Räntekänslighet

What the number means

Räntekänslighet (interest-rate sensitivity) tells you by how many percent the co-op’s annual fees would need to rise if the interest rate on its loans went up by 1 percentage point, with everything else unchanged. A low figure means your fee moves very little when rates climb. A high figure means a rate rise feeds through to your monthly cost more quickly.

It is one of five key figures that the BRF (bostadsrättsförening, the housing co-operative) must report in its förvaltningsberättelse (the directors’ report in the annual accounts). The other four are annual fee per square metre, debt per square metre, savings per square metre and energy cost per square metre. The requirement applies to financial years starting on or after 1 January 2023, so in older annual reports the figure may simply be missing.

What counts as good

There is no official threshold for good or bad, because the law requires the figure but does not define any level. As a rule of thumb, banks tend to view 0-5 percent as a comfortable value, while anything above 10 percent is worth a closer look. A co-op with a high figure usually carries large loans relative to its size.

What you should do

Find the räntekänslighet in the förvaltningsberättelse and read it alongside the debt per square metre. A high sensitivity is not a red light on its own, but it is a cue to ask the agent or the board how the co-op is planning for higher rates, and whether a fee increase is likely. That way you know how stable your monthly cost is before you put in a bid.