Home adaptations in Umeå: how tenants apply for a grant

You can apply for a housing adaptation grant in Umeå even if you rent your home. If you have a lasting disability and need changes to fixed features of your permanent home, apply to Umeå Municipality. You need a certificate supporting the need and the property owner's consent to the work. The municipality then decides whether the work qualifies; renting does not itself disqualify you.

Housing adaptation Umeå: what can the grant cover?

The grant concerns fixed features in or adjacent to your home: things you would normally leave behind when you move. The aim might be to make it easier to enter and leave, move around indoors, wash, cook, eat or sleep. Explain not only the modification you want but the daily task you cannot manage. If a simpler assistive device solves the problem, that option generally takes priority.

The grant is personal and relates to the home where you normally live permanently. It is not a general renovation grant. Ordinary maintenance and loose items, such as furniture or a washing machine, are not covered. The municipality only awards grants for reasonable costs of approved work, so there is no universal amount you can calculate in advance. A temporary impairment does not meet the municipality's criterion of a lasting need.

Housing adaptation Umeå in a rental flat: get consent

Even if you apply for the grant yourself, the property owner must approve the adaptation. This applies to work inside the rental flat and outside it, for example in areas belonging to the building. Contact your landlord early. Show what you propose to change, where and why. Obtain the consent required by the municipality rather than assuming that a grant will be available.

The municipality's paper application has a separate field for the property owner's signature. The form also states that the applicant need not restore the specific adaptations covered by the application and that the rent will not increase because of them. Read carefully what the owner is asked to sign. If you do not know who owns the building, ask your landlord who can give valid consent. In some cases, with your agreement, a landlord can take over your right to a grant for work in shared areas; ask the municipal case officer before choosing that route.

How to apply

1. Describe the difficulty at home. Write down which daily task you cannot perform and where the obstacle lies. If you are looking for a new rental home, check its entrance, changes in floor level and layout against your needs first.
2. Contact the Housing Adaptation office, home healthcare service or local health centre. Umeå Municipality recommends getting in touch as you start planning so that you can understand your options.
3. Obtain a certificate. An occupational therapist, doctor or another qualified professional must confirm that the proposed adaptation is necessary because of your disability. Without this certificate your application is incomplete under the municipality's service declaration.
4. Talk to the property owner. Obtain consent for the particular measures, both indoors and outdoors if your application concerns both. Describe the work clearly so that you agree on what is being approved.
5. Submit the application. Umeå Municipality offers an online service using BankID; attach the certificate. Alternatively, use the paper form and send it with the certificate to the Housing Adaptation office. A sketch or drawing and a contractor's quotation can help explain the proposed work and may be attached.

A case officer will review the requested changes with you. The time until a decision varies with the scope of the case; do not plan around a fixed waiting period. If your application is rejected, you can appeal and seek judicial review. For questions about the documents, the Housing Adaptation office can be reached at 090-16 23 06 or bab@umea.se. Check the municipality's current contact details and application methods when you are ready to apply.

If you plan to move instead

An already accessible home may be better than trying to alter a home with major obstacles. The municipality says that grants after a move are restricted: no grant is awarded if the new home is clearly unsuitable for your disability. Size, layout, number of floors and changes in floor level may matter. Ask the Housing Adaptation office before committing to a flat that would need substantial changes. A separate guide to finding an accessible rental is about choosing a home; this guide is about applying for a grant to alter a home where you live or hope to live.

Fact-checking: Umeå Municipality's information about housing adaptation grants, application form and Housing Adaptation service declaration. Ask the municipality for an assessment of your own circumstances.