Rental scams can be a huge issue for foreigners in Denmark’s larger cities, where the rental market is competitive and prices are high. What can you do if you think you’ve been scammed?
Copenhagen Legal Aid
You may be able to get free legal aid from Copenhagen Legal Aid. The service is available to everyone ‒ Danish citizens and non-citizens, and there is no requirement to live in Copenhagen or even in Denmark.
The only requirement is that you earn below a certain limit, which in 2026 is DKK 404,000 a year for a single person (about DKK 33,000 a month), or a combined DKK 513,000 per year for a couple (around DKK 42,750 a month). If you have children under the age of 18 who either live with you or whom you support financially, then you can add an extra DKK 70,000 to the annual figure per child. This means that, for example, a single parent with two children would have an income limit of 544,000 kroner per year.
This is the same income requirement for free legal aid for civil proceedings (free process), so if you earn below the Legal Aid’s limit then you should also be able to get your legal costs funded by the state if you end up going to court.
If you meet the income requirement then you can contact the office, either by calling them on 33 11 06 78 between 7-8.30pm (until 8pm on Fridays, closed on weekends), or by turning up in person to their offices on Stormgade 20.
Be aware that their in-person office hours are often very busy, so you should be prepared to wait. They are open from 7pm-9pm, with the reception opening at 6.30pm. Take your yellow CPR card and any relevant documents with you.
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Lawyer duty
If you earn above the income requirement for assistance from Copenhagen Legal Aid, you might still be able to get legal help at a so-called Lawyer dutywhich is more or less a kind of emergency room for legal issues. There are more than 60 Lawyer guards all over Denmark. You can’t call or email them, rather you have to turn up in person.
They won’t help you with a court case or similar, but they can provide a quick legal assessment of your case and whether there’s any potential for you to get compensation or similar if you do decide to try and get justice in the courts. You can see a list of all the Lawyer guards in Denmark on the Danish Bar and Law Society’s website.
Again, make sure to take any relevant documents with you, as well as some type of ID.
The Tenants’ National Organization (LLO)
The Tenants’ National OrganizationDenmark’s national tenants’ organisation, also provides discounted (and in some cases free) legal help, although crucially only for its members. This includes advice and even help taking a case to court.
With more complicated cases, they can refer you to a lawyer. You’ll have to pay your legal fees (unless you qualify for free processsee above), but the first meeting with a lawyer is free.
Basic membership costs DKK 685 per six month period.
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Legal help through your home insurance
Did you know that your home insurance or contents insurance often includes legal help in Denmark?
The amount covered varies, but can be anything from 175,000 to 225,000 kroner for a single case, often with an excess or deductible fee of ten percent which you will have to cover yourself. Check your home insurance for something like that legal aid coverage or legal aid insurance.
To claim legal help via this route you will need to apply to your insurance company in the same way you would submit a claim. This usually means explaining whatever issue you’re facing, what your demands are and why you believe you’re in the right. Your case will then be assessed by the insurance company to determine whether there is a chance it will be successful and if so, which court your claim should be sent to.
The Rent Board or the Resident Complaints Board
If your Danish is up to it and your case is relatively simple you can also try and submit a claim yourself to Huslejenævnet, which translates roughly as the Rental Board or Rent Control Board, or Beboerklagenævnet.
These two boards do essentially the same thing, with one slight difference. Huslejenævnet covers cases between private landlords and tenants, and Beboerklagenævnet covers cases between housing companies and tenants.
There’s a variable fee depending on your case and the board you’re submitting it to which you will need to pay yourself. This is often less than 1,000 kroner.
They can handle issues like overcharged rent, deposits which have not been repaid, arguments about potential damages after a tenant moves out and can even determine whether you’ve been paying too much for your apartment.
They cannot recover your money for you but should be able to make a decision as to whether you’re owed money or not which you can then use to reclaim it through a different court, usually Housing rights (the Housing Court).
