Here are the four locations where Skebo has the most empty apartments. Top left: Getberget (32 apartments), top right: Bureå (17 apartments). Bottom left: Kåge (14 apartments), bottom right: Byske (7 apartments).
Less than a year ago, Skellefteå's housing market faced a crisis due to a shortage of apartments. On September 7, 2024, we reported intense competition: up to 300 people applied when Skebo listed an older apartment, and around 80 applied for new builds.
However, demand dropped sharply after Northvolt halted its factory expansion and began laying off staff.
By the end of November, 156 apartments were listed. Since then, this number has continued to grow.
As of last week, 247 apartments are available for rent across Skellefteå municipality.
Skebo has the highest number of vacancies, with 90 listings – almost all in newly built developments. Many are available from July 1, but earlier contracts are also possible. Some apartments are empty and ready for immediate move-in.
The largest number of move-outs is at Getberget, a development completed last summer that quickly filled up. Many of those tenants worked at Northvolt, and departures are now accelerating. There are currently 32 available apartments in the three green buildings.
Skebo’s next largest area for vacancies is Bureå, where a new development was built next to the health centre. Seventeen apartments are now available there.
The newly built area near the school in Kåge has also seen tenants moving out, with nine listings currently available.
Skebo also has new developments in Byske and Burträsk, but those buildings are smaller. Seven apartments are available in Byske and five in Burträsk.
Skebo’s newly built developments in the city centre are doing better. At Klockarhöjden, there are only three vacancies despite it being a large building with many apartments. At Strömsör, three apartments are listed, and the major complex on the Frigg and Balder plots currently has no vacancies at all.
Anna Ersson, marketing manager at Skebo, says the impact of the developments at Northvolt is clear.
– After the first round of lay-offs last autumn, the bankruptcy in week 11, and the decision on how many would stay on – each time, we saw a spike in terminations on our end.
When many apartments are suddenly released onto the market, it can lead to people moving around, but that’s not something Skebo tracks in its statistics.
– What is clear, however, is that the apartments most at risk of remaining vacant long term are in new developments, says Ersson.
Sveabostäder’s most vacancies: From left, Myrängen, Skelleftehamn (around 30 apartments), right, Byalagsgatan, Kåge (9 apartments).
– Demand has been mediocre, and so far about half of the apartments have been booked, says property manager Catarina Holmer.
The earlier two phases are fully rented, and Catarina notes that the relatively low rents may have helped.
– We received government investment support for these apartments, which means the rent is lower than it would have been otherwise. A one-bedroom apartment of 40 square metres costs, for example, 6,600 kronor per month – without the support, the rent would have been over 8,000 kronor.
The two brown newly built houses in central Moröhöjden have done better – there are four vacant apartments there, on Gruvgatan.
Sveafastigheter also owns a group of slightly older buildings on Byalagsgatan in northern Kåge, where there are nine vacancies.
– Since they’re older, the rent is lower, so we’re hopeful we’ll fill those too, says Catarina Holmer.
Arkadia Bostad has the following vacancies: From left, Brännsvedjan, Kåge (41 apartments), Foxgatan, Falkträsket (9 apartments).
Speaking of Kåge, there is also the Brännsvedjan residential area, owned by Arkadia Bostad, with 41 listed apartments.
Arkadia also owns Foxgatan in Falkträsket, where 9 apartments are available.
The new builds at Västra Erikslid have so far fared well. Neobo, which owns the brown buildings on Fru Lovisa’s Gata, has eight available apartments. Heimstaden, which owns the rest of the area, has only one vacancy.
Neobo has 8 vacancies in its properties in Västra Erikslid.
Finally, we contacted TidX Förvaltning, which owns newly built houses on Strandvägen in Bureå. Out of 54 apartments, seven are currently available.
– There has been a clear wave of terminations in connection with Northvolt’s cutbacks. We expect to have an increased vacancy rate until a new normal settles in. It could take quite a while, perhaps up to a year, says Thomas Ribbestål at TidX.
Anna Ersson, marketing manager at Skebo, Catarina Holmer, property manager at Sveafastigheter, Thomas Ribbestål, property manager at TidX.
So, what can a housing company do to prevent vacancies? The question is answered by Anna Ersson at Skebo:
– Not much can be done about the rent levels, as there are regulations that must be followed. The rent for new builds has to cover construction costs and provide a market return. Now that we raised the rent in the older stock by 5 percent, we raised it by 3 percent for new builds. We couldn’t lower it any further.
– We also work with the "BoDirekt" offer, which means tenants can retain their queue time when they take an apartment.