In Norway, close to one million Norwegians rent the home they live in. This amounts to just over 18 per cent of the population. In the age group 20–29, a full 39 per cent rent a home. Many of these are first-time tenants. Then it is extra important to know what rights you have. 22-year-old Eira Wisthus experienced that. No alcohol allowed In 2019, Wisthus was ready to move into a loft apartment in Mo i Rana, but when the contract came on the table she felt she had to cancel. – I was shocked. The rules were very strict and abnormal, says Wisthus. Eira Wisthus thinks the contract for the loft apartment was too strict, and chose not to sign. Photo: Privat The contract stated, among other things, that the home was to be cleaned every week before the weekend. It was also not allowed to drink alcohol in the apartment. – When, for example, you had to ask for accommodation, it felt a bit like you could have just stayed at home with your family. This is what the list of rules of order looked like in the contract Eira Wisthus was offered: STRICT RULES OF ORDER: news has seen the rules of order in the lease contract offered to Eira Wisthus, and has reproduced the content here. Didn’t want a tenant. The landlord won’t give his name, but news knows his identity. According to him, the contract was never meant to be signed. It was only intended as a “scare tactic”. – Is it okay to say that this is not legal in a lease? – Yes, in this case it was someone we didn’t want to rent to. There are no contracts signed with these rules, but this was a couple we didn’t want to rent to. – Is it misrepresented that she refused the contract because it was unreasonable? – Yes, we did not want them as tenants. – So then you put in a lot of unreasonable demands? – No, not a lot of things. But a number of things that are so far not something we would have in a contract that is signed. We have had many contracts for that apartment over the years, but nothing with that wording. We use standard contracts. – Couldn’t you just say no? – Yes, I could do that. But now we had two pieces on display at the same time, and then it was a bit silly to reject one verbally. So both of them got a contract like that, and the ones we wanted didn’t get a contract at the screening. They got in touch afterwards, and then they got the usual contract. – If there had been a signed contract, it would not have been included. But I have no contracts that are not within. Right of use for the home you rent Yngve Gran Andersen is a lawyer at the Tenants’ Association. Without having seen the contract offered to Wisthus, Gran Andersen can say that the landlord cannot, among other things, prohibit the use of alcohol. – A landlord cannot refuse a tenant to use drugs either. The landlord’s authority is limited to being the landlord, and it is not the landlord who must ensure that a tenant complies with other legislation. Lawyer Yngve Gran Andersen from the Tenants’ Association says you can register with them for advice and guidance on disputes with landlords. Photo: Leieboerforeningen Landlords also cannot regulate whether, for example, a tenant is allowed to have visitors or what time of day a tenant must be at home. Nor refuse a girlfriend to move in. – When you rent a home, you have the right of use to this home, which means you can use it as your home, says Gran Andersen. Difficult to be evicted from rented accommodation Even if the accommodation is your home, you must comply with house rules and reasonable orders from the landlord. – A landlord cannot prohibit a tenant from having a party. But if the fixing results in a breach of normal house rules, it may constitute a breach of the tenancy agreement, says Gran Angersen and adds: – Then the landlord can give a written warning, and in case of repeated breaches, terminate the contract. If, after receiving a written warning, the tenant continues to behave in a way that is a serious nuisance to other users of the property, there can sometimes be good enough grounds to terminate the lease. But something much bigger is needed to be thrown out onto the spot. – If, for example, the tenant commits violence against the neighbor or sets fire to the home, it is clear that the landlord can break the contract with immediate effect. The landlord must give notice Have you experienced the landlord entering the rental property without giving notice in advance? If there is not a good reason to enter the residence unannounced, it is actually a burglary. – If the tenant documents that the landlord enters the property without good grounds, you as the tenant have the right to change the lock, says Gran Andersen. news has been sent anonymous stories from tenants. news has not spoken to the landlords in these stories, and these are not the tenants’ real names: Wisthus had already resigned from the apartment she lived in when she received the lease from the landlord. – Fortunately, the people we had rented from were very decent, so we were allowed to continue living there.
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Was refused to drink alcohol in the rental property by the landlord, expert says it is illegal – news Nordland
