housing guide · gothenburg is sweden’s second largest city, hugely popular not only with . ......
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1Housing guide - 2018
HOUSING GUIDEFOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
2018
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ContentsFinding accommodation in Gothenburg 3
Gain 3 months’ worth of queuing time… 4
Returning after your exchange studies? 4
SGS (student housing) 4Selecting the right queue when registering with SGS 4
Boplats (online housing market) 5Housing co-ordinators at Boplats 5
Contact details: 5
Chalmers Studentbostäder (student housing) 6University of Gothenburg – Welcome Services 7Housing Anywhere 8Housing ads 9
Blocket.se 9
Facebook 9
Beware of SCAMS! 9
I’ve been scammed - what do I do? 10
Have you received an offer or spotted an ad and wonder if it is safe or not? 10
Scams 10Short-term housing 11Further reading 12
Move to Gothenburg 12
Study in Sweden 12
Webinar 12
Videos 13
Letters from Gothenburg student blog 13
Frequently asked questions 14What is my UGOT code and how do I get it? 14
What do I do if I find a housing ad but feel unsure if it is real or an attempted scam? 14
What happens if I don’t find somewhere to stay in time for the start of the semester? 15
5 Steps to get you started 16Public transport in Gothenburg 17
Ticket prices when commuting 17
Student discount 17
Map of Gothenburg 18
3Housing guide - 2018
Finding accommodation in GothenburgGothenburg is Sweden’s second largest city, hugely popular not only with students but also commercial ventures. Many people are moving to study and work in Gothenburg, and as a result we are experiencing a housing shortage. We therefore encourage you to begin looking for accommodation as soon as possible.
Although there are student housing in the city, it is near impossible to find accommodation in a student room in time for the start of the semester1. In fact, it can take a year or longer before you get an offer for student housing. Fortunately, there are other alternatives such as renting a room in an apartment or villa. Although many students would prefer private student housing, renting a room from a Swedish family can have advantages as well, for instance in terms of learning the Swedish language quicker and getting familiar with Swedish culture and customs.
To maximize your chances of finding accommodation quickly, we recommend that you should not limit your search to the city centre where the competition is the greatest, but widen your search to include areas outside of the city centre as well. Public transportation in the city is effective and offers wide coverage, so staying outside the city centre is not a problem. You could always move closer to where your classes are later – the important thing is that you find somewhere to stay initially.
Unsure of where to begin? Read through this guide, or if you want to quick start the process you can begin by checking out our 5-steps to get you started on page 16 of this guide.
1 The University of Gothenburg offers a limited number of priority student housing to international exchange students. If you are an exchange student, you will receive information on how to apply for student housing from the University’s Welcome Services.
Housing Guide for International Students 2018 is produced by the Welcome Services at the University of Gothenburg.
Contact: [email protected]
© 2018 Welcome Services at the University of Gothenburg.
Map of Gothenburg © OpenStreetMap contributors. License: www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
Last updated on 25 May 2018
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SGS (student housing)SGS is the largest provider of student housing in the city. If you will be a student at the University of Gothenburg for longer than one year, you should register on their website as quickly as you can to start accumulating queuing time. As vacancies become available, they are offered to students on the waiting list and the more queuing time you have accumulated, the better the chances that a vacancy will go to you.
Selecting the right queue when registering with SGSWhen you register with SGS, you will be asked to select a queue. Choose “studentlägenhet” (Eng. student flat) and proceed to fill in the information requested on subsequent pages. If you choose one of the other queues by mistake, you may have to use another browser or clear your cache and cookies before you can return to the queue selection stage and select the correct queue.
www.sgsstudentbostader.se
If you encounter further problems with your SGS registration, please contact SGS at: [email protected]
Gain 3 months’ worth of queuing time…By joining a student union, you will gain 3 months’ worth of queuing time with SGS. There are four student unions at the University of Gothenburg. Check which one is right for you here:
https://studentportal.gu.se/english/help-and-guidance/
student-unions/
Returning after your exchange studies?If you think you might return to the University of Gothenburg after your exchange studies finish, consider joining the SGS queue now for a head start when you return.
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Boplats (online housing market)Boplats is an online housing market where you can find rooms to rent in apartments or villas. The market is curated to avoid scams and fake ads. Registration is free of charge. When looking for rooms to rent, bear in mind that the closer to the city centre a room is, the fiercer the competition for it will be. Therefore you should not be afraid to look for rooms outside the city centre as well. You can easily check the commuting time with the travel planner at www.vasttrafik.se/en
We also recommend that you read Boplats’ information for international students: https://nya.boplats.se/bostadsguiden/internationalstudents
https://nya.boplats.se/
Housing co-ordinators at BoplatsBetween 13 June and 7 September, two housing coordinators will be working full time at Boplats to assist international students in their search for housing. Contact them at [email protected] to let them know that you are looking for housing. They can also offer assistance if you encounter an ad and feel unsure if it is real or a scam.
This is part of a joint endeavour between the University of Gothenburg, the Chalmers University of Technology and Boplats to help international students to both universities find accommodation.
Housing co-ordinators Love Nurmi (left) and Linnéa Ek (right) will work full time at Boplats from 13 June.
Contact details:• Love: +46 (0) 73-666 09 60
• Linnéa: +46 (0) 73-666 09 54
Email: room@boplats
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Chalmers Student-bostäder (student housing)The student housing company Chalmers studentbostäder is part of the student union of the Chalmers University of Technology. They offer priority housing for students at the Chalmers University of Technology. Students at the University of Gothenburg are also welcome to apply, but will not qualify for priority housing.
www.chalmersstudentbostader.se/en
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University of Gothenburg – Welcome ServicesThe Welcome Services at the University of Gothenburg has limited housing to offer exchange students. In the spring semester there are sometimes vacancies which may be rented by other categories of international students as well. Send an e-mail after 15 January 2019 to [email protected] to enquire about the availability of such vacancies in the spring semester of 2019. Any such vacancy would not extend past the summer of 2019.
If you are an exchange student, you will receive information on how to apply for housing through the University when applying for exchange studies with us.
www.gu.se/studenthousing
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Housing AnywhereWhen local students decide to temporarily leave Gothenburg, for example to study or do an internship abroad, they often rent out their room or flat for the period they are not here. The HousingAnywhere platform gives you access to the ads for rooms that these students publish.
You can see an introduction video on how the system works here:
www.youtube.com/user/HousingAnywhere
https://housinganywhere.com
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Housing ads
Blocket.seThe online marketplace Blocket.se lists not only books, bicycles and other things for sale, but also rooms and flats. Please keep in mind that Blocket.se is not curated and scams do occur. The website is unfortunately not available in English.
www.blocket.se
FacebookThe student unions have Facebook groups for international students. Some of the unions create new groups for each semester. You may want to join several union groups and the groups from the previous semester to get in touch with current of previous international students. Many of them will have been in the same position as you are now and may have invaluable experiences to share with you.
www.gu.se/studentbuddies
There are also several Facebook groups dedicated to the housing situation in Gothenburg and to helping people find somewhere to stay. Housing ads are common here and it is possible to find housing this way. Once again, however, keep in mind that while moderators will often try to remove fraudulent ads as quickly as possible, these groups are not curated and scams do occur.
Check out the links below for two popular groups: Find accommodation in Goteborg and Bostad Göteborg.
www.facebook.com/groups/accomodation.goteborg
www.facebook.com/groups/51849400997/
Beware of SCAMS!Every year we hear from students who have lost money on housing that doesn’t exist. Please, be careful! Never pay anything in advance. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
You can read the Swedish Police force’s recommendations in this guide on page 10.
!
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ScamsDue to the difficult housing situation in Gothenburg, housing scams have become an unfortunate reality. Please be careful when looking for somewhere to stay in Gothenburg and never pay anything in advance. Here are some guidelines from the Swedish police:
1. Form a picture of the situation, not the person.
2. Check with the property owner that the person is the occupier of the flat.
3. Require identification of the landlord and a tenancy agreement.
4. Never pay deposit or rent in advance before you have visited the accommodation and a contract is signed.
5. Be wary if the landlord is abroad or can not meet you.
6. Do not pay money via anonymous payment services.
7. Bring a friend or family member when you visit the accommodation. Four eyes can easier see through a fraud. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it is usually so.
8. If you have been the victim of a fraud, it is important that you report this to the police.
Source: https://nya.boplats.se/bostadsguiden/internationalstudents
I’ve been scammed - what do I do?If you become the victim of a fraud on the Gothenburg housing market, please report it to the police and to Boplats.
Have you received an offer or spotted an ad and wonder if it is safe or not?If you encounter a situation where you are unsure if it is a fraud or a real offer, you can write to the Boplats housing co-ordinators.
BoplatsRead more about Boplats and the housing co-ordinators on page 5. There you will also find telephone numbers to the housing co-ordinators.
!
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Short-term housingThere are many hostels in Gothenburg and SGS, the largest provider of student housing in the city, offer short-term housing through their SGS Veckobostäder service. For very short stays on a tight budget, Couchsurfing may also be an option.
Hostels: https://www.goteborg.com/en/hostels/
SGS Veckobostäder: https://www.sgsveckobostader.se/en
Couchsurfing: https://www.couchsurfing.com/
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Further reading
Move to GothenburgLots of good information aimed at people moving to Gothenburg. The website is primarily geared towards people moving here to work, but contains a lot of information which is useful also to future students.
www.movetogothenburg.com/
Study in SwedenAn official website aimed at people interested in studying in Sweden. The website is run by the Swedish Institute and has a lot of information useful both before you arrive and during your stay in Gothenburg. You can read about finding accommodation here: https://studyinsweden.se/life-in-sweden/accommodation/
https://studyinsweden.se/
WebinarThe University of Gothenburg is hosting a webinar on finding accommodation in Gothenburg. We will record the webinar so that if you miss it, you can watch the recording instead. The date and information on how to join the webinar as well as the recording after the webinar has taken place will all be posted online.
https://utbildning.gu.se/education/incoming-student/webinars
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VideosThe University of Gothenburg has produced informational videos about finding accommodation in Gothenburg. You can see them here:
Finding accommodation (informational): www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ3V7SfYIzs
Places to stay (interviews with international students): www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqBQSmhEVdw
Letters from Gothenburg student blogRead what previous students have to say about finding accommodation in Gothenburg on the University’s blog Letters from Gothenburg.
https://lettersfromgothenburg.wordpress.com/tag/student-housing-in-gothenburg/
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Frequently asked questions
What is a UGOT code?If you select the wrong queue when registering with SGS you may be asked to fill in a UGOT code. If this happens, you should restart the application process and choose the queue option called “studentlägenhet” (Eng. Student flat) instead. You will not be asked to fill in a UGOT code. If restarting the form does not work, you need to either use another browser or clear your cache and cookies before restarting the application procedure.
What do I do if I find a housing ad but feel unsure if it is real or an attempted scam?You can contact the Boplats housing co-ordinators at [email protected] and show them the ad.
As a rule, never pay anything in advance. Wait until you have seen the flat and have the keys before paying anything. Read more under Scams on page 10.
Read more about Boplats on page 5.
Read more about Scams on page 10.
Read more about SGS on page 4.
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What happens if I don’t find somewhere to stay in time for the start of the semester?Sometimes it is not possible to find housing in time for the start of the semester. In that case you may have to start the semester in a hostel or staying with friends. Fortunately, finding a place to stay is easier once you are here in person. Boplats will also offer some matchmaking meetings where you have the opportunity to meet landlords looking to rent out a room in their apartment or villa.
While finding somewhere to stay at this point may feel rather hopeless and impossible, experiences from previous years are positive suggesting that it is possible and indeed probable that you will find somewhere to stay within two weeks following the start of the semester.
If you have been limiting your search to housing in the city centre or near your faculty, we would recommend that you look outside the city centre as well. Public transportation in the region is efficient offers wide coverage, making commuting by bus, tram or commuter train a viable option. You can always move close to the city centre later on.
International students looking for accommodation have the opportunity to meet landlords at Boplats’ matchmaking meetings around the start of the semester. You can read more about Boplats on page 5.
Read more about Public transport on page 17.
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5 Steps to get you startedPlease note: If you are an exchange student, you will receive information from the University on how to apply for the University’s priority housing for exchange students.
1 Register with SGS, the largest provider of student housing in Gothenburg. You should do this immediately, so that you begin accumulating queuing time as soon as possible. When you later apply for housing through SGS, the amount of time spent in the queue will matter. You should not expect to get housing through SGS in time for the autumn start of the semester, but you may get it in time for later semesters.
www.sgsstudentbostader.se/
2 Head over to Boplats.se. Read the information they have published for international students, and then register for a free account and start looking at ads for rooms. This is where you are most likely to find a room for your first semester in Gothenburg. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to write to [email protected].
Boplats.se: https://nya.boplats.se/bostadsguiden/internationalstudentsRegister a free account: https://nya.boplats.se/registrera
3 Join the Student Buddy Facebook groups and talk to current students. They will have been in your situation and can offer valuable tips and insight.
www.gu.se/studentbuddies
4 Don’t limit your search for accommodation to the city centre. Public transportation in Gothenburg is efficient and offers wide coverage. The important thing is to find somewhere to stay when you arrive and during your first semester. You can always move to a more central location later – many students however find that there is no need for that, due to efficient public transport.
Travel time map (pdf): https://nya.boplats.se/webbresurser/info/travel-time-map.pdfVästtrafik - Public transport: www.vasttrafik.se/en
5 Starting on 13 June, two housing coordinators will be working full time at Boplats to assist international students in their search for housing. Contact them between 13 June and 7 September. This is part of a joint endeavour between the University of Gothenburg, the Chalmers University of Technology and Boplats. Don’t hesitate to make use of it!
Finding accommodation in Gothenburg is tough, but not impossible. These 5 steps will get you started, but we do recommend that you read this guide in its entirety.
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Public transport in GothenburgVästtrafik provide bus, tram, ferry and commuter train services in Gothenburg and throughout the Västra Götaland region, making it easy to travel not only in the city, but also to neighbouring towns and cities. You can read about ticket prices and check travel time on their website.
When looking for someplace to stay, it is important to consider areas outside the city centre and perhaps outside the city altogether. We have put together a graphic showing commuting time by train to the Gothenburg main train station (Göteborg C). Remember that you can always continue looking for something closer to your classes once you are here, if you are unhappy with the time spent commuting.
www.vasttrafik.se/en
Borås (5
9 min)
Sandare
d (57 m
in)
Bollebyg
d (45 m
in)
Rävlan
da (41
min)
Hindås (3
4 min)
Mölnlycke
(20 m
in)
Älvängen
(27 m
in)
Trollh
ättan
(38 m
in)
Kungsbacka (26 min)
Alingsås (40 min)
Västra Bodarna (36 min)Noresund (33 min)
Floda (27 min)Stenkullen (24 min)
Lerum (21 min)Aspedalen (19 min)
Aspen (17 min)Jonsered (14 min)
Partile (10 min)Sävenäs (7 min)
Hede (24 min)
Anneberg (22 min)
Lindome (18 min)
Kållered (15 min)
Mölndal (11 min)
Uddevalla Ö (70 min)
Ljungskile (57 min)
Svenshögen (50 min)
Stenungsund (41 min)
Stora Höga (35 min)
Kode (28 min)
Ytterby (20 min)
Uddevalla C (73 min)
Göteborg CGothenburg train station
Ticket prices when commutingWhen considering housing options outside of Gothenburg you will need to include commuting costs in your monthly budget. Period tickets are available for the Gothenburg municipality zone and for combinations of various other zones. You can find a complete list here:
https://www.vasttrafik.se/en/tickets/period-tickets/
Student discountVästtrafik offers a student discount on some of their tickets. Please be aware that you will need to receive a Mecenat student discount card before you can use the student discount. It may take 2-3 weeks after that start of the semester before you receive your card.
The Mecenat card is available both electronically and as a physical plastic card.
www.mecenat.se
For bus/tram travel time in the city, also see Boplats’ travel map (pdf):
https://nya.boplats.se/webbresurser/info/travel-time-map.pdf
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C
3
2
4
98
76
5
1
1. IT Faculty/Campus Lindholmen Forskningsgången 6
2. Faculty of Education Västra Hamngatan 25
3. School of Business Economics and Law Vasagatan 1 Faculty of Social Sciences Sprängkullsgatan 19
4. Campus Linné Seminariegatan 1
5. Academy of Design and Crafts (HDK) Kristinelundsgatan 6 Valand Academy Vasagatan 50
6. Adacemy of Music and Drama (Artisten) Fågelsången 1
7. Faculty of Arts (Humanisten) Renströmsgatan 6
C Gothenburg train station (Göteborg C)
Map of Gothenburg