# Kedjehus: what it is and what applies when you rent one *Charlotte Strååt* *22 oktober 2026* > A kedjehus is a terraced house where the houses are linked by a garage or shed. How it differs from a terraced house, and what applies when you rent one. A kedjehus (link-detached house) is a type of terraced house where the houses are joined to each other, but only through a smaller outbuilding, usually a garage or a storage shed. The living part therefore stands more freely than in an ordinary terraced house, and you get more free walls and more light. Which rental rules apply when you rent a kedjehus depends on who lets the house: a company or a private person. ## What is a kedjehus? Wikipedia describes [terraced houses](https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radhus) as residential buildings joined to similar houses through their outer walls. There are three variants: ordinary terraced house (radhus), kedjehus and semi-detached house (parhus). The kedjehus differs in that the houses are linked by a smaller building instead of the homes sharing a wall all the way. In practice, an area of kedjehus looks like a row of detached houses where each house is tied to its neighbour by a garage or a shed. You do not share a bedroom wall with your neighbour, which many people notice in the noise level. ## Kedjehus vs radhus: the differences that matter If you compare a kedjehus with a terraced house as a home, these are the main differences: - **Walls facing the neighbour.** In a terraced house the home shares a wall with one or two neighbouring houses. In a kedjehus it is usually only the garage or shed that meets the neighbour. - **Light.** More free wall surface leaves room for more windows. Wikipedia mentions better daylight as an advantage of the kedjehus. - **Character.** A kedjehus feels more like a detached house, while a terraced house is a long, narrow building divided into several homes. - **Plot.** Terraced houses usually have a small plot at the front and back. How big the plot is with a kedjehus varies from area to area, so always ask what is included. ## Renting a kedjehus: which rules apply? It is the law that decides which rules apply, not what you and the landlord write in the contract. What decides it is who lets the house. - **A private person lets the house: the Private Letting Act.** The [Private Letting Act (privatuthyrningslagen, 2026:772)](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/privatuthyrningslag-2026772_sfs-2026-772/) has applied since 1 July 2026 when a private person or an estate lets a house or part of a house as a home (chapter 1 section 1). The Act does not apply if the landlord regularly lets more than two homes that are not part of his or her own home, or if the landlord holds the house as a tenant (chapter 1 section 3). When the Private Letting Act applies, the tenancy chapter of the Land Code does not apply at all (chapter 12 section 1 c). Contract terms that are worse for you than the Act are not valid against you (chapter 1 section 4). - **A company, or a private person with more than two let homes: the Land Code.** Then the tenancy rules apply, that is chapter 12 of the [Land Code (jordabalken)](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/). It covers agreements where houses or parts of houses are let for payment (chapter 12 section 1), including a whole kedjehus. Terms that conflict with the chapter are not valid against you, unless the law itself says otherwise (chapter 12 section 1 d). - **Agreement without the right to extension, only when the Land Code applies.** Under chapter 12 section 45 a, the owner of a one- or two-family house who does not let property as a business may agree with you that you will not have a right to extension. The agreement is valid without the rent tribunal's approval if it covers at most four years and the owner is going to move into the house or sell it. This rule only applies when the tenancy chapter of the Land Code applies, that is not when the Private Letting Act applies. An agreement made under the older Act (2012:978) on letting one's own home (lagen om uthyrning av egen bostad) continues to follow that Act, even after 1 July 2026. ## What to check before you rent a kedjehus 1. **Who owns the house.** Ask to see that the person letting it actually owns the house or has the right to let it. 2. **What is included.** Garage, storage, plot, snow clearing and garden care. In a house you are often responsible for more than in an apartment. 3. **Running costs.** Electricity, heating, water and waste collection may be included in the rent or paid separately. This should be stated in the contract. 4. **Length of the contract.** If the Land Code applies and it says you have no right to extension, check that this is in a separate document and what the reason is. If the Private Letting Act applies, a fixed-term agreement ends when the rental period ends, and an open-ended agreement can be terminated to the turn of a month at the earliest three months after notice. You as a tenant may always terminate a fixed-term agreement in the same way (chapter 6 sections 1–2). 5. **Written contract.** A written agreement makes things easier if you and the landlord later disagree. If you are unsure about your contract, you can get advice from the [Swedish Union of Tenants (Hyresgästföreningen)](https://www.hyresgastforeningen.se/). ## Summary A kedjehus is a terraced house where the houses are linked by a garage or shed instead of full walls. That gives more light and more privacy than an ordinary terraced house. If you rent from a private person, the Private Letting Act usually applies. If you rent from a company, or from a private person who regularly lets more than two homes, the tenancy rules in the Land Code apply. Check who owns and lets the house, what is included and how long you may stay.