1.8 percent. That is how much the rents for AF Bostäder’s 6000 student accommodations will increase after the turn of the year.
It becomes more and more expensive to live in one of AF Bostäder’s residences. The rent will increase with 1.8 percent as of the 1st of January 2016 – a smaller increase when compared to last year’s increase of 2 percent.
In real numbers, this means that rent for a dorm room at Delphi, Sparta or Parentesen will be about 60 SEK more per month – all and all, about 500 SEK per year.
For family apartments at Kämnärsrätten, Studentlyckan or Vildanden, the increase will be about 100 SEK per month.
The twelfth year in a row
The increase in rent has almost become a Christmas tradition for the tenants of AF Bostäder and it is now happening for the twelfth year in a row. This is to compensate for the increase in personnel and renovation cost, as AF Bostäder’s CEO Henrik Krantz explains.
“The rent will be increased in order to compensate for higher costs, made up of personnel, heat and maintenance. The increase is also so we can continue our renovations program at for example Delphi, Vildanden and Sparta”, he says.
The renovations has previously primarily concerned the exterior of the residential areas, but focus will from now on be on the interiors and the corridors.
Had to go down 0.5 percent
In order to manage this the best way, AF Bostäder demanded to be allowed to increase the rent with 2.3 percent, something Hyresgästföreningen opposed and forced them to lower the original raise with 0.5 percent.
“We are pleased with the raise, as it gives us opportunities to continue our work at the same pace as before. You can put it like that”, says Henrik Krantz.
This is an increase for the twelfth year in a row – will this ever stop?
“For as long as I’ve been in this business – which is pretty long – rents have increased all the time. The rents will continue to increase in the future as well”, he says.
Petter Ek was the main negotiator for Hyresgästföreningen and he is not pleased with this increase, but understands the need of it.
“One is never pleased when rents are increased. One might also think it was a little too high, but at the same time AF Bostäder has a lot of reparations and new productions going on”, he says.
Hard to tell the future
Petter Ek regards the increase as reasonable, but looks at the future with reassurance.
“It can take several more years before AF Bostäder will straighten out all of their properties, but hopefully they will be more up to date soon. But it is hard to say something about the future”, says Petter Ek.
Translation: Viktor Jönsson
