Do you know what applies when you rent an apartment?

Are you renting your apartment and wondering about your rights as a tenant? Do you wonder if your rent is reasonable or too high? Or is your apartment in bad shape and you want to know if the landlord is responsible for refurbishing the apartment? As a tenant, you can expect that your landlord has some responsibility for the apartment you live in. And you have the right to demand that the apartment meet a certain standard.

The apartment must have a good standard

You have the right to demand that your apartment is of a good standard. This means that the most important functions should work without problems. This applies to white goods, pipes and plumbing as well as radiators. But it also means that you have the right to demand that the walls and ceiling be fresh and repainted at regular intervals. The same applies, for example, to kitchen cabinet doors and other interior items that belong to the apartment but don’t directly affect the apartments functionality. However, your landlord does not need to renovate the apartment to achieve a standard that is considered luxurious.

You can do minor renovations

If you want to repaint your apartment yourself, you have the right to do so. Even wallpapering and other small improvements can mostly be done as well. However, it may be good to consult with the landlord and get their approval first. This applies especially if you intend to paint or wallpaper in colors and motifs that aren’t neutral. As a landlord, you may want the improvements that are made in the apartment to be neutral in order to please other, future tenants as well.

Right to reduced rent

If your apartment has faults that affect the apartment’s functionality, you have the right to have the rent reduced. That is, as long as you aren’t the one that has caused the error. This doesn’t apply to cosmetic defects such as scratches in the parquet or minor damages to door frames. This applies if, for example, the white goods doesn’t work for a shorter period of time or if the toilet is broken and you can’t use it. It’s important to remember that you’re obliged to notify your landlord as soon as the damage occurs, regardless of whether you’ve caused it or not. In the event that you have caused the damage, you yourself have to compensate your landlord for the damages.

You decide when the landlord can enter the apartment

Even if the landlord owns the apartment, you have the right to deny them access. This applies if the landlord hasn’t notified you in advance that they intend to stop by to have a look. In the vast majority of cases however, landlords don’t usually stop by unless it is to check the condition of the apartment. For example, in the event that they have received a complaint from you that they need to look into. And if so, the landlord have to notify you when they intend to visit the apartment.

This is when you have the right to terminate your contract

Should your apartment have very large defects or if the apartment can be considered a health hazard, for example if there’s mold, you have the right to terminate your contract. This applies if your landlord doesn’t address the problem and do something to fix the damage. One of the most important rights you have as a tenant is that you should be able to feel safe and secure in the apartment you rent.

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Have you heard of the term retrieval request?

If you have a child that’s under state custody, you may have come across the term retrieval request. A retrieval request helps your bring your child home again if the child has been taken into state custody. If the social welfare committee decides that a childs well-being is at risk, they can step in and put that child in state custody. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, there are certain rules and processes that must be followed to ensure that the child is safe and well.

In Sweden, the term LVU is a mandatory law that controls the care of children. The law exists to make sure that children who get hurt in their home can be taken care of and hopefully be put in better living conditions. The reasons why a child is taken into custody can be both about home conditions and the child’s behaviour. And sometimes the child may need long-term care. While there are also times when the child’s family can make the necessary changes to ensure that the child can live a safe life at home.

Before a child is placed in custody, the Social Committee makes an assessment that confirms that the child’s health and/or development is harmed by living at home. The court will also have to establish that that assessment is correct before it’s possible to take a child into state custody. After that, the social welfare board has to make reassessments at least every six months regarding whether the child still needs to stay in custody or not.

How does a retrieval request work?

If your child has been taken into state custody and you want to bring them home, you can make a retrieval request. The child can also do this if they have reached the age of 15. The social service then investigates whether it’s reasonable to terminate the child’s custody. Social services only have up to four months to complete their investigation. When the investigation is completed, the social welfare committee makes a decision based on it. In the case they don’t approve the request, you can appeal the decision to the administrative court.

When making a retrieval request, you’ll get the help of a public assistant. You don’t have to pay for your public assistance since the state is responsible for those costs. Before making a retrieval request, you have to review the reasons why your child was placed in custody in the first place. If it was due to reasons that you are responsible for, you have to make the necessary changes the social welfare board considers you should make before your child can return home. If the harmful situation for the child hasn’t changed, your retrieval request won’t be approved.

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White seashells on the ground with one of the shells in rainbow colors symbolizing discrimination.

It may sound like a strange question, shouldn’t everyone know what discrimination is? But the fact is that there’s a difference between being discriminated against and, for example, treated unfairly. In order for an act to be considered as discriminatory, it has to fulfill a number of requirements. First and foremost, the discrimination has to be based on a person’s sex, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation or age. In addition, there are six forms of discrimination according to Swedish law that the act has to comply with. Below we’ll tell you more about the types of actions that count as discriminatory.

1. Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination regards to situations where one person is treated worse than someone else. You have to be able to compare the situations for it to count as direct discrimination. This type of discrimination can take place in several situations and an individual assessment is therefore always made of each situation. For example, it can be considered discrimination if you aren’t called to a job interview when you have a non-Nordic ethnic origin while a person with Nordic ethnic origin and the same or similar qualifications as you is called. Or if you’re a woman and have a lower salary than your male colleague even though you have the same or similar experience and skills.

2. Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination instead has to do with situations that may seem neutral but which leaves a certain group of people at a disadvantages. Some rules and guidelines can be discriminatory even though everyone has to follow them. It can be considered indirect discrimination if the guideline for a job is that having a driver’s license is a merit even though the job itself can be performed without you having to drive a car. This is because the guideline disadvantages many disabled people who don’t have the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license.

Only businesses covered by the Discrimination Act can be convicted of discrimination. Swedish Systembolaget can, for example, discriminate based on age and not sell alcohol to minors. In this case, you can’t claim that they’re indirectly discriminating against you if they deny you purchases when you can’t show valid identification.

3. Lack of accessibility

Lack of accessibility as discrimination is about how an organization has adapted to people with disabilities or special needs. Organizations are obliged to ensure that people with disabilities can take part in an equivalent way to people without disabilities. There are also other special laws and regulations linked to accessibility to facilitate the disabled and increase accessibility. Examples of such laws are the School Act and the Work Environment Act.

What an organization has to do to be considered accessible depends on several factors. Among other things, the organizations finances and practical conditions are considered before assessing how it should be adapted.

4. Harassment as discrimination

Harassment is about offending another person or a group of people. It can involve derogatory comments, ostracism, gestures and the like. The person subjected to harassment decides whether the action is offensive. The person who’s victimized also has to be clear that the act is offensive for it to count as harassment. A prerequisite for being able to claim that something is harassment is that the person harassing has it made clear to them. However, there are of course situations that are so obviously offensive that the person being harassed doesn’t need to speak up.

5. Sexual harassment

Just as the term indicates, sexual harassment has to do about actions that are offensive and of a sexual nature. Examples of sexual harassment are comments with sexual allusions, touching inappropriately and the like. Even situations where a person claims that they meant well can be considered sexual harassment if they’re of a sexual nature and the person who’s exposed experiences discomfort.

In the case of sexual harassment, it’s also enough that the act itself is harassing for it to count as discrimination. You don’t have to refer to the fact that you’re a woman, disabled or so in order to claim that the act was discriminatory.

6. Instructions to discriminate

It’s also considered discrimination if a person forces someone else to discriminate. For example, store managers can’t tell their employees to deny a certain group of people from entering the store. And restaurant owners can’t tell their staff that they shouldn’t serve a certain group of people. For it to count as instructions to discriminate, there has to be a dependency relationship between the person giving the instruction and the person receiving it.

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Make sure to protect yourself against card fraud

According to The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, the number of card frauds has increased by 70% during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2022. This applies to frauds where the physical card hasn’t been stolen, instead the card numbers have been exploited. It’s a big increase in this type of crime and there are some things you can do to protect yourself against card fraud.

The most important thing, of course, is to never give out your card number to anyone. On many sites on the internet, you can pay by entering your card number. Even in those cases, it’s important to be careful. Only shop on sites you know you can trust and that you know are serious. If it’s a site you don’t previously know, make sure to look for reviews about how others have experienced that particular store. Check the store’s own reviews, both on their website and in the comments on their social media. And check if you can find reviews about the store at an independent review site. Search Google and see if there are articles or forums where others warn against shopping on that site.

All banks have different security solutions for card purchases. These can be both activated and deactivated. Check with your bank what applies to your card and consult with them which security option suits you best.

Card fraud is a problem both online and in real life

Sometimes ATMs and gas pumps can be rigged to collect card details that are then used in fraud crimes. It may not always be easy to tell if an ATM or gas pump you intend to use is rigged, but there are some things you can keep an eye on. If you can wiggle the keypad or the card reader, it’s best not to use your card there.

A solution that’s effective but can feel complicated if you do a lot of shopping online is to keep internet purchases on your card blocked. Whenever you want to shop online, you can just activate online purchases for that brief moment. Although it may seem like an ordeal, this solution works really well to prevent you from becoming a victim of card fraud.

If you’ve already been the victim of card fraud, it’s important you block your card and report the crime to the police immediately. The card can be blocked by calling your bank and the crime should be reported by calling 114 14.

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Make sure you know what applies before travelling

It’s been a few years since Brexit and the initial shock has worn off. But even though life has moved on, it can be difficult to know what applies when travelling to the UK after Brexit. So we’ve listed everything you need to know so you can spend more time enjoying your trip.

When travelling to the UK, you have to have a valid passport. It’s the only form of ID they accept when entering the country. This applies regardless of why you’re traveling there and which country you’ve traveled from. In some cases, you also need a visa to enter the country. For example, going to the UK to work or study requires a visa. But if you’re going there as a tourist or to visit someone, you won’t need a visa as long as you don’t stay longer than six months. This also applies to business trips when going there for meetings or conferences. However, you need a visa regardless of why you’re going there if you intend to stay longer than six months.

UK after Brexit – what about when you’re in the country?

Once you’re in the UK, you can use both your national drivers license and the European Health Insurance Card if needed. However, you’ll also need to arrange an international driver’s license if you plan to drive there. An international driver’s license is a translation of your Swedish driver’s license. You can use it when you plan to drive in countries outside of Sweden. Though you aren’t allowed to drive with only the international driver’s license and need to carry your Swedish driver’s license with you as well. If you plan to travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland, you can do so freely until 1 January 2025.

A good thing to keep in mind when traveling to the UK after Brexit is to check for any price changes in your mobile plan. Previously, mobile operators weren’t allowed to charge extra fees when traveling to the UK, but that is allowed now. So make sure you know what the costs are so you don’t get an unwanted surprise with your next bill. This applies to both call, SMS and surfing costs.

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What applies according to the right of access to private land?

If you have an apple tree on your property, you know that the trees usually produce fruit in abundance. This leads to many people usually advertising on social media that others are free to come by and pick apples from them. However there are also people who enter other people’s yard to pick apples and then referring to the common right of access to private land.

According to the common right, we’re allowed to “cross someone else’s land and temporarily stay there”. But what about the fruit that grows there? Can anyone pick from your apple tree?

The fact of the matter is, it’s a common misconception that anyone can walk into other peoples property and start picking apples. According to the common right of access to private land, you can pick berries and mushrooms that grow in forests and fields. You can also pick seeds, nuts and cones from the ground. But the apples that grow on your apple tree are considered as your property. This means that not just anyone can come in to your property and pick your apples. This applies to both the apples that grow on the tree and those that lie on your yard.

Should branches from your tree extend over to the neighbor’s property, the neighbor has the right to cut those branches as long as it doesn’t damage the tree. Your neighbor also gets to pick the apples that fall on their yard. When the apples fall on the neighbor’s yard, they’re considered to be the neighbor’s property. It’s only when they remain on the tree or have fallen onto your yard that the apples are considered as yours.

So when are you allowed to pick apples then?

Some municipalities grow apple trees on municipal land. Those trees are considered as cultivated apple trees. You’re not allowed to pick fruit and berries that are obviously cultivated. However, many municipalities usually advertise that residents can pick the fruit as long as they make sure there’s enough fruit left for others who also want to pick. So in other words, make sure to always ask the owner if you can pick. Or find the nearest apple tree at Äkta Vara. Many owners advertise there that others are free to come and pick from their trees.

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Do you know your rights as a client?

When it’s time to renovate your home, there are a couple of things you need to keep an eye on. Firstly, you need to know and be sure of what your dream home should look like. Secondly, you have to be aware of your rights as a client when you renovate. Even if you do thorough research to find a reputable handyman, there’s always the risk of things going wrong. But luckily, you have the law on your side. So you don’t need to worry if the worst should happen.

The absolute most important thing with all orders from handymen is to make sure you have documentation of the communication. Email rather than call and be clear about what you want. Use both text and images and carefully read the quotes you receive. This way you can always go back and check what was said. And you can also compare and see if the end result is what was agreed upon.

If anything goes wrong, you always have the right to demand that the handyman corrects the error. Then the handyman has to bear any costs resulting from correcting the error. This applies to both material, travel and labor costs.

Just as you have the right to have any wrongdoings corrected, the handyman also has the right to correct the error. By that we mean that the handyman doesn’t have to make any deductions to the price as a first option. If you want the handyman to lower the cost of the job as a first attempt of righting the wrong, the handyman can refuse you that.

If the handyman can’t correct the fault

If it’s impossible for the handyman to correct the error, you are, however, entitled to a deduction from the price. The deduction should correspond to the error. For example, it could be the amount of what it costs you to hire another handyman to correct the error. And if it’s a cosmetic defect, i.e. a defect that has nothing to do with how something functions, the price reduction is usually roughly the same as the reduction in value caused by the defect.

Revoking an agreement means that the agreement is no longer valid and that any work that has been started immediately stops. Since errors occured means the handyman has already started the work, you can’t revoke the entire contract. However, you can revoke parts of the agreement. Then you don’t have to pay the handyman for the parts that’s been revoked. However, you have to pay for the work the handyman has already performed. The handyman also has the right to claim back materials that won’t be used due to cancellation of the job. If it involves greater inconvenience and costs for you to return the material, they can’t request it back.

The handyman has to advise you from unnecessary work

As a handyman, you have to notify customers of any work deemed unnecessary. By that, we mean that if the customer wants help sanding their patio, but the handyman sees that the entire patio actually needs to be redone, the handyman has to let you know. This is because otherwise, there will be additional costs for you as a client sand a patio that you then have to tear down.

If your handyman doesn’t advise you against work that they know is unnecessary, you generally only need to pay for the part of the work the handyman performs before seeing that any continuing work done is unnecessary. As a handyman, you have to advise against the primary agreement and instead try to agree on work that gives the sustainable result each customer wants without it leading to additional costs in the long run.

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