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Help writing a cohabitation agreement

If cohabiting partners (sambor) move apart, one of them can ask for a division of property (bodelning), and the value of the shared home and household goods is then split equally. With a cohabitation agreement (samboavtal) you decide for yourselves what applies.

A couple signing an agreement at the kitchen table, with house keys beside them

Who it is for

For couples who live together in a relationship, share a household and are not married to anyone. The agreement is for you if you want to decide in advance what will happen to the home and household goods, for example when one of you has paid more towards the home or when only one of you owns it.

How we help you

The Cohabitees Act covers your shared home and your shared household goods, if you acquired them to use together. This also applies to a home that only one of you owns, for example a tenant-owned flat (bostadsrätt) or a house. Property mainly used for leisure, such as a summer house, does not count. Nor does anything either of you has received as a gift or inherited on condition that it is separate property.

In the cohabitation agreement you can decide that no division of property will take place, or that certain property will be left out of a division of property. We go through your situation, write the agreement and explain what the terms mean for both of you. A term that is unreasonable can be adjusted or disregarded in a division of property, and we take that into account when we write it.

How the cohabitation agreement becomes valid

In writing.The agreement must be drawn up in writing.
You both sign.Both of you sign the agreement.
No registration.The law does not require the agreement to be submitted to any authority.
Can be changed.With a new agreement you can change what you agreed before.

What is included

5 items
  • A review of your home, your household goods and who has paid for what
  • A cohabitation agreement written under the Cohabitees Act (sambolagen)
  • An explanation of what the agreement means if you move apart
  • Instructions on how to sign
  • A meeting at the office in Gothenburg or online

What is not included

3 items
  • WillCohabiting partners do not inherit from each other by law. If you want to, you need a will.
  • Promissory note between youIf one of you has lent money to the other, you can write a promissory note (skuldebrev).
  • Division of property when you have already moved apart

What you need to have ready

4 items
  • Your names and address
  • Which home it concerns and who owns it
  • What each of you has paid for the home
  • Which household goods should be excluded

Good to know

The Cohabitees Act only applies if neither of you is married. The cohabitation agreement covers the home and household goods, not what you inherit from each other. If either of you lives abroad, or you have a home in another country, we first assess whether we can take on the assignment.

How it works

  1. 1Send an enquiry. Tell us briefly about your home and what you want to decide.
  2. 2You get a quote. We normally get back to you within one working day and tell you what is included and what it costs.
  3. 3We write the agreement. We go through your answers and explain the terms before you sign.
  4. 4You sign. You receive the agreement with instructions on how to sign it, and you keep it safe.

Frequently asked questions

Does the cohabitation agreement cover a tenant-owned flat?
Yes. A tenant-owned flat that you acquired as your shared home counts as cohabitation property (samboegendom), even if only one of you owns it. In the agreement you can decide that it will not be part of a division of property.
What happens if we have no cohabitation agreement?
If you move apart, one of you can ask for a division of property. The value of the shared home and household goods is then split equally, after deducting debts. The request must be made no later than one year after the cohabitation ended.
Do we inherit from each other with a cohabitation agreement?
No. Cohabiting partners do not inherit from each other by law, and the cohabitation agreement does not change that. If you want to inherit from each other, you need wills.
Does the agreement have to be registered?
No. The agreement must be in writing and signed by you both, but the law does not require registration.
What happens to the agreement if we get married?
Your cohabitation ends when you marry, and the Marriage Code (äktenskapsbalken) then applies. If you want certain property to be separate property as a married couple, you need a prenuptial agreement (äktenskapsförord).
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Send an enquiry

Tell us briefly about your matter and we will normally get back to you within one working day with a quote before we start.

  • The enquiry and quote are free
  • You only pay once you have accepted the quote
  • Meetings at the office or online

About: Cohabitation agreement

Private or business?

Do not write personal identity numbers, passport numbers or other sensitive details here. If we need such documents, you hand them in at the office or send copies by post.

Sources (7)

  1. Cohabitees Act (Sambolag 2003:376), section 1 (who counts as cohabiting partners, the Act covers the home and household goods, neither partner married)
  2. Cohabitees Act (Sambolag 2003:376), section 2 (cohabitation ends on marriage, moving apart or death)
  3. Cohabitees Act (Sambolag 2003:376), sections 3–7 (cohabitation property, gifts and inheritance with conditions, the home even if one partner owns it, leisure property)
  4. Cohabitees Act (Sambolag 2003:376), sections 8 and 13–14 (division of property on request within one year, equal division after deducting debts)
  5. Cohabitees Act (Sambolag 2003:376), section 9 (cohabitation agreement, in writing and signed by the partners, change through a new agreement, adjustment of unreasonable terms)
  6. Inheritance Code (Ärvdabalk 1958:637), Chapter 2 sections 1–4 and Chapter 3 section 1 (heirs by law, cohabiting partner not included)
  7. Marriage Code (Äktenskapsbalk 1987:230), Chapter 7 section 3 (prenuptial agreement)

The information was checked against the sources on 27 October 2026.