Housing construction has declined during the past years but is now beginning to pick up. Following national political tax reforms during the 1990's housing subsidies were lowered, leading to substantial rent increases. The vast majority of Stockholm residents rent.

The Stockholms Stads Bostadsförmedling arranges flat rents in Stockholm and surrounding areas but the waiting list is extremely long. There is an annual fee of SEK 275 to be included in the housing queue. How quickly you get a place depends on where you want to live and how much rent you can pay. You should expect to wait between three and six years and you must be at least 18 years of age and have a Swedish personal ID number or coordination number to apply.

The easiest way to find a place to live in Stockholm is to rent a place through a private housing company. Once again local newspapers are a good place to start:

• http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/sweden.htm
• http://www.dn.se
• http://www.blocket.se
• http://www.stockholm.se
• http://www.bovision.se
• http://www.hemnet.se