Glossary
Understand every term you meet from the agent and in the listing, explained short and straight.
A
- Advokatforbehold An advokatforbehold is a clause in the købsaftale making the deal free to walk away from until your boligadvokat approves it. It is not standard and must be written explicitly into the agreement, but it gives a free exit and avoids the 1% godtgørelse that the statutory fortrydelsesret costs.
- afdragsfrihed Afdragsfrihed lets you skip paying down the realkreditlån for up to 10 years, lowering the monthly payment temporarily; in return you pay a higher bidragssats and the debt does not shrink.
- Andelsbolig An andelsbolig means you don't own the dwelling itself, but a share of a cooperative housing association plus the right to use a specific home. You're liable for your part of the association's debt, the price is capped at the maksimalpris, and you pay a monthly boligafgift instead of rent.
- Andelskrone The andelskrone is computed as (property value + other assets − association debt) / original deposits, and you multiply it by your deposit to get your share value. It is fixed at the general assembly and sets the ceiling for what the share may be sold for.
- Asbest (asbestos) Asbestos was used in Danish building materials from about 1900 to 1990, best known as eternit roof and corrugated sheets. An intact, undamaged asbestos-cement roof is not dangerous in itself, because the fibres are bound in the material. The risk arises when the material is worked, and removal is governed by Arbejdstilsynet rules.
B
- Bankgaranti (bank guarantee) A bank guarantee is your bank's written, irrevocable promise to pay the remaining purchase sum to the seller on completion day. You typically deposit a down payment with the agent after signing, and the rest of the purchase sum is secured by the guarantee.
- Banklån (supplementary bank loan) A bank loan is the supplementary loan you take on top of the realkredit mortgage in Denmark, usually covering the slice of the purchase between 80 % and the last percent up toward 95 % of the value. Its rate is higher than the realkredit loan and terms vary more by bank.
- BBR-Meddelelse (building register record) The BBR-Meddelelse is a property's official register record: registered living area, number of rooms, build year and heating supply in Denmark's Building and Dwelling Register. Before bidding, compare the registered figures with reality, because when you take over the home you also take over responsibility for BBR being correct.
- belåningsgrad Belåningsgrad is the loan as a share of the home's value; a realkreditlån may be at most 80% (75% for a holiday home), so the last 20%-plus comes from a bank loan and your own down payment.
- bidragssats The bidragssats is the ongoing fee you pay the mortgage institute on top of interest, averaging around 0.80% per year of the outstanding debt; it rises with the loan-to-value ratio and with afdragsfrihed.
- Boligadvokat A boligadvokat reviews the purchase agreement and handles settlement (drafts and registers the skøde), typically costing about 4,450-10,000 kr. With an advokatforbehold written into the contract you can walk away at no cost until your lawyer has approved the deal.
- Boligafgift The boligafgift is the fixed monthly payment in an andelsbolig, covering both the association's operating costs and interest plus principal on its debt. It isn't the same as ownership costs - a low boligafgift can hide interest-only loans, and a high one can reflect heavy debt.
- Budgivning In a bidding round all bids are secret and a bid is binding once submitted. The seller has full right to reject and is not obliged to take the highest bid, but can freely prioritise better terms or reject all bids.
- Bygningssagkyndig (building surveyor) The appointed building surveyor is the technical expert who writes the tilstandsrapport under the Danish home-inspection scheme. Being appointed means they are authorised for the task, but the report only covers what is visible and immediately accessible, so a clean box means "no visible signs", not "no faults".
E
- Ejendomsavancebeskatning (property gains tax) Property-gains tax is the tax on your profit when you sell Danish real estate not covered by the parcelhusreglen, typically a rental property or a parental-purchase flat you never lived in. The gain is taxed as capital income.
- Ejendomsdatarapport (property data report) The Ejendomsdatarapport is the official bundle of around 50 publicly registered data points on a home: finances, planning, soil contamination, building data and usually the condition report and energy label. It costs 105 kr. and is ordered at boligejer.dk, usually by the seller or agent when the home goes on sale.
- Ejendomsmægler (estate agent) The estate agent is the seller's adviser, paid by the seller to secure the best deal for the seller. The agent must act lawfully and fairly toward you as a buyer, but does not represent your interests, so many buyers get their own property lawyer to review the deal.
- Ejendomsmæglersalær (estate agent fee) The estate-agent fee is the commission you as seller pay the agent to sell your home in Denmark. It is not fixed by law and is negotiable, and on top of it the seller usually pays for the condition report, electrical report, energy label and half the ejerskifteforsikring premium.
- ejendomsværdiskat Ejendomsværdiskat is 5.1‰ of the first DKK 9.007m of the basis and 14‰ above that (2026), charged on only 80% of the public property valuation (the forsigtighedsprincip). Freehold and condo owners pay it on top of grundskyld as a recurring cost.
- Ejerforening (owners association) An ejerforening is the mandatory association of all owners in a Danish condominium building. Membership is automatic, and the association runs the upkeep of the shared building parts. Owners are liable only pro rata by fordelingstal and subsidiarily, not jointly.
- Ejerlejlighed With an ejerlejlighed you own your flat outright, plus a share of the common areas set by your fordelingstal. You're liable only pro rata and subsidiarily for the owners' association debt (not jointly), and pay fællesudgifter by your fordelingstal.
- Ejerskifteforsikring Ejerskifteforsikring protects the buyer against hidden defects not listed in the tilstandsrapport or elinstallationsrapport, covering at least 5 years (extendable to 10). When the seller presents the reports plus an offer and pays at least half of the cheapest premium, the seller is released from 10-year hidden-defect liability.
- Ejerudgifter Ejerudgifter are the fixed running costs of owning the home: grundskyld (land tax), ejendomsværdiskat (property-value tax), building insurance and any homeowner/association fees. They exclude loan interest, principal and consumption (electricity, water, heat), which you must add yourself to get the true monthly cost.
- Elinstallationsrapport The elinstallationsrapport is an authorized electrician's review of the home's electrical installations, valid 12 months. It does NOT use the condition report's red/yellow/grey/black colour scale but its own icon system (risk of shock, risk of fire, illegal installation, investigate). It is required alongside the tilstandsrapport for the seller to be released from 10-year hidden-defect liability.
- Energimærke The energimærke rates the home from A2020 (most efficient) down to G (least), is valid for 10 years and is legally required when selling, letting or transferring a home. A poor grade (F-G) usually means higher heating bills and a renovation backlog the buyer inherits.
F
- Fællesudgifter Fællesudgifter are the monthly payment to the owners' association in an ejerlejlighed, split by your fordelingstal, covering operation and upkeep of common areas. They don't include interest and principal on your own flat - you pay those yourself via your mortgage.
- Fastforrentet lån (fixed-rate mortgage) A fixed-rate realkredit loan keeps the same rate for the whole term, typically up to 30 years, so your payment is locked regardless of the market rate. The rate is usually higher than a variable loan, but you can convert to a cheaper loan if rates fall and cut your debt if they rise.
- Forældrekøb Forældrekøb is when a parent buys a home and rents it to their child, and you are always taxed on the market rent even if you charge less. Any discount counts as a gift, tax-free up to 80,600 kr per parent in 2026; above that it triggers gaveafgift.
- Fordelingstal (distribution ratio) In a Danish ejerlejlighed the fordelingstal is the fraction that sets each apartment's share of the owners' association's common expenses, assets, debt, voting weight and liability. It usually tracks floor area or original value.
- Foreningens gæld Foreningens gæld is the total loans of the cooperative association, and you're liable for your share of it - it's subtracted in the andelskrone and serviced through the boligafgift. If the debt exceeds the property's value, the association is technically insolvent, a real risk.
- Forsigtighedsprincip (prudence principle) The prudence principle means you pay Danish property tax on only 80 % of the public valuation. A 20 % deduction is applied to both the property value and the land value before ejendomsværdiskat and grundskyld are calculated, to absorb the uncertainty in any valuation.
- Fortrydelsesret As a private buyer you get 6 business days to cancel after signing the købsaftale, but using this right costs the seller a 1% godtgørelse of the purchase price. Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and grundlovsdag do not count, and you must both notify in writing and pay the 1% before the deadline.
- Fugt (damp / moisture) Moisture is the root cause behind most mould and rot damage, so it is the moisture you should chase, not the stain. Typical sources are rising ground damp in masonry basement walls without a damp course and poorly ventilated crawl spaces. Signs are salt efflorescence, flaking plaster, dark patches and a musty smell.
G
- gældsfaktor Gældsfaktor is your total debt divided by household income before tax; above 4 is treated as high debt and triggers stricter bank requirements that your finances survive a price fall.
- Gaveafgift (gift tax) Gaveafgift is the tax you pay if a gift to your child exceeds the tax-free amount. In 2026 each parent can give their child up to 80,600 kr. tax-free per year, that is 161,200 kr. if both parents give. Amounts above the limit are taxed at 15 %.
- Generalforsamling (general assembly) The generalforsamling is the highest authority of a Danish co-op or owners' association, meeting at least once a year. A co-op fixes the andelskrone here, within the statutory ceiling, and approves the accounts and budget. This is effectively where your future housing costs and the share price are decided.
- grundskyld Grundskyld is a municipal tax on the land value: the kommune sets the promille (max 30‰), levied on 80% of the public land valuation. Since the 2024 reform annual increases are capped at 4.75%, and freehold + condo owners pay it on an ongoing basis.
K
- Købsaftale (purchase agreement) The købsaftale is the binding contract between buyer and seller, binding once both parties have signed. Even after signing you have 6 business days to withdraw against a 1 % fee of the purchase price, and most buyers write in an advokatforbehold.
- Kreditvurdering (credit assessment) The credit assessment is the bank's check of whether you can afford the loan, based on income, debt, wealth and disposable income. As part of it the bank must stress-test your budget at 1 percentage point above the current rate, minimum 4 %.
- Kurssikring (rate lock) Kurssikring (a fastkursaftale) locks the bond price of your mortgage until an agreed date, usually completion day. It fixes the rate and payout of the loan no matter how prices move while you wait for the deal to complete.
O
- Obligationslån (bond-based mortgage) A realkredit loan is a bond loan: the institution issues bonds and sells them to investors, and you borrow their money. The bond price (kurs) fluctuates, and if it is below 100 when you take the loan, you receive less than you owe. The gap is your kurstab (price loss).
- Offentlig ejendomsvurdering The public property valuation is set by Vurderingsstyrelsen and is the basis for your property taxes, not a market price to bid against. Under a caution principle you are taxed on only 80 % of the valuation, since 20 % is deducted before the tax is calculated.
- Overtagelsesdag (completion day) The overtagelsesdag is the day the home passes to you as the buyer. From that point the risk for the property passes to you, so your building insurance must cover from this day, and an apportionment statement is drawn up with completion day as the cut-off.
P
- Parcelhusreglen (tax-free home sale) Under the parcelhusreglen, the profit from selling your own house or owner-occupied flat in Denmark is normally tax-free, provided the home served as a residence for you or your household during ownership and the land is under 1,400 m². Larger plots have two exceptions.
- PCB PCB is an environmental toxin used in Danish buildings from the 1950s until 1977, typically in elastic sealants and in the seals of double-glazed window units (termoruder). It matters in homes built or renovated in that period, especially around windows, doors and facade joints. PCB is measured in the indoor air, and the highest levels require remediation.
R
- Rådighedsbeløb (disposable income) Rådighedsbeløb is the money left each month after all fixed costs and the housing payment, meant to cover food, clothing, transport and the unexpected. The bank checks it in the affordability assessment, and there is no legal floor, so it varies by bank.
- Radon Radon is a radioactive gas; the Danish reference level is 100 Bq/m³. Readings of 100-200 Bq/m³ call for light measures (e.g. ventilation), and above 200 Bq/m³ more extensive radon sealing is advised. It is not covered by the tilstandsrapport, so a separate measurement is the only way to know the level.
- realkreditlån A realkreditlån, funded by mortgage bonds, covers up to 80% of the home's price (75% for a holiday home) and is the main loan in a Danish purchase; the term is at most 30 years with a fixed or variable rate.
- Rentetilpasningslån (rate-adjustment loan) A rate-adjustment loan (flexlån) has a variable rate re-fixed at set intervals: an F-kort adjusts every 6 months, an F1 yearly, an F3 every 3 years and an F5 every 5 years. Shorter intervals mean a lower starting rate but more frequent payment risk.
S
- Salgspris (sale price) The sale price is the price a home actually traded for, not the price it was advertised at (the udbudspris). Recent sale prices on comparable homes nearby show what the market really pays, so those are what you anchor your bid to.
- Samejeoverenskomst A samejeoverenskomst is an agreement setting who owns which share and what happens on a sale or break-up, and it matters most for unmarried couples because there is no statutory split between cohabitants. Without one, each owns only what they paid for or are registered as owning, with no automatic division or inheritance if you separate.
- Skatterabat (transitional tax discount) The skatterabat is a transitional discount guaranteeing that no one who owned their home before 1 January 2024 pays more total Danish housing tax than before the reform. It lapses entirely on sale, so a new buyer pays the full property tax with no rebate.
- Skimmelsvamp (mould) Mould is a symptom of moisture, not a defect in itself. It grows where a surface has stayed damp: behind furniture on cold exterior walls, in bathrooms, basements and crawl spaces. It only appears in the Danish condition report if visible and accessible, so a clean report is no proof of a dry house.
- Skjulte fejl og mangler Skjulte fejl og mangler are defects not visible at the sale, for which the seller is generally liable for up to 10 years. The seller can only escape this liability via the huseftersynsordning: a tilstandsrapport + elinstallationsrapport + an offer of ejerskifteforsikring where the seller pays at least half the premium.
- Skøde The skøde is the digital document that registers you as owner; registering it triggers a fee of a fixed 1,850 kr. plus 0.6 % of the purchase price. Your ownership is only publicly secured once the skøde is recorded in Tingbogen (the land register).
T
- Tilstandsrapport The tilstandsrapport is the licensed surveyor's review of the home's visible defects, valid for 6 months. Since 1 October 2020 findings use four colours: red = critical (urgent), yellow = serious (can wait a few years), grey = minor, black = needs further investigation. The seller orders and pays for it (typically DKK 4,000-10,000).
- Tinglysningsafgift State duty to register the transaction: the deed (skøde) costs a fixed 1,850 kr. plus 0.6 % of the purchase price, and a new mortgage charge (pant) costs a fixed 1,825 kr. plus 1.25 % of the loan (cut from 1.45 % on 1 January 2026). Usually the buyer's second-largest acquisition cost after the down payment.
U
- udbetaling You must put down at least 5% of the home's price yourself as the udbetaling; on a 4 million kr. home that is 200,000 kr. that neither the mortgage nor the bank loan may cover.
- Udbudspris The asking price is what the seller advertises the home for, not what you will end up paying. It is the seller's wish and the starting point for bidding, so always judge it against the home's real market value before you bid.
V
- Valuarvurdering (surveyor valuation) A valuarvurdering is a professional valuation of a co-op's building as a rental property, used as the basis for the andelskrone (share value). Since Lov 330 of 9 April 2024 it is valid for 42 months, up from 18. A high valuation can inflate the share value, so you pay more for the share.
- Vedligeholdelsesplan (maintenance plan) A maintenance plan is the association's multi-year schedule for when the roof, facade, installations and other building parts must be maintained, and what it costs. For owners' associations under the standard bylaws it is effectively mandatory: the board must prepare it and present it to the AGM for approval.