Understanding Denmark's Typeformular A rental contract

If you are renting in Denmark, your lease is almost certainly based on Typeformular A (currently the 10th edition). This is the standard housing tenancy agreement authorized by the Danish Ministry. Landlords who do not use it risk having their contract terms declared invalid.

How the contract is structured

The contract has 11 sections. Here is what each one covers:

• Section 1 - The parties and the rental unit (address, size, landlord details)
• Section 2 - Period of tenancy (start date, whether it is fixed-term or indefinite)
• Section 3 - Rent, payment terms, and what is included
• Section 4 - Deposit and prepaid rent amounts
• Section 5 - Heating and utilities (how costs are split)
• Section 6 - Shared aerials and electronic communication
• Section 7 - Property condition at move-in (whether a move-in inspection was done)
• Section 8 - Maintenance obligations (who handles internal vs. external upkeep)
• Section 9 - Move-out conditions
• Section 10 - Pets, house rules, tenant representation
• Section 11 - Special terms (deviations from default rules)

Sections 1 through 10 follow the default rules of the Danish Rent Act (Lejeloven). The contract only becomes unusual and potentially risky in Section 11.

Section 11: the part you need to read carefully

Section 11 is where the landlord adds special terms that deviate from the standard rules. These deviations can reduce your rights or impose additional obligations. For example, a landlord might require you to repaint the apartment at move-out, or add a clause about professional cleaning at your expense, even if the Rent Act would not normally require it.

Any deviation from the default rules that is not explicitly listed in Section 11 is generally unenforceable. This is why Section 11 is the most important section for tenants, especially if the contract is in Danish and you are not fluent.

Deposit and prepaid rent

Under Danish law, a landlord can charge a maximum of 3 months' rent as a deposit (depositum) and 3 months' rent as prepaid rent (forudbetalt leje). The deposit covers potential damages at move-out. The prepaid rent covers your final months, meaning you do not pay rent during the last 3 months of the lease. The deposit must be held in a separate bank account.

Move-in and move-out inspections

If the landlord rents out more than one unit (a professional landlord), a move-in inspection is mandatory. The landlord must prepare a written move-in report (indflytningsrapport). You then have 14 days to report any additional defects in writing. If you miss this deadline, those defects are assumed to have been in good condition when you moved in.

If the landlord fails to conduct a move-in inspection when required, they generally lose the right to make any deductions from your deposit at move-out, even if there is real damage. This is one of the strongest tenant protections in Danish law.

At move-out, the landlord must schedule an inspection within 14 days of your departure. If they miss this deadline or fail to provide a written report, they also lose their claim.

For more on deposit rules, see our guide on security deposit rules in Denmark. To compare recurring problem clauses before signing, review these rental contract red flags across Europe. For practical tips on what to do when you arrive, see renting in Denmark as an expat.

How RentalProof helps

RentalProof annotates Typeformular A in plain English and highlights high-risk clauses in Section 11 so tenants can understand key obligations before signing.