Student Housing in Aalborg: A Guide for New Students
If you’re starting at AAU (Aalborg University), UCN (University College of Northern Denmark) or another programme in Aalborg, you have an advantage that students in Denmark’s other big cities don’t: Aalborg Kommune (the local council) offers new students a boliggaranti (housing guarantee). It puts you at the front of the queue for student housing, as long as you sign up on time. Aalborg is also the cheapest of Denmark’s four largest cities to rent in. A two-room flat typically costs DKK 6,399 a month, based on the flats listed on Bolighub on 17 October 2026. For comparison, SU (the Danish state education grant) for students living away from home on a higher education programme is DKK 7,426 a month before tax in 2026.
The guarantee comes with strict rules, though. Turn down the wrong offer and you can lose both the boliggaranti and the council’s emergency option. This guide gives you the overview: how Studiebolig Aalborg works, what the two guarantees give you, what you can expect to pay, and what you need to get done before you start your studies in 2027.
Studiebolig Aalborg: One place to apply for kollegier and ungdomsboliger
In Aalborg, you apply for kollegier (halls of residence) and ungdomsboliger (non-profit youth and student flats) in one place: Studiebolig Aalborg, previously called AKU-Aalborg. According to Aalborg Kommune (in Danish), it lets more than 7,500 student homes in Aalborg and the surrounding area, and signing up and applying is free.
The rules you need to know
Studiebolig Aalborg’s application rules include the following:
- You can sign up 12 months before your studies start. You don’t need to have been admitted yet.
- You can ask to move in up to 6 months before your studies start. The move-in date you choose determines which offers you get.
- You must renew your application once a year by logging in. If you don’t, your application is deleted.
- You can only have one active offer at a time, and you must reply before 11 pm on the deadline day. If you fail to reply to four offers, you’re removed from the waiting list.
- You must be able to document that you’re a student, for example with an admission letter, confirmation from your institution or an SU notice. Student cards don’t count. If the documentation is missing, your tenancy agreement is terminated.
- You can stay for up to 6 months after finishing your studies. If you study abroad for a period, the council says you can sublet your home.
- Exchange students don’t apply here, but through AAU’s International Housing Office.
How to improve your chances
Studiebolig Aalborg itself gives this advice:
- Apply for as many 1-, 1½- and 2-room homes as possible.
- Also apply for accessible homes (designed for people with disabilities). They are often offered to others if no disabled applicants are on the waiting list.
- Also apply in areas outside central Aalborg.
- If you’re two friends or a couple, go for 2-room homes. 3- and 4-room homes mostly go to families with children.
- Check vacant student homes and short waiting lists in the search function. You can often get an offer quickly there.
The boliggaranti: Front of the queue as a new student
The boliggaranti is Aalborg’s special scheme, and it’s the one you need to get right in August.
Who can use it? New students starting a programme in Aalborg in the autumn semester.
What do you get? You move to the front of the queue and are offered a 1-room kollegium or ungdomsbolig, with a move-in date between 1 August and 15 December.
When do you sign up? According to Studiebolig Aalborg, registration is open from 1 to 31 August. You need to have a regular application with Studiebolig Aalborg, and according to its FAQ you must send documentation of your admission by 31 August.
Pitfalls of the boliggaranti
This is where many new students go wrong. According to Studiebolig Aalborg’s FAQ on the boliggaranti:
- You only get one offer. It can be any student home, including one with a shared kitchen or bathroom, and including one you didn’t apply for yourself.
- You can’t choose. The guarantee is intended for single people, and as a rule you get a 1-room home.
- If you say no or don’t reply, you’re removed from the guarantee and can’t sign up again. You keep your regular place on the waiting list.
- You also lose the right to the tag over hovedet-garanti (the “roof over your head” guarantee, see below). The same applies if you turn down or don’t reply to an offer from the regular waiting list.
- The guarantee doesn’t give you priority for the homes you’d prefer. It only applies to the single guarantee offer.
Be aware: Studiebolig Aalborg’s application rules generally say you can turn down an offer without losing your place on the list. But if you want to use the guarantees, things are different. So if you receive an offer with a move-in date from 1 August, think carefully before saying no. If you’re unsure how a no will affect you, contact Studiebolig Aalborg before you reply.
The tag over hovedet-garanti: The emergency option on Hytteøen
If you haven’t found a home when your studies start, Aalborg Kommune has a tag over hovedet-garanti (“roof over your head” guarantee). It isn’t student housing, but a temporary bed until you find something permanent. The rules below come from the council’s information document, which applies from 1 August 2026.
Who is covered?
- You must be starting a programme in Aalborg Kommune.
- You must live outside the city. The guarantee is only for students coming from elsewhere.
- You must be actively applying through Studiebolig Aalborg and at the same time be looking for a home on the private market.
- You must not have turned down or ignored offers from the waiting list or the boliggaranti.
What do you get, and what does it cost?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Cabins on Hytteøen Aalborg, run by Tabu Catering |
| Your price | DKK 125 per night. The council pays DKK 75 of the full price of DKK 200 |
| Booking fee | DKK 265 the first time |
| Booking | From 1 August to 15 September, at least 6 nights at a time |
| Duration | Up to 4 months from the start of studies in mid-August |
| Layout | Typically 4 people per cabin, up to 6 at busy times, bunk beds and a small fridge |
| Kitchen and bathroom | Shared kitchen plus separate men’s and women’s toilets and showers in a shared building |
A month of 30 nights therefore costs DKK 3,750 plus the booking fee. You don’t get money back if you move out early, even if you’re offered a home. So don’t book more nights at a time than you need.
Be prepared for this: There’s room for roughly one suitcase, and there’s no storage for valuables. You need to bring your own bedding, and at weekends with events there may be noise and limited access to the kitchen.
You lose the guarantee if you turn down a kollegium or ungdomsbolig you applied for yourself, or stop looking on the private market. The council can then end the guarantee with one week’s notice, and you’ll have to pay the full price or move out.
Bottom line: The guarantee is a safety net, not a plan. Read the full information document from Studiebolig Aalborg before you book.
Where are the campuses, and where should you live?
The distance to your place of study matters a lot when deciding where to look:
- AAU: According to AAU, its main campus is in Aalborg Øst (Aalborg East), about 6 km from the city centre. The university also has departments in the centre, and city buses run between campus and town. Check where your own programme is taught.
- UCN has four campuses in Aalborg, divided by subject area: Hobrovej (business), Sofiendalsvej in Aalborg SV (technology), Selma Lagerløfs Vej in Aalborg Øst (health) and Mylius Erichsens Vej (social education and teacher training).
- Other programmes, such as vocational and arts programmes, are located in various parts of the city. Studiebolig Aalborg also covers vocational students, trainees and apprentices.
If you live in the centre, you’re close to nightlife and the railway station, but possibly further from campus. If you live in Aalborg Øst, you’re close to AAU, but supply on the private market is smaller and more expensive.
How much does a home in Aalborg cost as a student?
The figures below are median rents for flats listed on Bolighub in Aalborg Kommune on 17 October 2026. The median is the middle price: half the homes are more expensive and half are cheaper. Heating, water and electricity often come on top.
| Flat | Median rent per month | Number of listings |
|---|---|---|
| One-room | DKK 4,795 | 15 |
| Two-room | DKK 6,399 | 259 |
| Three-room | DKK 7,895 | 275 |
| Four-room | DKK 9,400 | 115 |
| All flats | DKK 7,299 | 673 |
80 percent of the flats were between DKK 5,321 and DKK 9,999 a month, and the median size was 82 m². The one-room figure is based on few listings and is therefore uncertain.
Prices by area
| Area | Median rent, flats | Number of listings | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aalborg C | DKK 7,450 | 395 | Two-room typically DKK 6,495 |
| Aalborg SØ | DKK 6,896 | 96 | Large homes, median 100 m² |
| Nørresundby | DKK 6,504 | 88 | Two-room typically DKK 5,900 |
| Aalborg Øst | DKK 9,400 | 39 | Close to AAU, but few and pricey homes |
| Aalborg SV | DKK 10,058 | 36 | Few listings, the figure may fluctuate |
- Aalborg C (the city centre) has by far the largest supply, so this is where you have the most homes to choose from.
- Nørresundby, on the north side of the Limfjord, has the lowest rents for small flats.
- Aalborg SØ (south-east) gives you the most space for your money, DKK 69 per m². Most listings here were three- and four-room flats, and four-room flats typically cost DKK 6,896 (30 listings). This may be worth a look if several of you want to live together.
- Aalborg Øst, where AAU’s main campus is, was the most expensive of the large areas in the data. The figure is based on few listings.
Rooms: There were 11 listings in the room category in Aalborg Kommune. The median was DKK 3,015, and 80 percent were between DKK 2,635 and DKK 3,688. The median size was 37 m², and most were in Nørresundby, so several of the listings are probably small student flats rather than a room in a shared flat. The figure is based on few listings, so only use it as a rough guide.
For more figures on areas and property types, read our guide to how much it costs to rent in Aalborg, or see the overall figures on the rental market.
Budget: Can you get by on SU in Aalborg?
According to su.dk, the rates in 2026 are:
- SU for students living away from home on a higher education programme: DKK 7,426 a month before tax (su.dk, in Danish).
- SU loan: up to DKK 3,799 a month (su.dk, in Danish). The loan must be paid back.
Here’s how the numbers look using Bolighub’s median rents:
| Housing option | Rent per person | Left from SU alone | Left from SU and full SU loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room or small student flat (median) | DKK 3,015 | DKK 4,411 | DKK 8,210 |
| Four-room shared by three | DKK 3,133 | DKK 4,293 | DKK 8,092 |
| Three-room shared by two | DKK 3,948 | DKK 3,478 | DKK 7,277 |
| Two-room in Nørresundby on your own | DKK 5,900 | DKK 1,526 | DKK 5,325 |
| Two-room anywhere in Aalborg on your own | DKK 6,399 | DKK 1,027 | DKK 4,826 |
All amounts are before tax. What’s left has to cover tax, food, utilities, internet, transport, insurance and textbooks. How much tax you pay depends on your personal allowance (personfradrag) and your other income. Check your forskudsopgørelse (preliminary tax assessment) on skat.dk (in Danish).
What does this mean in practice?
- A two-room flat on your own at the median price is tight on SU alone, especially once utilities are added. Without an SU loan or a student job, there’s very little room to manoeuvre.
- A student home, a room or a shared flat gives you far more breathing space. In Aalborg, it’s realistic to find a shared home where each person pays around DKK 3,000 to 4,000.
- Boligstøtte (housing benefit) requires your own kitchen. According to Borger.dk (in Danish), the rental home must have its own kitchen. If you share a kitchen in a kollegium, you generally can’t get boligstøtte. If you are entitled to it, apply within 30 days of moving in so it can be paid from your move-in date. Read more on our page about housing benefits.
Money at move-in
Moving in is often the most expensive part. Under § 59 of the lejeloven (the Danish Rent Act, in Danish), a landlord can require at most 3 months’ rent as depositum (deposit). The landlord can also require up to 3 months’ forudbetalt leje (prepaid rent), but it must not exceed the rent you would pay from giving notice until the tenancy ends.
Example 1: Two-room flat. Sofie rents a two-room flat in Aalborg C for DKK 6,399 with 3 months’ notice. The landlord can require up to DKK 19,197 in depositum and DKK 19,197 in forudbetalt leje. With the first month’s rent, that can add up to DKK 44,793 at move-in if the landlord demands the maximum.
Example 2: A room with a landlord who lives there. Jonas rents a room for DKK 3,000 in a flat where the landlord lives. Here the notice period is 1 month, so the forudbetalt leje can be no more than DKK 3,000. With DKK 9,000 in depositum and the first month’s rent, the total is at most DKK 15,000.
If you move into an almen bolig (non-profit social housing), you pay an indskud (move-in deposit) to the housing association. According to Borger.dk on loans for beboerindskud (in Danish), you can apply to the council for a loan to cover the indskud if your income is below the limit. However, you can’t get the loan if you move into an almen ungdomsbolig without its own kitchen.
Rooms and shared homes on the private market
If you haven’t got a student home as the start of term approaches, the private market is often the quickest route. Supply in Aalborg is large: there were 736 active rental homes on Bolighub in the municipality on 17 October 2026, and 447 of them had been listed within the previous 30 days. The rules are different from those for a kollegium, though.
A room with a landlord who lives in the home
If you rent a room in a flat where the landlord lives, or in a detached or two-family house the landlord lives in, the notice period is 1 month. This follows from § 170, no. 1, and § 175(1) of the lejeloven. It’s flexible, but also less secure. In the worst case, you’ll have to find somewhere new in the middle of a semester. So stay on the waiting list with Studiebolig Aalborg, and remember to renew your application.
A room from a tenant
If the person you’re renting from is a tenant themselves, it’s a fremleje (sublet). Ask to see that the sublet is approved or legal.
Sharing with other students
In Aalborg, a three- or four-room flat shared with others is often cheaper per person than a small flat of your own. Agree on the following in writing before you sign:
- Who is on the tenancy agreement, and who pays the rent to the landlord?
- How will you split the depositum, utilities and internet?
- Who has to approve a new flatmate if one of you moves out?
- When and how does the person moving out get their share of the depositum back?
Timeline: From now until you start in 2027
If you start your studies in August or September 2027, you can use this plan.
Now, autumn 2026
- Create an application with Studiebolig Aalborg. You can sign up 12 months before your studies start, and it’s free. The sooner you’re on the list, the more seniority you build up.
- Find out where your place of study is and which areas have good connections to it.
- Make a budget, and talk to your family about help with indskud or depositum.
Winter and spring 2027
- Apply for lots of 1-, 1½- and 2-room homes, including outside the centre. Keep an eye on vacant homes and short waiting lists.
- Start saving for moving in.
- You can ask to move in up to 6 months before your studies start, so offers may start arriving during spring and summer.
When you hear about your admission
- Set up a search agent, and keep an eye on student housing and rooms on the private market as plan B.
- Reply to all offers from Studiebolig Aalborg before the deadline.
August 2027
- Sign up for the boliggaranti between 1 and 31 August, and send documentation of your admission before the deadline.
- As a rule, say yes to the offer you get through the guarantee.
- If you still have nothing and live outside the city, you can book a place through the tag over hovedet-garanti from 1 August.
The last weeks before your studies start
- If you have nothing permanent, consider a temporary solution such as a room or Hytteøen, and stay on the waiting list.
- View the home, or get someone you trust to view it, before you pay anything.
When you move in
- Go through the home and take photos of any faults and defects.
- Register your move no later than 5 days after moving in, according to Borger.dk (in Danish). If your name isn’t on the door, write the owner’s or tenant’s name in the “Hos (c/o)” field.
- Apply for boligstøtte within 30 days of moving in if you may be eligible.
- Take out contents insurance (indboforsikring), or check whether you’re still covered by your parents’ policy.
Avoid student housing scams
August is peak season for scammers targeting students in a hurry. Warning signs include rent far below market price, a landlord who can’t show you the home, and demands to transfer a deposit before you’ve seen the home and received a contract. Read our advice on searching for a rental safely before you pay anything.
Common mistakes new students make in Aalborg
- Waiting until you’re admitted to sign up. You can sign up 12 months before your studies start without being admitted.
- Forgetting to renew your application. It’s deleted if you don’t renew it once a year.
- Missing the boliggaranti window. Registration is only open in August.
- Turning down the guarantee offer because it isn’t your dream home. You’re then out of the guarantee for good and lose the right to the tag over hovedet-garanti.
- Thinking the tag over hovedet-garanti gives you a student home. It gives you a bed in a shared cabin for up to 4 months.
- Counting on boligstøtte without your own kitchen. Do your budget without benefit until you’ve checked the home.
- Forgetting move-in costs. Moving into a two-room flat can cost up to DKK 44,793 if the landlord demands the maximum.
Advice for tenants: Checklist before you say yes
- Do you know the total monthly cost, including rent, utilities and internet?
- Do you know what you’ll pay in indskud, depositum and forudbetalt leje, and do the amounts comply with the rules?
- What notice period do you and the landlord have, and is the contract time-limited?
- Does the home have its own kitchen, if you’re counting on boligstøtte?
- How long is the trip to your campus by bus or bike?
- Do you have a written contract, and are you paying by bank transfer rather than cash?
- Will turning down another offer affect your boliggaranti or the tag over hovedet-garanti?
Advice for landlords who want to rent to students in Aalborg
Many students look for a home in Aalborg in the run-up to the start of term in August and September. Here’s how to make it safe for both sides:
- Put the full price in the listing. State rent, utilities, depositum and forudbetalt leje separately, and say whether the home is furnished.
- Stick to the limits in § 59 of the lejeloven. No more than 3 months’ depositum. If you rent out a room in your own home with 1 month’s notice, the forudbetalt leje must not be higher than the rent for that month.
- Use a written tenancy agreement, and agree clearly on what is shared, such as the kitchen and bathroom.
- Describe the kitchen arrangements. Whether the tenant has their own kitchen affects their chances of getting boligstøtte.
- Mention the distance to campus. Students search by travel time to AAU in Aalborg Øst and to UCN’s campuses.
- Are you a tenant yourself? Then it’s a sublet (fremleje), and you must follow the rules for that.
- Check the tax rules on rental income on skat.dk (in Danish) before you set the price.
- Advertise in good time. If you post your listing in June and July, you’ll reach many people searching before the semester starts.
In short
Create an application with Studiebolig Aalborg now. It’s free, you can do it 12 months before your studies start, and you must renew it once a year. Sign up for the boliggaranti between 1 and 31 August, and as a rule say yes to the one offer you get. A no can cost you both the guarantee and the tag over hovedet-garanti. Hytteøen is only an emergency option at DKK 125 per night. At the same time, look for rooms and shared homes on the private market. A two-room flat typically costs DKK 6,399 on Bolighub, so living alone on SU is possible, but tight. A room, a student home or a shared flat gives you more room in your budget.
FAQ
Where do you apply for a kollegium in Aalborg?
Kollegier and ungdomsboliger in Aalborg Kommune are applied for in one place, through Studiebolig Aalborg, previously called AKU-Aalborg. According to Aalborg Kommune, it lets more than 7,500 student homes, and signing up is free.
When can you sign up for student housing in Aalborg?
You can sign up 12 months before your studies start and ask to move in up to 6 months before. You don’t need to be admitted to sign up, but you must renew your application once a year.
What is the boliggaranti in Aalborg?
New students starting in the autumn semester can sign up for the boliggaranti from 1 to 31 August. They go to the front of the queue and get one offer of a 1-room kollegium or ungdomsbolig with a move-in date between 1 August and 15 December. If you say no, you’re out of the guarantee.
What does the tag over hovedet-garanti in Aalborg cost?
Under the council’s rules from 1 August 2026, you pay DKK 125 per night for a place in a shared cabin on Hytteøen, and the council pays the rest of the price. The first time, you pay a booking fee of DKK 265. The guarantee only applies to students coming from elsewhere.
How much does a flat in Aalborg cost for students?
On Bolighub, the median rent on 17 October 2026 was DKK 6,399 a month for a two-room flat in Aalborg and DKK 7,895 for a three-room flat. In Nørresundby, a two-room flat typically cost DKK 5,900. Utilities often come on top.
Can you get boligstøtte for a kollegium room in Aalborg?
Only if the room has its own kitchen. According to Borger.dk, your own kitchen is a requirement for boligstøtte. If you share a kitchen with others, you generally can’t get support.
Sources and further reading
- Aalborg Kommune: Find en studiebolig (in Danish)
- su.dk: Rates for SU for students living away from home on higher education programmes (in Danish)
- su.dk: Rates for SU loans (in Danish)
- Borger.dk: Søg boligstøtte (in Danish)
- Borger.dk: Lån til beboerindskud (in Danish)
- Borger.dk: Flytning i Danmark (in Danish)
- Retsinformation: Lejeloven (in Danish), § 59 on depositum and forudbetalt leje, and § 170, no. 1, and § 175(1) on termination of single rooms
- Studiebolig Aalborg: application rules, the boliggaranti and the FAQ on the boliggaranti, short waiting lists, and the information document on the tag over hovedet-garanti (valid from 1 August 2026)
- Aalborg University: Housing in Aalborg
- UCN: overview of campuses in Aalborg
- Bolighub: Analysis of rental listings in Aalborg Kommune as of 17 October 2026