About flytträkning.se

Flytträkning.se is an information portal for people who are struggling with unfair bills in connection with moving. The website is run by housing activists in Uppsala and as a collaboration between Alla ska kunna bo kvar and Allt åt alla Uppsala. Together, we hope that flytträkningar.se will give tenants tools to defend thomeselves against unfounded moving out bills and to stop property owners from profiting from ignorance and fear.

Background

The idea for flytträkning.se came from a series of meetings with tenants who received and paid unfair moving out bills. These people had received bills they did not understand and which they all too often paid, even though they did not agree with the reasoning. The fear of getting further charges meant that many thought they would be better safe than sorry, so they paid. The fear and uncertainty that came from the moving out bills was further exacerbated by a lack of information about what rights you have as a tenant and what can be considered normal wear and tear or an approved moving out clean. In total, tenants had to pay large sums for things that the property owners are actually supposed to pay for.

Two things stood out with this type of moving out bill. First, they seemed to be used in a systematic way by property owners in several areas of Uppsala. When talking to residents, there were many indicators that unfair moving out bills were more of a rule than an exception for accommodation with several of Uppsala's landlords. Secondly, the bills proved to be relatively easy to oppose if tenants had a basic grasp of their rights and knew how to oppose the charges. Our experience is that property owners often drop the bills or significantly reduce the amount they demanded just after one or two emails.

The reluctance of the property owners to back up their demands or take the bills to the rent tribunal strengthened our impression that these moving out bills were sent at random - meaning that these bills were not sent because the property owners were right but because they could get the money regardless. We also heard a number of stories that demonstrated the landlords' cynical approach to moving out bills. A telling example came from a tenant who received an invoice for a moving out cleaning that the tenant could confirm via the cleaning company was never carried out.

With this context, it was clear to us that tenants needed to be informed of their rights and given tools to protect thomeselves against unfair moving out bills. We also saw the creation of a visible and accessible information portal on moving out bills as an important political counterweight to property owners' advancment of their positions on this issue.

Our beliefs

We believe that the practice of sending unfounded and unreasonable moving out bills is a way for property owners to offload costs and responsibilities to tenants. People have the right to live in and use their residences. Property owners have the task of managing and taking care of the buildings they own and make money from renting out. When property owners try to shift the costs of maintaining the apartments they own, they shift the balance of power in an already unequal housing market.

In a situation where you become liable for payment for using the property you rent, this soon ceases to fulfill the role of a home in any real sense. For many, the housing situation is already characterized by great insecurity. The possibility of staying in your place of residence is often uncertain or threatened, the cost of housing is considerable, and the power over your own home and home area is limited. When even living in your own home is associated with the risk of having to pay, the housing situation for tenants worsens further, above all for those who are already most vulnerable.

Our position is obvious. A safe home is a right. Everyone should be able to afford to live the way they want, in the place they want, in a way they have influence over. Our view is that the landlords' financial interests are in direct opposition to the residents' interests and rights.

We therefore see it as politically crucial to strengthen the rights of residents and stop the landlords' attempts to advance their positions. Flytträkningar.se will always primarily be about helping individual residents to dispute unfair bills in connection with moving out. At the same time, we hope that the information portal alongside work with people who suffer from unfair charges can shed light on unfair billing and push back against the systematic use of moving out bills. We want property owners to be forced to take responsibility for their properties and stop their attempts to persuade residents to pay for normal wear and tear or adequate cleaning when moving out.