Comments on: Borettslag: Cooperative Housing Ownership in Norway Explained

By: Peter Storm

Peter Storm — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:34:34 +0000

Interesting and informative article about apartment (“ownership”) in Norway. We have that type of home “ownership” here in the USA too. Here we call it a Cooperative. Until about the late 1950s “coops” were the way people here claimed ownership of an apartment. In the late 50s and early 1960s “Condos” replaced “Coops” here but that system of direct ownership of ones living unit never caught on in Sweden or Norway.
I have noticed though many Swedes who return home tend to call their apartments “Condos.” I wonder if Norwegians returning home are equally unaware of the difference.

By: Karin Ribbens-Klein

Karin Ribbens-Klein — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:06:49 +0000

Hi, thank you for the information regarding buying property in borretslag.
What is the advantages, if I pay the full fellesgjeld when I buy the property – when selling after 5 years?
– when selling after the grace period is over?

By: Mohash

Mohash — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 11:28:43 +0000

Hi , thank you for this informative article. I have a question could you please answer it?
If I buy an apartment and pay joint debt and live there for five or ten years then I want to sell it, what will happen ? The amount I paid will be added to my share?
In selveier, the amount I will pay monthly is deducted from the loan and in fact my share is increasing as I pay. Is it the case also for andel?

By: Alan Rhodes

Alan Rhodes — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 11:34:51 +0000

The property we have lived in for the past 10 years is a borettslag property. We are part of a wider group but our particular block has 55 flats. In 2018 the block had a large fire and we were out of it for 6 months whilst repair work was undertaken. The building insurance which is part of our borettslag cost covered all the work and our relocation costs. and the local board were fantastic at arranging recovery and repair companies – including a specialist asbestos company. The borettslag approach helped massively at this time. In addition things like snow clearing and other maintenance issues are dealt with automatically. As a retired person this approach definitely makes life a lot easier.

By: Tina

Tina — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 13:42:44 +0000

Borettslag is also a popular way of living in Finland and Sweden. In Finland, you also buy the right to live in the flat, but not the walls, so to say. In result, when one wants to move out, we don’t sell the flat but the borettslag organization takes in charge of it and returns the deposit, which is about 10 to 15% of the actual value of the flat. So when one moves out, they don’t need to worry about selling the flat. What is more, at least in the flats I used to live, if you wanted to redecorate the flat, you’d have to use subtle colours and patterns but you’d get a free starting kit from the hardware store. Also, if you wanted to upgrade your flat by fitting a dishwasher for example, that would rise your deposit a bit.