Can my Norwegian landlord decide how often I have guests and visitors?

Renting an apartment in Norway is usually a straightforward affair. However, if you're new to the country or unfamiliar with its tenant laws, some aspects of being a tenant might be challenging.

To start off, it's good to know that Norwegian tenant laws primarily focus on ensuring that tenants have peaceful enjoyment of their rented space.

This means that while you're renting, the property should feel like "home" as much as possible, and any restrictions placed on tenants must be reasonable and not infringe on their rights.

What's allowed when it comes to visitors?

Generally speaking, a Norwegian landlord cannot dictate the frequency with which you, as a tenant, have visitors.

As the Norwegian Tenant Association (Leieboerforeningen) and the website ung.no (a public information channel for young people in Norway) point out, the landlord also can't deny you from having visitors over.

"When you rent a home, you have an exclusive right of use to the home - it is your home. This means you decide who can visit and for how long," the Tenant Association explained on the ung.no website.

"The concept of 'renting a home' is that the lessor gives up the exclusive right to use the home in return for being paid by the lessee.

"The exclusive right of use that you as a tenant obtain by paying means that the rental object is your home. You decide for yourself who you let into your home, and you don't have to inform anyone about it...

"The landlord cannot refuse you to have visitors, and they have no right to know that you are going to have visitors or when you are going to have visitors...," the Tenant Association also stated.

Cases in which additional rules might apply

Note that, under some circumstances, you should expect certain house rules to be in place, especially if you share a common room (i.e. if you and your landlord live in the same building).

Valid reasons for such rules include – but are not limited to – the following:

Potential safety concerns: If the property has shared spaces or is part of a larger community, there might be legitimate concerns about unknown people visiting the area. Using common sense (and common courtesy) and openly communicating with your landlord will likely prevent misunderstandings in such situations.

Disturbances: If your guests are causing disruptions – be it noise, breaking rules of the shared spaces, or causing any other disturbances – a landlord might have a say in the frequency or behaviour of the guests.

As the Tenancy Association points out, what the landlord can reasonably expect in this case is a notice if you intend to have a party so they can be prepared for some noise. In the case of disturbances, if your guests continually break the house rules on noise, this could be considered a breach of contract. House rules may be dictated by the housing association if you are renting an apartment in the city.

Overcrowding: If guests are frequently staying overnight and, in effect, living in the property without being on the lease, a landlord might raise issues. There are rules in place that cover this situation, though.

Under the Norwegian Tenancy Act, tenants have the right to have their spouse or cohabitant/partner, as well as directly related kin (either their own or that of their spouse/cohabitant) and foster children join their household.

That means you have the right to, for example, have your partner move in with you without the landlord being able to refuse and without changing the rent for that reason.

However, taking in people into your household (which effectively means they're moving in) that don't fall in the category mentioned above is subject to approval from the landlord. Note that your landlord can refuse such a request if there's a solid reason for it – such as the home in question becoming overcrowded.

In any case, make sure to be familiar with all the terms of your lease. If there are specific rules about guests, they should be clearly outlined.

READ ALSO: The most common disputes between tenants and landlords

However, any clause that outright bans guests or places unreasonable restrictions will not hold up in a legal dispute, as the Tenant Association points out, given Norway's tenant-friendly laws.

So, can your Norwegian landlord decide how often you have guests and visitors?

Generally speaking, the short answer is no. As a tenant in Norway, you have significant rights to enjoy your rented space without undue restrictions.

Your landlord cannot refuse you to have visitors, and they have no right to know that you will have visitors or when you will have them over.

However, that doesn't mean that you should act disrespectfully or carelessly.

Maintain a transparent relationship with your landlord, understand the terms of your lease, and be aware of your rights (and obligations) as a tenant – that's the best way to prepare for navigating any rental situation.