Free rent in new production - this is what the conflict looks like

There is a shortage of rental apartments, and in many cities you have to stand in line for decades to get a contract.

According to most experts, this is largely due to rent regulation.

Landlords are simply not allowed to charge the rent that people are actually willing to pay for an apartment and that makes it less interesting to build apartment buildings.

Conditions for government power

Allowing free rent in newly built apartments was one of the conditions set by the Center Party and the Liberals in the January agreement to release Stefan Löfven to power after the 2018 election. .

The other big opponent is the interest organization Hyresgästföreningen.

Opponents call the proposal market rents, but there is still a long way to go.

The number of new rental apartments built each year corresponds to only about one percent of the total stock.

And since it is only in new construction that the rent is proposed to be free, it will take a long time before it dominates the market.

New life in the threat

At the beginning of June, the government's investigation was completed.

It is proposed that in properties built after 1 July 2022, the landlord and the tenant themselves must agree on the rent, without negotiations via a representative.

The occupancy rent must not "significantly exceed" rents for similar apartments and must be able to be increased a maximum of once a year.

The inquiry proposal, which is now out for consultation with, among others, the Tenants' Association and the Property Owners, made the Left Party react and bring new life to the threat.

It is now said that it is ready to overthrow the government.

Need support

But the Left Party does not have enough members to get a no-confidence vote against Stefan Löfven on its own.

V has made it clear that one can imagine hanging on if the Sweden Democrats demand distrust, provided that the Moderates and the Christian Democrats also support it.

M, KD and SD have so far not wanted to comment on V's opening. They have previously described the V-threat as empty and KD and M have expressed that they have nothing against the rental proposal and that that proposal is the wrong proposal to bring down the government.