FAQ - Tenants
Keyhole is an alternative to the payment of the traditional cash deposit.
With Keyhole, you easily set up a deposit guarantee where, for a monthly premium, you don't have to pay a large cash deposit. We issue the guarantee to your landlord on your behalf.
The guarantee secures your landlord in case you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being unable to meet your obligations when moving out. If the landlord has received payment from the guarantee, you are required to reimburse the amount to Keyhole afterwards.
So it works in the same way as the security for a traditional deposit does. The only difference is that with Keyhole, you don't have to pay a large amount in advance when moving in.
We have the following requirements for tenants who wish to apply for Keyhole Deposit:
- You must be over 18 years old.
- You cannot be registered with any payment remarks.
- You must have Norwegian citizenship or a permanent residence permit.
Note, it may be possible to apply even if you are not a Norwegian citizen, if you can provide documentation of income and attachment to Norway. This depends on your landlord, as some landlords may have different requirements. We recommend that you contact your landlord.
The price of your guarantee depends on the size of your deposit.
The standard is a 3-year guarantee covering a 3-year lease agreement. For this, you only need to pay 14% of the deposit amount as a premium. This ensures your landlord for the next 3 years. (Price and duration may vary depending on the landlord and lease agreement.)
Also, remember that you are still responsible for paying the moving bill in the end.
It is great to have roommates, but you need to keep track of the financial commitments you have together.
The guarantee simply follows the lease agreement – so if all of you are on the lease, you are also on the guarantee. This also means that all of you need to register with Keyhole.
You can distribute the payment among yourselves as you wish, but the primary tenant is the one responsible for paying the guarantee to Keyhole.
NOTE: The primary tenant can only be removed from the guarantee if the new primary tenant passes the credit check.
We accept the most common types of payment cards, namely VISA, VISA Debit, VISA Electron, Mastercard, and Maestro.
Yes, it is possible to add a new person to the guarantee or remove someone from it. However, since we need to adjust the guarantee, we will add a fee.
NOTE: The primary tenant can only be removed from the guarantee if the new primary tenant passes the credit check.
You must contact your landlord regarding the changes to the lease agreement. After that, you will be notified in the app when the changes to the guarantee have been completed, or if you need to do anything related to the change in the guarantee.
For a time-limited guarantee, it will automatically expire after the specified duration, typically 3 years according to the standard lease agreement. If you move out before the guarantee expires, the premium for the remaining period is not refunded.
For the Keyhole guarantee with monthly premium payments, it can be terminated in two ways:
- Upon moving out: When your tenancy is settled, and you have paid the move-out settlement, your premium payments will be terminated.
- At any time, you can choose to pay your deposit (and any prepaid rent) according to your lease agreement directly to your landlord, thereby terminating the Keyhole Deposit guarantee and your premium payments.
When you move out of your rental property, a move-out inspection is conducted with your landlord. Afterwards, you will receive a final settlement with the ultimate bill in your Keyhole app. If you have unpaid rent, this must be settled, and it will also be detailed in the final settlement. Please note that your premium payments continue until you have paid the full amount.
If you disagree with the final settlement, this is a matter between you and the landlord that you need to resolve together before updating any claims with Keyhole.
If you have a Keyhole Deposit guarantee that includes prepaid rent, you must continue paying the rent during the notice period until you have vacated the rental property. Since you have a guarantee instead of a cash deposit, there is no prepaid rent that you can offset.
We also refer to your lease agreement, which will contain details about the move-out process.
NOTE: If you are unable to pay your final settlement, you should contact Keyhole support at support@usekeyhole.com.
The standard period for the guarantee is 3 years. If you wish to stay for a longer period and your landlord allows it, you have the following two options:
- It is possible to extend the guarantee period by up to 6 months.
- Alternatively, you can decide at any time to create a new guarantee for an additional 3 years.
You can always delete your Keyhole account if you have not used Keyhole's deposit guarantee.
If you have had a deposit guarantee through Keyhole, you can close your account 18 months after the payment of your last active move-out application.
No. A guarantee is an alternative to a traditional cash deposit.
With the guarantee, you can avoid tying up a large sum of money when moving into a new rental property.
No, Keyhole is not an insurance company. However, we have partnered with a reputable and established insurance company, namely Nordic Guarantee.
Nordic Guarantee is a leading expert in guarantees for the Nordic business sector. Currently, they operate in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway.
Keyhole is registered as an insurance agent under the supervision of the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. This means that we can issue guarantees for deposits through our specially developed digital platform.
If the unthinkable were to happen, and Keyhole no longer exists (which is, of course, not the case), it would have no impact on the security provided to either the landlord or the tenant.
The guarantee is technically issued by our financial partner, so the security will continue for you as long as the guarantee lasts.
In order to get a Keyhole Deposit Guarantee, you must be invited by your landlord who is one of our partners. Currently, we collaborate with Heimstaden, Merkantilbygg, Lille Oslo Eiendom, Heka Eiendom, and Anker Studenterbolig in Norway.
You will receive the Keyhole invitation from your landlord, and then you need to download the Keyhole app to complete your invitation.
You can reach us by phone at +45 71 74 71 24 during our opening hours:
Monday 9:00-16:00
Tuesday 9:00-16:00
Wednesday 9:00-16:00
Thursday 9:00-16:00
Friday 9:00-16:00
We are closed on the phone on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on public holidays. You can always contact us via email at support@usekeyhole.com.