A Danish rental company has been illegally deducting moving fees from tenant deposits for years. Hejco Gruppen admitted the practice was unlawful but continued charging tenants.
Maja Juul Kristensen first noticed the issue in 2022. Her move-out statement included a 700 kroner fee labeled 'moving statement.' She questioned why she needed to pay for leaving her apartment.
When she asked for an explanation, the company avoided answering. This made her more suspicious about the charge.
Kristensen eventually consulted a lawyer. Hejco Gruppen then removed the fee from her bill.
According to Danish housing ministry guidelines, move-out inspection costs should be covered through regular rent payments. Landlords cannot legally deduct these fees from security deposits.
Security deposits belong to tenants and can only cover actual property damages. Using them for other purposes violates Danish rental law.
Despite this clear regulation, Hejco Gruppen continued the practice. The company manages 600 rental properties across Vejle, Esbjerg, Trige and Odense.
Move-out statements from August show similar illegal charges. Some list 'moving inspection' fees while others call it 'moving fee.' Different names, same 700 kroner amount.
The earliest case dates back to 2021. Multiple tenants have complained about these unlawful deductions over the years.
At least twice, tenants brought Hejco Gruppen before the Rent Board. Both times, the company dropped the fees before cases concluded. But they continued charging other tenants.
Email correspondence shows the company ignored tenant questions about the fees. Now, Hejco Gruppen finally admits the charges were illegal.
In responses to 2025 inquiries, company representatives stated: 'I have checked your move-out statement, and that's correct. It's not legal, and it must be paid out.'
After years of illegal deductions, Hejco Gruppen told media they've stopped the practice. They declined interview requests, calling it a 'closed chapter.'
The company hasn't explained why they haven't proactively refunded affected tenants. They also haven't disclosed how much money they collected through these illegal fees.
Anders Svendsen, chief legal counsel at the Danish Tenants' Association, calls this a serious breach of trust. 'Individual families are being deprived of money they don't owe,' he said.
Svendsen believes the company operated on a 'see what we can get away with' basis. He doubts their claim of ignorance about rental laws.
'If these are professional people involved in property management, it's very unlikely they didn't know these rules,' he stated.
The case highlights ongoing challenges tenants face when dealing with professional rental companies in Denmark. Even when laws clearly protect tenants, enforcement often depends on individual tenants challenging illegal practices.