comes to about 43 weeks a year. You cannot register your permanent address there without an exemption.
Who may live in a sommerhus all year round?
According to borger.dk:
- pensioners who have owned the house for at least 1 year (state pension, early retirement pension, efterløn, or over 60 with a pension);
- owners with an exemption from the municipality (for example due to serious illness, or if the municipality mistakenly allowed it at purchase);
- houses that were legally used all year before the area became a summer-house zone.
Many older articles still say a pensioner must have owned the sommerhus for 8 years before living there all year. According to borger.dk, 1 year is now enough. But whether the house is fit for winter, nobody checks: that is the owner's responsibility.
Who can buy a sommerhus in Denmark?
The rule depends on bopæl (registered residence), not on citizenship:
- with bopæl in Denmark or 5 years of bopæl earlier: no permission needed;
- EU citizen without bopæl: permission from the Ministry of Justice is needed;
- non-EU citizen without bopæl: permission is needed.
Permission for a sommerhus is granted as an exception. Processing usually takes 2-4 months (Civilstyrelsen). Write it into the contract as a condition.
Read more: Foreigners buying property in Denmark →
Is there a tilstandsrapport and energy label for a sommerhus?
A tilstandsrapport, yes: the huseftersyn system is the same. An energy label, however, is not required for a sommerhus (Bolius).
Without an energy label you do not know what it will cost to heat the house in winter. If you plan to live there in retirement, ask the seller for electricity and heating bills for 2-3 years, not just for the summer. Summer bills say nothing about a house nobody lived in during winter.
Summer houses more often have:
- damp and mould: the house stands cold and unventilated in winter;
- wooden facades and terraces that rot from damp and salt;
- weak insulation: the house was not built for winter;
- its own sewage system or septic tank instead of the public sewer: separate costs for emptying and repairs;
- pests: an empty house in winter attracts mice and rats.
What does a sommerhus on leased land mean?
The house is yours, the land is not: you lease it. Check:
- the lease term and whether there is a right to extend;
- the annual rent and how it rises;
- what happens to the house when the lease ends: sometimes it has to be removed at your own cost;
- financing: banks are more cautious, and some do not lend on such houses at all.
A low price for a sommerhus on leased land is often not a bargain but the price of a risk. A DKK 600,000 house that has to be demolished at your own cost in 15 years can end up more expensive than a DKK 1,200,000 house on your own land.
Coastal protection, coastal zone and flood risk
Near the sea, coastal protection zones apply (strandbeskyttelse, kystnærhedszone). They limit extensions, new buildings and even fences. In our data, 28 of 77 listings did not mention the coastal zone although it applied to the house. Check the zone on arealinfo.dk and the flood risk on dingeo.dk.
A terrace, shed or extension at a sommerhus was often built "to suit" decades ago. If they are not in BBR and the house is in a coastal protection zone, legalising them can be difficult or impossible. In 29 of 76 houses in our data there were buildings on the plot outside BBR.
Can you rent out a sommerhus?
Yes. Tenants have the same date restrictions as the owner (Bolius). Rental income is taxed under special rules. Before buying with rental in mind, work out the realistic occupancy and the tax with a tax adviser.
My view
A sommerhus is often bought as a "second home for the soul", and that is exactly why it gets checked less carefully. But a house that stands empty all winter ages faster: damp, rot, mice. I would go to the second viewing in February, not July, check the loft and crawl space twice as carefully, and never buy on leased land without reading the lease.
Yurii Khlivnenko, founder of NordIndsigt
On your own or with us?
The documents for a sommerhus are the same and the rules are public, so you can check it yourself. It takes time, Danish and a trip to the house in winter. We have seen many houses on the North Jutland coast and know what breaks most often there. And a sea view makes any house look better than it is. With us you get the condition, risks, residence rules and repair prices in your language.
In short
Before you buy, find out when you may live there, who owns the land, and what state the house is in after winter.
Looking at a sommerhus?
BoligCheck checks the condition, coastal zone, residence rules and repair prices of the summer house.
Order BoligCheck, DKK 299Frequently asked questions
How much can you live in a sommerhus in Denmark?
The rule applies equally to the owner and to tenants (Bolius). In practice that comes to about 43 weeks a year. You cannot register your permanent address there without an exemption.
Who can buy a sommerhus in Denmark?
The rule depends on bopæl (registered residence), not on citizenship:
Is there a tilstandsrapport and energy label for a sommerhus?
A tilstandsrapport, yes: the huseftersyn system is the same. An energy label, however, is not required for a sommerhus (Bolius).
What does a sommerhus on leased land mean?
The house is yours, the land is not: you lease it. Check:
Can you rent out a sommerhus?
Yes. Tenants have the same date restrictions as the owner (Bolius). Rental income is taxed under special rules. Before buying with rental in mind, work out the realistic occupancy and the tax with a tax adviser.
On your own or with us?
The documents for a sommerhus are the same and the rules are public, so you can check it yourself. It takes time, Danish and a trip to the house in winter. We have seen many houses on the North Jutland coast and know what breaks most often there. And a sea view makes any house look better than it is. With us you get the condition, risks, residence rules and repair prices in your language.
