A wealthy businessman, Jacob Brunsborg, has recently purchased four apartments in Copenhagen for nearly 120 million kroner, raising concerns about the city’s ongoing housing crisis and the potential for these properties to remain vacant. This acquisition highlights the growing issue of housing affordability in Copenhagen, where rising prices make it increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to find suitable homes.

The lack of residency requirements for thousands of homes in Copenhagen allows investors to buy properties and leave them empty, exacerbating the housing shortage. Kristine Ammitzbøll-Bille, a municipal election candidate for the Radical Left party, is advocating for the implementation of residency requirements for all year-round homes in Copenhagen.

The average apartment in Copenhagen costs almost 5.6 million kroner, a significant increase from January 2025, making homeownership unattainable for many, including essential workers like nurses, educators, and teachers. Even well-paid Danes are struggling to enter the housing market in the capital city.

According to the Minister for Social Affairs and Housing, there are over 3,400 year-round homes in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg without residency requirements. The situation in Copenhagen is drawing comparisons to London, where similar practices have led to increased prices and displacement of local residents.

Ammitzbøll-Bille argues that introducing residency requirements would be a crucial step in addressing the housing crisis, ensuring that properties are occupied and available for those who need them. She believes that if owners are not living in their properties, they should be required to rent them out, contributing to the overall housing supply.