Thousands of young people across Denmark have just secured places at universities and colleges, but for many, the next challenge is finding a place to live. In major student hubs such as Aarhus and Copenhagen, housing shortages and rising rents have become acute. Yet in Aalborg, the situation is markedly different.
Oversupply of student housing in Aalborg
Aalborg currently has an overcapacity of student housing, according to Ole Nielsen, director of Himmerland Boligforening, which owns about 2,000 of the city’s 7,500 student apartments. The surplus has built up over several years due to a decline in the number of study places and the construction of new private rental units that attract students willing to share larger apartments.
Nielsen notes that three students can rent a newly built 100-square-metre apartment for around 12,000 Danish kroner (approximately 1,610 euros) per month, making the cost per person significantly lower than many traditional student flats. This affordability and choice mean students in Aalborg face far less competition for accommodation than in other major cities.
Social and practical benefits for students
Many students, like Aalborg University attendee Laura Brandt van Leeuwen, choose shared housing arrangements over traditional one-room student apartments. She emphasises the social benefits of shared living, including companionship, quicker integration into the city, and access to larger and more functional living spaces at lower per-person costs.
“You get a community when you live with others. It is nice to have someone there when you get home, and you also get to know people faster,” she explains.
Plans to repurpose surplus student flats
The oversupply is now prompting housing associations to consider converting up to 1,500 empty student flats into family housing. This would involve structural changes, such as removing walls, and would be implemented gradually over the coming years.
While Aalborg has no shortage of student apartments, demand for family housing remains high. Nielsen is confident that repurposed units will find tenants quickly once converted.
Until these changes take place, Aalborg will continue to offer a secure housing market for students, in contrast to the pressure faced by their peers in other Danish university cities.
