Frequently asked questions: Student housing
Find answers to frequently asked questions about such things as the application, resident permit bank account for international students, rent, Internet +++
About the resident permit bank account for international students
Frequently asked questions about the resident permit bank account for international students.
Yes, you can transfer in Dollars and Euro. You need to find the amount UDI gives you in NOK to Dollar or Euro, yourself.
International students must have money in a Norwegian bank account to apply for a student visa in Norway. SSN offers this service to international students, as it has proven difficult for international students to open a Norwegian bank account prior to receiving a D-number (which is given after the resident permit is granted).
For transferring the money, you need our bank address, IBAN and BIC / SWIFT:
Name of Bank: Sparebank 1 Sørøst-Norge (BV)
Bank address: Torvet 5, 3120 Nøtterøy
Account number: 2480 27 91131
Iban number: NO85 2480 27 91131
BIC / SWIFT code: SPTRNO22
Account owner: Studentsamskipnaden i Sorost-Norge
Owners address: Raveien 189 B, 3184 Borre, Norway
Account title: Account foreign students
Please find the Residence permit bank account slip here.
Read more about the bank account for international students.
Yes, if you are not coming to Norway, you need to inform us in an email to: [email protected]
We will need some information before we can transfer the money back to you.
You can contact UDI and ask if you need to transfer more money to SSN's account. If you need to transfer more money to SSN's account, write an email to [email protected] and let us know that you are transferring a new amount to us.
Yes, someone else can do the money transfer on your behalf.
What you as a student needs to do:
Write the correct name in the document in the section called "This person is transferring the amount on my behalf".
What the person transferring on your behalf needs to do:
Write your name (the students name) on the transfer.
You can transfer the amount in differents parts. If you do so it's important that you let us know how many parts you are transferring when you send us the reply slip.
You will get a confirmation of received payment when the full amount of money is transferred.
Yes, you can transfer more than the given amount.
Go to SSN’s service desk at your campus. There you need to sign a form with your new account information. Please remember to bring your ID.
It will take about 10 days before the money is transferred to your private account, so remember to have money available to use these days (in addition to what you have on the card).
When opening an account in a Norwegian bank as a foreign customer, there are several questions to answer in a electronic form before you get an invitation to visit the bank.
We have made a list of all the things you will be asked, so that you can prepare. Check out the list here.
Applying for student housing
Frequently asked questions about the application and waiting list.
Apply as early as possible!
There is no deadline for applying, but we recommend that you apply for accommodation as soon you have applied for admission at an educational institution associated with SSN: the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), the Norwegian Police University College in Stavern, Fagskolen in Viken (Kongsberg), Fagskolen in Vestfold and Telemark or Folkeuniversitetet avd. Sandefjord. This is in order to enter the waiting list as early as possible.
This is how you apply for student housing.
Applications are processed continuously
Applications sent during term will be processed as they come in, and accommodation units that have been vacated will be offered to others as soon as they are ready.
In August, we normally do not have any vacant units, but throughout the months of June and July, many residents move out. If you apply for housing and enter a date for moving in during one of these months, you are more likely to receive your preferred unit.
If you are already a resident with us and want to change housing units, you are on the top of our priority list throughout the year except term start (January and August).
Priority applicants are students at one of USN's eight campuses, in addition to students at Fagskolen i Viken, Kongsberg, Fagskolen i Vestfold and Telemark, Folkeuniversitetet avd. Sandefjord and Stavern Police College. Other students and apprentices are also welcome to apply. All applicants must be over 18 years of age.
You may read the allocation criteria for student housing with SSN here.
You apply for student housing with SSN by logging in or creating a user on My page. Then you go through our Housing Selector and select your favorites. Your favorites are going with you to My page, where you fill out the application form.
Yes, we would like to arrange for friends to live in the same collective, so-called friend collective. You can either share the kitchen and bathroom, or have your own bathroom but share the kitchen. Either way, you get your own room.
If you are friends who want to live together, it is important that you apply for student housing with us BEFORE 1 May. Do the following when applying:
All the friends (who are all students) must submit their own housing application on My page on the property you want to live in together. The student housing building must either have the housing types single unit with private bathroom and shared kitchen or single unit with shared bathroom and kitchen. Here you can read more about our types of housing.
Write in the free text field in the application form who you want to live with and that you hope for a friend collective.
One of you must also send an e-mail to [email protected], with information that there are two or more of you who want to live together.
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that your wish will be fulfilled, but we will do our best to make arrangements!
No, we do not require a deposit when you become a tenant in our student accommodation. That is one of the advantages of choosing student housing! Here you can read more about the benefits of living in student housing:)
Only applicants that receive offers for housing will receive a reply on My page.
Are you an international student wondering if you are allocated student housing on the basis of housing guarantee? Read about the allocation to international students here.
Since we allocate housing units on an ongoing basis, we do not reject applications. You will therefore be on the waiting list with us until:
You are allocated a student housing with us, or
It has been 60 days since you registered or last extended your application.
If you have not been allocated housing, and have not extended your application after 60 days, your application will be removed from the waiting list. Why do I have to extend my application?
We work as fast as we can to allocate housing, and will give you an answer as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your patience ❤️
Everyone who applies for student housing with SSN will be placed on a waiting list.
Unfortunately, it is hard for us to say much about your number on our waiting list or how long it will take until we have accommodation to offer you. Some applicants have priority over others for different reasons.
Those who have already applied for a unit are welcome to make changes to their application at any given moment. This results in continuous changes in the waiting list. We send out offers of accommodation consecutively, and there are always some who refuse their offer. When this happens, an offer is immediately sent out to the next person on the list. This means that there is no deadline or specific point in time when we can send offers of accommodation.
Tip:
If you have not added more options to your application (e.g. other housing areas on the same campus or other housing types on the same property that you have already applied for), but wish to change this, you can go to My Page at any time and add more options to your application. This way you might receive an offer sooner.
If you first receive an offer for a housing type that is not your "dream unit", you can submit a new application for the latter. Move in to the unit that was offered to you, and you will and get an offer to move as soon as something becomes available from your top priority.
Read more about changing student housing unit.
If you have questions regarding your application, you are always welcome to contact us.
You can choose between five different housing types among SSN's student housing:
Single unit with private bathroom and kitchen
Single unit with private bathroom and shared kitchen
Single unit with shared bathroom and kitchen
Couples apartment
Family apartment
We also have housing that are adapted for disabilities, let us know in the comments field in the application what adaptations/facilitation you need. Read more about facilitation for disabilities here.
Yes you can!
Log in to My page and go to My applications. Here you can choose to change the application in question. For example, you can add more options and increase your chances of being allocated student housing.
Extending the application
If you end up being on the waiting list for student housing at SSN for a long time, and still want an offer from us, you must extend your application to avoid it being deleted.
You will remain on SSN's waiting list until:
1. You have been allocated a housing unit.
2. It has been 60 days since you registered or last extended your application.
The reason why we have to delete applications that have not been extended after 60 days is simply to keep our lists updated. This way we can adjust the waiting lists automatically, and applicants who no longer need housing (and who have not remembered to delete their application) no longer take up space in the waiting list.
This also applies if you have applied to change from one SSN housing unit to another, and may be waiting for the "right" student housing unit to become available.
To extend your application:
You can easily extend your application on My Page and My applications. This can be done when 15 days or less remains before the "delete date". You will receive a reminder 15 days before the "delete date" and have plenty of time to extend.
The application can be extended as many times as you wish until you are allocated a housing unit.
Sign within three days
When you are allocated a student housings unit, you will receive an allocation letter and a tenancy agreement by e-mail. You have three - 3 - days to sign and return the agreement to us.
You may sign the contract in the following ways:
Sign with electronic bank ID (this requires a Norwegian social security number).
If you are not able to sign with electronic bank ID:
Print the contract, sign it by hand and send by mail.
Print the contract, sign it, scan the signed contract and send it by email.
If you have booked a housing unit with SSN, but are not admitted to studies by USN, you can be released from the contract by cancelling it before 31 July.
Read more about cancelling of lease here.
Note! For international students who are in Norway through an exchange program, leases
cannot be terminated. Please read section 4 in your signed contract thoroughly to see what is valid for you.
Yes, at some of our properties it is possible to rent a parking space. You can read more about parking at your student housing by checking out Our housing and Parking at the desired property.
To apply for the rental of a parking space, you must initially have a lease with us. You apply via My Page by going to My Tenancy and Apply for additional products". If there is a space available, you will receive an offer to rent from us, if not, you will be placed on a waiting list.
See the price list for prices for renting a parking space.
If you have not been allocated housing yet, but wish to apply for a parking space, you can contact us and we will help you.
Be prioritized in the queue
When you are already a resident with us, you will be prioritized on the waiting list if you apply to change housing unit. This can be a good solution if you don't feel comfortable in the housing unit you currently live in. Apply to change residence via My page.
NB. This information is valid for international students only.
We understand that you are eager to know if you will be granted a student housing unit with SSN. Still, we kindly must ask you to wait until these deadlines by contacting us for questions about the allocation of student housing:
For the spring term: 25 May
For the fall term: 1 November
After these dates we receive information from USN about who gets a housing guarantee and we will allocate units from this list.
You can expect a reply to your housing application from us after these dates.
There are a certain number of housing units available for international students that apply before 1 May. Whether or not you are guaranteed housing depends on how many applications there are for that semester. Some campuses have more available housing than others. Also keep in mind when applying that some types of housing units will fill up quicker than others, and it can be a good idea to apply for more than one if possible. You can update your application with more alternatives on My page.
We remind you that you need to have applied for student housing with the same name, email address and phone number as you registered with at USN.
If you have a specific desire about the student housing, please go to My page and register a comment at your existing application.
You create a user on My Page yourself.
On My Page, you can apply for student housing and health expence refund. This is also where you report faults and deficiencies in your student housing, or report noise etc. This is also where those of you with a key card can change the PIN code to your card, or even lock yourself in digitally with My keycard.
You will also find an overview of your tenancy, such as an invoice for rent and you can apply for additional services such as storage or parking space. You see an overview of ongoing and previous applications.
Remember to update your contact information on My Page, for example if you change your telephone number or get a new e-mail address. It is important that your contact information is up to date, so that we as the lessor can get in touch with you. We usually use e-mail or SMS when we send you information.
About rent
Frequently asked questions about rent and payment.
SSNs bank account number is: 2480 27 91050
Do you need to pay the rent from an international bank account? Find the information you need here.
SSN offers electronic invoice (Vipps) and direct debit as payment solutions
With electronic invoice (eFaktura in Norwegian) or direct debit, you receive the invoice directly into your online bank. You can establish one of these payment forms with us in your online bank. To create an agreement with us, you need a reference number, which is your customer number. We encourage everyone to use electronic invoice or direct debit.
If you have an electronic invoice agreement with us, you can go to your Vipps and choose «alltid Vipps eFaktura». The invoice will then turn up in Vipps and can be paid there.
You can also receive the invoice by e-mail, and it will always be avaliable on My page. You are responsible for contacting [email protected] if you have not received the invoice.
Pay on behalf of others
Payment on behalf of others must be marked with name or customer number in the message field. Electronic invoice or direct debit agreement does not work if you wish to pay repeatedly on behalf of others.
For paying the rent, you need our bank address, IBAN and BIC / SWIFT:
Name of Bank: Sparebank 1 Sørøst-Norge (BV)
Bank address: Torvet 5, 3120 Nøtterøy
Account number: 2480 27 91050
IBAN number: NO41 2480 27 91050
BIC / SWIFT code: SPTRNO22
Account owner: Studentsamskipnaden i Sorost-Norge
Owners address: Raveien 189 B, 3184 Borre, Norway
Account title: Daily bank account SSN
Identify which invoice you are paying
NB! Remember to identify the invoice you are transferring money for in the note field! Simply note the invoice number (fakturanummer).
The rent is due on the 1st of each month
The rent invoice is due on the 1st of each month and is paid in advance. You are responsible for paying rent - not received incoice does not give an exemption from payment.
Rent for the first month is paid in advance before moving in. From the following month after moving in, the rent is due as normal.
You will be invoiced from the start of the contract (even if you for various reasons have not moved in on the date your contract started).
Please contact us if there is a month when you have difficulty in paying by the deadline: [email protected]. You can also contact us if you have general payment problems so that we can try to find a solution to the problem together.
We offer free economical counselling for our students. Just book
Reminder with reminder fee
In the event of late payment of rent and other invoices from SSN, you will receive a reminder with a reminder fee (“Varsel/Betalingsvarsel” in Norwegian) from the debt collection company Sergel or to Lowell (formerly Intrum Justitia). Invoices reminders are emailed to the tenant's address with us.
Debt Collection
If you still do not pay, the case will go to debt collection (“inkasso” in Norwegian) with the debt collection company, and interest and fees will continue to increase until the invoice is paid.
Upon receiving a collection notice, inquiries should be directed to Sergel or to Lowell (formerly Intrum Justitia).
Payment remark
If invoices are not paid after they have been collected, you can receive a payment remark. A payment remark can lead to you not being able to take out a loan in the bank if you apply for a mortgage or similar in the future.
Notice of forced waiver (eviction)
In the case of two (2) unpaid invoices from SSN, you will receive a notice of forced eviction from the housing unit (eviction), ref. § 14 in the rental contract.
If you have still not paid the amount due, the case will be sent to the execution and enforcement commissioner for a request for a compulsory deviation. Treatment, follow-up and implementation by the execution and enforcement commissioner will trigger court fees.
SSN offers free financial advice to students - read more and book an appointment today.
If you have paid too much rent, you have two options:
Get the excess amount paid out to your account. Enter your account number in your profile on My Page.
Transfer the amount to next month's rent. Send us a message with this request and we will take care of it!
Free financial advice
We can not help you pay your rent, but we are happy to help you get your finances in order, so that you are equipped to pay your rent on time 😉
Book an appointment for half-hour free financial advice with us!
You can request a deferral of payment if you are experiencing a tough month.
Rent invoice when changing housings unit:
Rent invoice for your new unit was sent to you when you signed the contract for it.
If the invoice for the month you are moving, has been sent, you will receive a credit note for the unit you are moving out from.
If you have already paid the invoice for the month for which you received the credit note, you have two options:
1. Get your credit note paid back to you. Send your account number to [email protected].
2. Link the payment you have made to the new invoice you have received for the unit you are moving to. If you want this, send an e-mail to [email protected].
The rent includes electricity, janitor services and internet (free additional service via USN).
All dorms and apartments have a lot of fixed equipment, such as white goods, bed, wardrobe ++, but there are also some things you need to bring yourself.
Read about what you should bring.
In the student housing where there is a shared laundry with appwash, you pay per wash/dry, while in most of our accommodation in Porsgrunn, Bø (not Campus Bø Student housing), Notodden and on Rauland it is free to use the shared laundry room.
You can find out what kind of laundry solution there is where you are staying under Communal laundry/laundry room on the page for the residential area.
International students must have money in a Norwegian bank account to apply for a student visa in Norway. SSN offers this service to international students, as it has proven difficult for international students to open a Norwegian bank account prior to receiving a D-number (which is given after the resident permit is granted).
For transferring the money, you need our bank address, IBAN and BIC / SWIFT:
Name of Bank: Sparebank 1 Sørøst-Norge (BV)
Bank address: Torvet 5, 3120 Nøtterøy
Account number: 2480 27 91131
Iban number: NO85 2480 27 91131
BIC / SWIFT code: SPTRNO22
Account owner: Studentsamskipnaden i Sorost-Norge
Owners address: Raveien 189 B, 3184 Borre, Norway
Account title: Account foreign students
Please find the Residence permit bank account slip here.
Read more about the bank account for international students.
About the internet in student housing
Frequently asked questions about internet, wifi/wireless network, routers, key cards, My page.
You will find information about the network connection in your student housing by clicking into the correct property (where you live) under Our student housing. Scroll to Internet in the list.
In the event of connection problems, you can restart the router yourself.
Still no internet-connection? Our Technology department can assist you, send in your support inquiry via our contact form.
The vast majority of our housings are connected to the University's network, and the internet is a free additional service.
On the info page for your student housing, you can see what kind of connection you have in your housing unit.
Go to Our student housing and find the student accommodation you (will) live in. Here you scroll down to the internet tabs to see what is available. You can also log in to My page and go to My tenancy to see which networks you have access to.
All networks that are available to you in your student accommodation can be found on My page under "Internet".
The Eduroam network is provided by USN, and it has some limitations. USN can answer questions about Eduroam: [email protected]
The SP network is a private network that only you use and it has no restrictions. In addition you can use a wired network.
You are probably not able to use Discord or play computer games because you are on the Eduroam network. Eduroam is a school network with some restrictions. In your student accommodation, you also have access to the SP network, which is your personal network and without restrictions. In addition, you can use the wired network.
No.
Unfortunately, there is no streaming service or subscription linked to the TVs in the common rooms. You must have a subscription yourself, but you can of course use the TV as a screen.
If an HDMI cable is missing for the screen in your common room, you can contact the janitor via My page (enter Error/damage) to get a new one :)
If a router is deployed in your dorm, it will either be fixed to the wall, or lie on the floor near a data outlet.
To find the password for your network, you must log in to My page. Under the Internet tab, you will find the password for your network.
To log in to Eduroam, you must use your Feide account (student email and password).
If you want to do a restart of your router, you must log in to My page and go to the internet tab. There you get the opportunity to reboot and change your password.
As long as there is a router with ports for cable or data outlets in the wall, it will be possible to connect to the wired network. More info can be found under Internet on the page for your student housing under Our student housing.
If you live in an SSN student housing with a key card, you can use My key card in the app or on My page via a web browser to open all the doors you have access to in your tenancy.
When you create your user account in the Student Sørøst app, you must use the same email address that you are registered with on SSN's My page. This is important for linking you to your tenancy so that you have access to unlock doors.
In the app, do the following:
Go to the Student Housing service.
Sign in with your My Page account if you are not already signed in.
Go to My Tenancy -> My Keycard.
Under My key card you will see all the doors you can open.
Press Open on the door you want to open.
The door will open!
PS. Remember to take your key card with you when you leave your apartment. If the app or My page is down or you do not have an internet connection, My key card will not work.
Some dorms have the network equipment supplied by us, while others don't.
Select your building under Our student housing and check under Internet to see what applies where you live/will live.
You can log in via My page under My key card or via the Student Sørøst app under Student housing and My key card.
Yes. Always take your key card with you when you leave your room! This is due to technical errors that can occur so that you cannot open the door via browser or app. Better to be safe than sorry :)
Place the key card on the card reader until you hear a beep and the card reader flashes green. Then enter your PIN without the key card in your hand or near the card reader. After the PIN code has been entered, the door will be unlocked.
Check that you enter the correct email address and password. If you get an error message that says "Your password is incorrect" or "We can't seem to find your account", it may indicate that you are entering the wrong password or email address. You can reset your password by pressing "Forgotten password ” at the login page.
Remember! The Feide account you have via USN is not the same as the one you log in with at SSN. You must create your own user account with us. After you have created a user account with us, you will receive an e-mail in which you must set a password in order to log in.
Just to make things a bit more confusing: The user account at SSN's My page can also be used to log into the Student Sørøst app with :)
You create a user on My Page yourself.
On My Page, you can apply for student housing and health expence refund. This is also where you report faults and deficiencies in your student housing, or report noise etc. This is also where those of you with a key card can change the PIN code to your card, or even lock yourself in digitally with My keycard.
You will also find an overview of your tenancy, such as an invoice for rent and you can apply for additional services such as storage or parking space. You see an overview of ongoing and previous applications.
Remember to update your contact information on My Page, for example if you change your telephone number or get a new e-mail address. It is important that your contact information is up to date, so that we as the lessor can get in touch with you. We usually use e-mail or SMS when we send you information.
Mino is the solution SSN uses to manage the network. As a resident, you do not have to deal with this.
Moving into student housing
Frequently asked questions about moving into SSN´s student housing.
The vast majority of our housings are connected to the University's network, and the internet is a free additional service.
On the info page for your student housing, you can see what kind of connection you have in your housing unit.
The rent includes electricity, janitor services and internet (free additional service via USN).
All dorms and apartments have a lot of fixed equipment, such as white goods, bed, wardrobe ++, but there are also some things you need to bring yourself.
Read about what you should bring.
In the student housing where there is a shared laundry with appwash, you pay per wash/dry, while in most of our accommodation in Porsgrunn, Bø (not Campus Bø Student housing), Notodden and on Rauland it is free to use the shared laundry room.
You can find out what kind of laundry solution there is where you are staying under Communal laundry/laundry room on the page for the residential area.
🧳In addition to clothing and personal belongings, you may want to bring:
Pillow, duvet, towels and bed-clothing
Plates, cups etc. and cutlery
Pots, pans and other kitchen equipment
Bucket, brush, cloths, for use in own accommodation and shared kitchen/bathroom
Removing furniture from the residence is not permitted, but you may bring additional furniture if there is room for it.
Read more: What to bring?
🛌Buy bed linen package:
We can provide a bed linen package for you. The package contains:
1 duvet
1 duvet cover
1 pillow
1 pillow cover
1 sheet
2 towels, one small and one large
See the price list for current price of bed linen package.
📦Get a bed linen package delivered to your dorm room:
Please let us know if you would like to buy this package before your arrival, so we can deliver this to your room.
You can pick up the key either from SSN's office on campus or you can lock yourself in via the app if it is a key card and not a physical key at your student accommodation.
If the app is down, you can unlock yourself via My Page on ssn.no.
If it is My Page that is down, you should use your physical key card.
If you don't have a key card and need help with locking in, there are several options:
Use your mobile phone as a key!
Many of our student housing units have a key card lock system. If you rent a unit with key card system, you can easily lock yourself in via "My key card" on My page (both via browser and in the Student Sørøst app). Here you have the opportunity to unlock all the doors you have access to through your lease with SSN. This is also a feature you can use to open the door when having guests.
We still recommend that you always bring your key card when you leave your housing unit. Opening from the web will not work if the internet in the building or My page is down.
Report any defects immediately
If you discover faults or defects in your housing unit or common areas, please report them here in our contact form or on My page as soon as possible.
Read more about reporting damages and defects.
Critical errors or omissions?
In an emergency situation where the deficiencies is critical for the building or its occupants, please call SSN's emergency number 31 00 95 00.
In case of an accident, fire or other emergency, call the emergency numbers:
Fire: 110
Police: 112
Ambulance: 113
Emergency room: 116 117
Thank you for helping us!
You will find information about the network connection in your student housing by clicking into the correct property (where you live) under Our student housing. Scroll to Internet in the list.
In the event of connection problems, you can restart the router yourself.
Still no internet-connection? Our Technology department can assist you, send in your support inquiry via our contact form.
Yes, you need contents insurance 😉
You should provide a contents insurance when moving in to your own place, including student housing.
SSN as a lessor is responsible for keeping our buildings and our equipment insured, but you must ensure that you insure your personal assets, as these are not covered through SSN's insurance.
First of all: check if you are covered by your parents' insurance, before you take out your own contents insurance.
Why contents insurance?
Should unforeseen events such as a fire, water damage, burglary of your home or shed occur, this can lead to expenses and losses for you as a resident. You can use the contents insurance to limit your own financial loss in such cases. If you do not have contents insurance, you will have to pay for such extra expenses yourself. It can be expenses for temporary residence if your home becomes uninhabitable, or expenses for clothes, books, bicycles, PCs, etc. that you need on a daily basis.
Yes! Many student housing areas have a swap shelf or even a swap room. Here you can find used items for your dorm or drop off items you don't need yourself.
Read more about the swap shelves and find out if there's one where you live.
Find information at the info page for your student housing
Information about parking in connection with your residential area can be found under "Parking" at Our student housing (choose the residence you live at).
At some of our properties it is possible to rent a parking space. To apply for a parking space, you must initially have a lease with us. You apply via My page by going to My tenancy and "Apply for additional products". You may read more about rental of parking space here.
It is important that you park only in marked parking spaces and not in front of entrances or in the roadway where it may block snowmobiles or emergency vehicles. Incorrectly parked cars may be removed without notice.
It is well organised for the use of bicycles at USN's campuses.
Read about parking at USN by clicking further into your campus and selecting "How to get to campus".
Yes, at some of our properties it is possible to rent a parking space. You can read more about parking at your student housing by checking out Our housing and Parking at the desired property.
To apply for the rental of a parking space, you must initially have a lease with us. You apply via My Page by going to My Tenancy and Apply for additional products". If there is a space available, you will receive an offer to rent from us, if not, you will be placed on a waiting list.
See the price list for prices for renting a parking space.
If you have not been allocated housing yet, but wish to apply for a parking space, you can contact us and we will help you.
The welfare hosts have a number of different tasks, which you can read about HERE.
The welfare host is connecting SSN and the resident. As a resident you can find contact information to your welfare host at My page under My tenancy or in the Student Sørøst app.
The welfare hosts does not allocate student housing and has nothing to do with the application process. Are you wondering how to apply for student accommodation? Read How to apply!
If you still have questions, you are always welcome to contact us!
We offer short-term rentals for distance learning students at Notodden and Grivi in Bø.
Short-term rent means renting a housing unit with us for a very limited period of time, such as a week while you are at a gathering. If you want to rent student housing with us from, for example, January to June, this is not considered a short-term rental.
You apply for short-term rent on My page.
You create a user on My Page yourself.
On My Page, you can apply for student housing and health expence refund. This is also where you report faults and deficiencies in your student housing, or report noise etc. This is also where those of you with a key card can change the PIN code to your card, or even lock yourself in digitally with My keycard.
You will also find an overview of your tenancy, such as an invoice for rent and you can apply for additional services such as storage or parking space. You see an overview of ongoing and previous applications.
Remember to update your contact information on My Page, for example if you change your telephone number or get a new e-mail address. It is important that your contact information is up to date, so that we as the lessor can get in touch with you. We usually use e-mail or SMS when we send you information.
International students must have money in a Norwegian bank account to apply for a student visa in Norway. SSN offers this service to international students, as it has proven difficult for international students to open a Norwegian bank account prior to receiving a D-number (which is given after the resident permit is granted).
For transferring the money, you need our bank address, IBAN and BIC / SWIFT:
Name of Bank: Sparebank 1 Sørøst-Norge (BV)
Bank address: Torvet 5, 3120 Nøtterøy
Account number: 2480 27 91131
Iban number: NO85 2480 27 91131
BIC / SWIFT code: SPTRNO22
Account owner: Studentsamskipnaden i Sorost-Norge
Owners address: Raveien 189 B, 3184 Borre, Norway
Account title: Account foreign students
Please find the Residence permit bank account slip here.
Read more about the bank account for international students.
About living in student housing
Frequently asked questions about living in student housing with SSN.
If the app is down, you can unlock yourself via My Page on ssn.no.
If it is My Page that is down, you should use your physical key card.
If you don't have a key card and need help with locking in, there are several options:
Locked out during daytime
If you lock yourself out, and have a key card for your student housing, you can easily lock yourself in via My key card on My Page or in the app. There you have the opportunity to open all the doors you have access to.
(Opening from the web will not work if the internet on the building is down, so we do not recommend using the mobile as a permanent "key").If you do not have a key card, you can contact your local SSN service office during opening hours.
Alternatively you can contact the welfare host at your student housing between 3pm and 10pm. The service is post-invoiced. The current price can be found in the price list (under "Lock-in daytime janitor/ resident assistant").
Contact information for your welfare host can be found on My page or in the Student Sørøst app under the student housing service and My tenancy.
Locked out in the evening/night/weekend
If you have lost your key/locked yourself out outside of opening hours (or at weekends) and the resident assistant is not available, the security company can be contacted on +47 33 30 75 44. This service has a fee and will be invoiced (check the pricelist for current price).
The security company serves all campuses, except Rauland.
You will find information about the network connection in your student housing by clicking into the correct property (where you live) under Our student housing. Scroll to Internet in the list.
In the event of connection problems, you can restart the router yourself.
Still no internet-connection? Our Technology department can assist you, send in your support inquiry via our contact form.
No.
Unfortunately, there is no streaming service or subscription linked to the TVs in the common rooms. You must have a subscription yourself, but you can of course use the TV as a screen.
If an HDMI cable is missing for the screen in your common room, you can contact the janitor via My page (enter Error/damage) to get a new one :)
Report errors / omissions to the janitor via My Page
We have janitors dedicated to all our student housings, which makes it extra safe and predictable to stay with us. You report messages / errors / defects or your need for repairs to the janitor via My Page, and the operations department will correct errors / defects within two days.
The operations department replaces light bulbs in all common rooms such as TV rooms, common kitchens, hallways and basement rooms. In your own unit, you report it to the janitor yourself if you need light bulbs (via My Page). If problems occur on fluorescent tubes / lighters and special bulbs, a message must also be entered on My page.
Questions about caretaker or cleaning services?
You can contact our operation or cleaning department if you have questions about our caretaker or cleaning services.
Report any defects immediately
If you discover faults or defects in your housing unit or common areas, please report them here in our contact form or on My page as soon as possible.
Read more about reporting damages and defects.
Critical errors or omissions?
In an emergency situation where the deficiencies is critical for the building or its occupants, please call SSN's emergency number 31 00 95 00.
In case of an accident, fire or other emergency, call the emergency numbers:
Fire: 110
Police: 112
Ambulance: 113
Emergency room: 116 117
Thank you for helping us!
Yes :)
Our contracts run until 31 July, and new lease agreements start on 1 August, so if you have agreed to renew your contract, you will keep your student housing over the summer.
If you wish to rent longer than what the agreement stipulates, you are welcome to contact us.
Check your contract
How long you can stay in your student housing depends on the rental period you have stipulated in your contract. You will find your contract on My Page and here you will also find the duration of your lease under §1 and the section "Rental period".
New contract once a year
Our leases run until July 31. If you are a student at the University of Southeast Norway, the Police Academy in Stavern, The Technical School in Viken or the The Technical School in Vestfold and Telemark, you will in April receive an offer for a new lease for your student housing unit.
The offer is valid from 1 August and will be sent to you via e-mail with information about deadlines and what you must do to renew your contract. We ask you to read through the new contract, as changes may have been made (such as a price change).
Read more about the new contract.
There are some criteria you must meet to be offered a new contract:
You must not have unpaid rent at the time your application is processed.
You must not have breached the lease or terminated the contract before it expires.
Why was I not offered a new contract?
The maximum period of residence in SSN's student housing is five years.
Find information at the info page for your student housing
Information about parking in connection with your residential area can be found under "Parking" at Our student housing (choose the residence you live at).
At some of our properties it is possible to rent a parking space. To apply for a parking space, you must initially have a lease with us. You apply via My page by going to My tenancy and "Apply for additional products". You may read more about rental of parking space here.
It is important that you park only in marked parking spaces and not in front of entrances or in the roadway where it may block snowmobiles or emergency vehicles. Incorrectly parked cars may be removed without notice.
It is well organised for the use of bicycles at USN's campuses.
Read about parking at USN by clicking further into your campus and selecting "How to get to campus".
Yes, at some of our properties it is possible to rent a parking space. You can read more about parking at your student housing by checking out Our housing and Parking at the desired property.
To apply for the rental of a parking space, you must initially have a lease with us. You apply via My Page by going to My Tenancy and Apply for additional products". If there is a space available, you will receive an offer to rent from us, if not, you will be placed on a waiting list.
See the price list for prices for renting a parking space.
If you have not been allocated housing yet, but wish to apply for a parking space, you can contact us and we will help you.
Yes! Many student housing areas have a swap shelf or even a swap room. Here you can find used items for your dorm or drop off items you don't need yourself.
Read more about the swap shelves and find out if there's one where you live.
Remember to think about the environment, recycle and sort your waste:
All our student accommodation has eco-friendly waste stations. Make sure you know where your closest one is located and use the marked containers to sort waste correctly.
You will find information about where the rubbish bins are located on the page for your residential area, under "Waste disposal".
Thank you for helping!
Do you want to sublease your student housing? Remember the following:
Sublease is only allowed with written permission from SSN.
The person you sublease to, must be a student affiliated with SSN, either at USN, the Police University College in Stavern, Fagskolen Tinius Olsen (Kongsberg) or Folkeuniversitetet South-East Norway.
You must independently find a suitable tenant who wants to sublet your student accommodation, before you contact us to gain permission.
You are still liable as tenant according to the Tenancy Agreement, even though your accommodation is sublet. As long as your name is on the lease, you are the one SSN will deal with and contact when needed.
The sub-tenant is obliged to read the provisions in section12-3 of the Tenancy Agreement regarding responsibility for the accommodation and payment of rent for subleasing.
You cannot demand a higher rent than you pay yourself.
We recommend that you sign a contract with your sub-tenant.
Questions regarding sublease or permission to do so should be sent to:
[email protected]
For the mail to arrive you need to:
Register your new address.
Mark your new mailbox with the correct address.
Give your contacts your new address.
Check/clear out your mailbox regularly!
Read more about address, change of address and mailbox here.
Yes, you may have visitors:
It is allowed to have overnight guests for up to ten days during the semester.
The tenant must be present during the visit and report to SSN if they have visitors overnight.
It is not allowed to let more people live in the housing unit than what is calculated by SSN.
Quiet between 11 pm (12) and 8 am
According to the housing regulations, residents must not make noise after 23.00 Sunday-Thursday and after 24.00 Friday-Saturday.
If you are bothered by noisy neighbours, you may proceed as follows:
Talk to them and ask them to turn down the music and show consideration for others.
Talk to the welfare host at your building, he/she may be able to help. Contact information to your welfare host is available at My page on desktop or in the app under Student housing/My tenancy.
Send a complaint to SSN – remember to specify time, place and room number.
Call the police – phone: 02800.
After 11:00 pm on weekdays and 12:00 on days before public holidays, and until 08:00, there must be peace in the housing units, as well as on the property in general. This also includes the understanding that one must take into account one's co-tenants' need for peace of mind even during the day.
Our rental contracts are valid for one year at a time, from 1st August to 31st July. Approximately three months before your contract expires, we will send you a new one (around April/May). If you wish to continue living in your student housing unit, you must sign the new contract on My Page within three days of receiving the offer.
Here's how you sign the new contract.
NB! Please read through your new contract carefully before signing, as there may be important changes you need to know about, such as the price.
If you have not received an offer for a new contract, it may be because you no longer meet the allocation criteria.
Learn more about the reasons why you have not been offered a new contract.
To sign your new contract you must first log in to My page. Then, open the link you received on your renewal (an email from SSN), and you will receive an email with a contract for signing.
If you have a Norwegian bank account you can sign the contract electronically, you will receive an email from Signant with the option to sign electronically.
NB! Read through your new contract before you sign it, there might be changes you should know about, such as price.
If you don't have a Norwegian bank account you need to sign your contract manually and send it back to us by answering the email with the signed contract attached.
It is important that you return the signed contract within 3 days of receiving the offer. If we do not receive the signed contract within the deadline, the offer will lapse and the housing will be allocated to someone else.
Offers of new leases to existing residents are sent out once a year (approximately in April/May, which is about three months before the old lease expires on July 31).
To be offered a new lease contract, you must still meet the allocation criteria for student housing. If you have breach of contract, this may be the reason why you have not been offered a new contract.
By breach of contract we mean such as:
Repeated non-payment of rent. If you have paid your debts, you will be offered a new contract.
Repeated violations of the rules of order.
Illegal drug-related episodes.
Others who are not offered a new contract:
Residents who are PhD students, apprentices, and upper secondary students who will not be studying at SSN-affiliated educational institutions, will not receive offers for new contracts, but can submit a new ordinary application and thus enter the waiting list after ordinary students have been allocated housing. You might have to settle for moving out in the meantime, and apply again from 1 September.
You create a user on My Page yourself.
On My Page, you can apply for student housing and health expence refund. This is also where you report faults and deficiencies in your student housing, or report noise etc. This is also where those of you with a key card can change the PIN code to your card, or even lock yourself in digitally with My keycard.
You will also find an overview of your tenancy, such as an invoice for rent and you can apply for additional services such as storage or parking space. You see an overview of ongoing and previous applications.
Remember to update your contact information on My Page, for example if you change your telephone number or get a new e-mail address. It is important that your contact information is up to date, so that we as the lessor can get in touch with you. We usually use e-mail or SMS when we send you information.
Yes, if a storage room is not included for your unit, you can in many cases apply to rent a storage room on My page. Go to My tenancy and Apply for additional products. If there is a vacant storage room, you will get a rental offer.
Yes, at some of our properties it is possible to rent a parking space. You can read more about parking at your student housing by checking out Our housing and Parking at the desired property.
To apply for the rental of a parking space, you must initially have a lease with us. You apply via My Page by going to My Tenancy and Apply for additional products". If there is a space available, you will receive an offer to rent from us, if not, you will be placed on a waiting list.
See the price list for prices for renting a parking space.
If you have not been allocated housing yet, but wish to apply for a parking space, you can contact us and we will help you.
Save energy, save the environment!
SSN is very conscious about the environment and sustainability, and we are already doing a lot to save electricity in our student housing. But we depend on our residents to do their part too!
With simple measures, you can help us save both the environment and money. Energy saving results in lower costs, which in turn can benefit you.
To save power:
Turn off the lights when you leave your housing unit or common room.
If you need to open windows for some fresh air; do so quickly and efficiently, do not leave the window ajar during the winter.
By lowering the temperature by 1 degree, you reduce consumption by 5%.
Lower the temperature when you go home on holiday, both in your own unit and floor heating in the bathroom.
More power saving tips can be found here.
About moving out from student housing
You have three - 3 - months' notice from the last day of the month. NB. This is not applicable to international students with non-cancellable contracts.
If you wish to terminate your tenancy with us, this is done on My page under My tenancy.
To terminate your tenancy, log into My Page. Log in by using your username and password. You will receive an e-mail confirming that your termination of tenancy agreement has been received. In addition to this, you will also receive practical information about moving out.
Read more about termination here.
Three months notice
If you are not an international student, you can normally terminate the lease with a notice period of three - 3 - months from the last date of the month. You can terminate the lease on My Page.
Non-cancellable contracts for international students
International students are offered contracts that are non-cancellable and last until June 30 or July 31, based on the student's wishes.
Are you unsure of what applies in your contract? Read §4 in your rental agreement, where you will find correct information about the duration of your tenancy.
If you would like to terminate the contract earlier, you can register your desired move-out date when submitting your notice.
There is a three - 3 - month notice period for all standard contracts. International students have non-cancellable contracts. By registering your desired move-out date, we see that you wish to move out earlier, and we will try to accommodate your request from the day you register your desired move-out date until your notice period is over.
For you, this means that SSN has the opportunity to release you from the contract you have signed before the last day of your notice period. Remember that this is only a wish from your side, and we cannot guarantee that it will be fulfilled.
You will receive an email and SMS from us if someone signs a contract for your housing before your notice period is over.
If you register the desired move-out date and change your mind, you must contact SSN. If the contract for your housing is already signed by another tenant, it will be too late to change your mind.
If you do not want to keep the student housing throughout the summer, you must terminate the tenancy agreement and your housing unit will thus be made available to another applicant.
If you terminate and move out after 15 April, and then apply for student housing again from the autumn semester, you must be aware that you will not be prioritized at a new allocation. It may therefore take longer to get a new offer (as you have already been allocated a student accommodation, but chose to terminate the lease).
Yes. You must carry out the final cleaning yourself.
If you are not able to or not willing to clean the unit by yourself, you can book and pay for cleaning from SSN. The booking must be registered three weeks before you are moving out.
You can read more about final cleaning and see prices here. Note that a fee is triggered in the event of insufficient final cleaning.
Cross off the items on this check-list before you move out:
Terminate the tenancy agreement via My page, the period of notice is three months.
Make sure all rent has been paid.
Clear all areas for your belongings, remember to throw out the rubbish.
What do I have to clean and tidy? You are responsible for cleaning before moving out.
Book a cleaning control from SSN on My page (important, to avoid risking a cleaning fee!)
Leave the unit in the same condition that you first received it.
Change your address at Posten.
Report errors
Before you move out, please report any errors via My page.
Deadline for delivery of the key
The deadline for delivery of the key is before 10:00 am on the day of the contract. Your housing unit must then be ready for delivery (emptied, cleaned and washed).
Where do I deliver the key?
Key / key card can be delivered to your local service office during our opening hours. If your last contract day falls on a weekend, public holiday, holiday or outside our opening hours, you may use our dropboxes.