Swedish co-op or house: who pays for a SEK 250,000 new roof?
In a house you pay for the whole roof. In a co-op the association pays, but through the fee: a SEK 10 million pipe job can add SEK 833 a month.
If your house in Sweden needs a new roof for SEK 250,000, you pay the whole sum yourself. In a co-op flat the association pays for the roof, but the money still comes from the members.
When you buy a house, you own the land and the building. When you buy a co-op flat ("bostadsrätt"), you do not own the flat. You become a member of a housing association ("bostadsrättsförening") that owns the building, and you get the right to use the flat with no time limit.
That difference decides who pays when the roof or the pipes need replacing.
The house: you own the property
A house stands on a registered property ("fastighet"). Whoever buys it owns the land and buildings. You apply for title registration ("lagfart") with the land registry, Lantmäteriet, within three months of the purchase. The title shows that you are the owner.
Ownership brings the full responsibility. The roof, walls, drainage, sewer pipes and heating system are yours. If something breaks, you pay. You also decide when and how to renovate, as long as you follow the building permit rules.
The co-op: you own a right in an association
Under the Housing Cooperatives Act ("bostadsrättslagen"), a co-op right is the right a member holds in the association. The association lets the flat to you for use, against payment and without a time limit. The association owns the building.
You pay a monthly fee. It covers the association's costs: running costs, maintenance, insurance and interest on the association's loans.
For the purchase to go through, the association must accept you as a member. The sale must also be in writing and signed by both seller and buyer.
Who pays for what in a co-op
The law splits responsibility like this:
- The association must keep the building, the land and the flat in good condition, except for what the member is responsible for.
- You as a member must keep the flat in good condition at your own cost. You are not responsible for pipes for water, sewage, heating and the like that the association installed and that serve more than one flat.
The association's statutes ("stadgar") can change this split. Read them before you buy. They state, for example, who is responsible for windows, bathroom surfaces and appliances.
A new roof
In a house you pay for the whole roof yourself. Say it costs SEK 250,000. If you have not saved for it, you borrow, and from 2026 only loans with security give an interest deduction ("ränteavdrag").
In a co-op the association pays. But the money still comes from the members, through savings, new loans or a higher fee.
New pipes
The association pays for replacing the main pipes ("stambyte"), because the pipes serve more than one flat.
Say the association borrows SEK 10,000,000 for the work at 3%. Interest is SEK 300,000 a year. With 30 flats, that is SEK 10,000 per flat a year on average. It equals a fee increase of about SEK 833 a month, before the association has started paying off the loan.
The surfaces in your own bathroom may still be your responsibility, depending on the statutes.
What you may change yourself
For a house, the Planning and Building Act applies. Larger changes may need a building permit or a notification to the municipality.
In a co-op you also need the board's permission for some changes. That covers work on load-bearing walls, changes to pipes for sewage, heating, gas or water, changes to ventilation, changes that affect fire safety, and other major alterations.
Why you should read the annual report
Because all members share the association's costs, its finances become your finances. The estate agent must give you the latest annual report and the association's statutes. The agent must also state the flat's share of the association's debt and any fee increases already decided.
Look closely at how much the association has borrowed. Ask the board or the agent whether the association has a maintenance plan and what it says about pipes and the roof.
Quick comparison
The table sums up the differences. The property types chapter of the real estate crash course has more on each kind of home.
| Question | House | Co-op flat |
|---|---|---|
| What do you own? | Land and building | A right in the association to use the flat |
| Proof of ownership | Title at Lantmäteriet | Membership and the association's register of flats |
| New roof | You | The association, through the fee |
| Shared pipes | You | The association |
| Fittings and surfaces | You | Usually you, under the statutes |
| Major alterations | Building permit rules | Board permission and building permit rules |
Sources
- Housing Cooperatives Act (1991:614) (Swedish)
- Lantmäteriet: Register an owner, title registration (Swedish)
- Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen: Signing the contract (Swedish)
- Estate Agents Act (2021:516), chapter 3 section 15 (Swedish)
- Skatteverket: Deduction for interest costs (Swedish)
This content is general information, not financial or legal advice. Bolån Radar collects data from banks and authorities and cannot guarantee that it is complete or free of errors. Talk to your bank or an adviser before you decide.