Unfortunately, the Fulbright Office does not have the capacity to help every grantee find housing in Norway. Below, we have gathered some useful resources. Housing in Norway is typically expensive and in the bigger cities the rental market is very competitive with short supply. Act quickly to ensure you have a rental contract in time to apply for your residence permit.
Please note: you must have proof of housing in Norway (i.e., a rental contract) before you can apply for a residence permit to Norway.
NB especially for private market rentals: In Norway, an e-mail agreement is binding. All legal arrangements covering tenancy leases and agreements are signed by the tenant and landlord or their authorized representatives. A personal inspection of the premises by both parties and an agreed inventory and list of its contents is essential, both at the beginning and expiration of tenancy. A rental contract form and forms to sign when moving in to and out of the rental property, can be found on the Norwegian Consumer Council website.
Students:
We recommend that students take advantage of the student housing offered by their host institutions. Please refer to the information from your host institution regarding how to sign up for student housing (“studentbolig”) at your institution.
Be aware that space in student housing is often limited. It is therefore very important that you completely follow all instructions from your host institution about how to sign up for housing including:
- Registering by the deadline
- Paying any required deposit
- Signing the contract
If you are looking for housing on the private market, www.hybel.no is a good place to look. This site is primarily for those interested in studio apartments or collective housing options.
Scholars:
We recommend that you contact your host institution for help to find housing. Here are some other resources:
- http://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/ – a website for academics. You can post your property for rent, home exchange, or house-sitting. You can also post your home-wanted request. As a member, you can save your search criteria and results for future reference, add to favorites, track queries and much more. For your safety, your email address is concealed from the public and your academic status is indicated whenever it applies. Everyone can inquire about listings, even non-members.
- www.finn.no is the major Norwegian website for advertising homes for rent or sale. It’s also possible to place an ad for apartment wanted. The page is in Norwegian, but thanks to the Google translator it’s possible to read the site, even if you don’t know any Norwegian.