Move out before moving in

The move-out process in seven steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Book a removal company and any move-out cleaning so that everything is ready the day before the move-in date. our advice

2. 2

   Step 2: Cancel the electricity grid contract at least one month in advance and the electricity retail contract at least 14 days in advance of the move-in date, unless otherwise agreed.

3. 3

   Step 3: Notify the district heating company of the change of ownership in good time, if the house has district heating.

4. 4

   Step 4: Go through what should be left behind: fixed furnishings, appliances that belong to the house, keys and what you have agreed on.

   § 2 kap. 1 och 2 §§ jordabalken (1970:994), checked 6 October 2026

5. 5

   Step 5: Empty storage rooms, garages and plots, and remove scrap and construction waste. our advice

6. 6

   Step 6: Clean the entire property, including windows, appliances behind and under, vents and floor drains.

7. 7

   Step 7: On the move-in date: read the electricity, water and heat meters, hand over all keys and report the change of ownership for water, sewage and waste collection.

What should be left behind in the house?

The property includes buildings, pipes, fences and other facilities for permanent use, as well as trees and plants. The building includes fixed furnishings and what the house has been equipped with for permanent use. The law mentions, among other things, lifts, pipes for water, heat and light, heating boilers, elements, stoves, tile stoves, inner windows, awnings and keys. In a home, a bathtub and other sanitary facilities, stove, heat cabinet, refrigerator and washing machine are also usually included. Spare parts are not included.

Freezer, dryer, dishwasher and microwave are not mentioned in the paragraph. If you want to take something that can be counted as part of the house with you, or leave something that does not, write it into the contract.

How clean should it be?

No law regulates cleaning when you sell, so your agreement applies. The Estate Agents' Association, the trade organization for estate agents, writes that cleaning is part of the transfer and that the home should be well cleaned when the buyer takes over, unless otherwise agreed. Their fact sheet lists windows on the inside and outside, appliances even behind the stove, vents, floor drains and washing machine. The plot should be cleaned and scrap and construction waste removed.

Move-out cleaning of the home you are moving from gives a RUT tax deduction if a company does it, but the cleaning is not counted as a sales expense in the declaration. What the move-out cleaning costs is stated under move-out cleaning.

Source: Estate Agents' Association: Cleaning (fact sheet, pdf), Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency): List of RUT work, Skatteverket: Calculate profit, loss and tax.

Who is responsible for the house until the buyer takes over?

You. If the house is damaged by an accident, such as a fire or water leak, while you still have it, the buyer may get a price reduction or cancel the purchase if the damage is significant. If you damage the house through negligence after the contract was written, the buyer can also get compensation. Keep the insurance until the day of entry.

The agreements and meters

The electricity grid agreement is terminated at least one month in advance and the electricity trading agreement at least 14 days in advance, unless otherwise agreed. A change of address is not enough. The network owner reads the electricity meter when the agreement ends. The district heating agreement ends at the latest 30 days after the change of ownership, and you notify the company in good time. In Gothenburg, you report the change of ownership for water, sewage and waste collection to Kretslopp och vatten and read the water meter on the day of entry. All this is summarized in the guide to moving to or from a villa.

Source: Energy Market Authority: Moving out, electricity contract, Energy Market Authority: Cancel district heating contract, Gothenburg City: Report change of ownership of subscription, house.

Are you selling a tenant-owned apartment?

The same applies in practice: emptied, cleaned and keys handed over on the takeover day, according to your contract. What belongs to the apartment and what belongs to the association is stated in the statutes. How the actual sale takes place is stated in the guide to selling a tenant-owned apartment.

The law behind it

The sections summarised, with a link to the legal text on riksdagen.se.