Wrong running costs in the listing
The running-cost figure in the listing is one you can generally rely on. If it turned out wrong, work out the deviation and see how compensation has been calculated.
kr/year deviation
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This is how compensation has been calculated in earlier cases. Neither model is a statutory formula or a promise, and small deviations with no effect on value give no compensation.
The route if you want to pursue it
- Complain in writing to the seller and the agent as soon as you discover the error.
- The Swedish real-estate complaints board (FRN) tries claims against agents; the filing fee is 150 kr.
- The estate-agents inspectorate (FMI) supervises agents but does not award compensation.
The figure in the listing, kr per year
What running costs, heating and fees actually cost, kr per year
How we calculate
The running cost in a listing builds on the seller’s figures, and households use their homes differently. An error arises when the figure clearly deviates from what the home actually costs in normal use, for example when a low number reflects a house that stood half empty.
Two models, two counterparties
A price reduction from the seller builds on the error’s effect on the home’s value, and for a recurring cost the courts have often capitalised the yearly deviation over a number of years. Compensation via FRN targets the agent’s liability insurance and uses a similar capitalisation model with a shorter horizon. Both require a deviation large enough to affect the value.
Act quickly and in writing
Complain as soon as you discover the error, or the right to compensation can lapse. Gather the evidence: the listing, your actual costs over at least a year and preferably a comparison with normal use for similar homes.
Can I rely on the running cost stated in the listing?
Generally yes. Figures in the listing are ones a buyer can normally rely on, while the duty to inspect remains for what could be checked. A clear gap between the stated and the actual cost can carry a right to a price reduction or compensation.
How much can a wrong running cost be worth?
There is no statutory formula. In practice, price reductions from the seller have often matched a capitalised yearly cost in the order of ten yearly deviations, while FRN awards have often sat around five. Small deviations with no effect on value give nothing.
What does an FRN complaint cost?
The filing fee is 150 kr. FRN tries claims against the agent in writing, after you have first raised the claim with the agent. Claims against the seller run as a complaint and, as a last resort, in court.
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