2024-07-25 14:12:37
When Lavanya * returned to the room she rented in her landlord’s house in Brønshøj on the outskirts of Copenhagen, something was wrong.
His belongings were not arranged in the way he left them.
It is not the first time that the owner of Lavanya has apparently been in her room – or otherwise made unusual requests – since she arrived from Bangladesh to study at the University of Southern Denmark in 2021.
In addition to intrusions into her room, Lavanya is also authorized to stay in the room or pretend to be a “friend” when, for example, a midwife visits after the housekeeper’s wife has given birth.
That’s because her landlord may or may not properly register Lavanya as a tenant – meaning she has to create false pretenses for being in the apartment.
What can an international student do? Who can you complain to? As an anonymous tenant, whose landlord does not want to register with the Danish authorities, your options are slim.
Lavanya however registered with the Copenhagen authorities, just at a different address.
While the undeclared rental room is in Brønshøj, it is officially registered at the address in Østerbro. Cause? The need to obtain a Danish personal registration number (CPR).
A CPR number – the Danish equivalent of a social security number – is required to access the Danish health system, open a bank account, get a mobile phone plan, attend Danish language classes, and use the MobilePay payment application.
Importantly, it is also required for tax registration and to receive a salary, so international students in Denmark need it so they have the right to work.
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But the lack of housing in Copenhagen makes getting one difficult for many.
The CPR number is linked to the address where you live legally. Without securing a place to stay, you cannot apply for a CPR number. Without it, you are not allowed to work legally in Denmark, which is important for many incoming South Asian students looking to finance their stay to complete their university degrees.
“Many new arrivals do not understand the importance of the CPR number because we do not have this concept in our country,” said Saiful Azim, a Bangladeshi working as a researcher at the University of Copenhagen.
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Navigating alone into the Danish bureaucratic forest as a newcomer to Denmark in 2017, Azim started a period dedicated to guiding and sharing advice to help incoming Bangladeshi students through Facebook groups.
“Around 2021, many new students arrive, and topics change to selling and buying CPR addresses. It became annoying. Despite the understanding that it is illegal, people are desperate because of the housing crisis and stay in care. I tried to convince them, made several posts, but they didn’t appreciate them and argued with me. I let him go,” he said.
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An examination of the Facebook group “Bangladeshi Students Group in Denmark” shows that numerous profiles, often anonymous or behind a fake account, offer their own addresses as a place to register students for a monthly fee.
Students pay for this to have access to a CPR number while living at another unregistered address, which for various reasons would not be considered a legal residence to stay at by a municipality.
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Facebook posts often mention “CPR for sale,” meaning the address for CPR registration is available for a fee.
“Selling CPR addresses is unfortunately common among South Asians, especially Bangladeshis and Nepalese,” Azim said, adding that many providing and buying the service are unaware that it is illegal.
As a non-EU country, Lavanya is liable for tuition fees of some 32,600 kroner per semester. As the housing crisis continues, apartments that require a deposit of three months’ rent in advance are not an option for him without a job.
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He sits on a room in a shared house in Brønshøj at a price of 2,200 kroner per month. You bring enough money to cover rent, utilities and living expenses for three months. It wasn’t until Lavanya was about to board the plane to Denmark that her soon-to-be landlord said she needed to find another address for CPR registration.
There can be many reasons why a landlord may not want to register tenants legally: it may affect the choice of social welfare, they may not want to pay taxes or they may rent to more people, which may also affect welfare eligibility. In some cases, properties are only approved for commercial, rather than residential use.
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“My CPR is 600 krone,” said Lavanya.
“When I have mail to deliver, I have to travel to Østerbro. It is half an hour by train and bus. I have classes and work, and he [the person who she paid for CPR registration in Østerbro, ed.] still have work, so it takes time and sometimes it’s impossible to combine,” he said.
According to the CPR registration centeryou can’t legally add addresses to the CPR register if you don’t actually live there. Home certification for CPR registration provided by the city of Copenhagen refers to paragraph 57 of the CPR law, section 1, section 5, which states that a landlord providing false information is liable to a fine.
A spokesperson for the Copenhagen Police told the Community that they are not aware of any illegal plan to sell addresses for a CPR number and they do not consider whether the law says that the landlord and / or tenant is at fault and what they can be charged under .
Bjarke Dalsgaard Madsen, police chief investigating the economic crime unit in Copenhagen, said that the police will investigate the matter if the resident reports it.
“There’s something infuriating about it [the scheme, ed.] because he takes advantage of others’ vulnerable situation,” he said.
Are you an international student in Copenhagen? Have you paid for a CPR address registration? If so, we want to hear about your experiences. Contact here.
*Lavanya is not her real name. You agree to contribute to the article anonymously and no longer live in Denmark. The authors know his true identity.
Additional reporting by Benjamin Nordtømme, Alexander Maxia (Nordljud), Maya Lagerholm (spionen.se), Jazz Munteanu (spionen.se). This article was developed thanks to the cooperation between Northern Sound we had Spyon.se with the support of European news magazine.
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