Environmental sustainability has for many years been a key part of AF Bostäder’s operations and permeates everything from essential aspects and policy to goals and investments. A new strategy will further concretise the work and guide initiatives relating to waste, circularity, material selection, biodiversity, climate and energy.

At AF Bostäder, the caretakers recruit a student for each corridor to be the corridor contact with responsibility for, among other things, cleaning routines and dialogue with the caretaker. The corridor contact is a highly appreciated and important link between the caretakers and the tenants and has great significance for the wellbeing of the students.

AF Bostäder’s housing areas feature several unique and interesting works of art. Previously, their presence has been somewhat anonymous, but now everyone can find out about the history of these works online. Signage and an art tour are also in the pipeline.

When the students move in to Troja, one of Sweden’s biggest investments in sustainable student housing will be complete. The new district at Kämnärsrätten is based on the vision that it is possible to create an affordable, attractive and sustainable living environment for Lund’s students that is beneficial for studies, satisfaction and wellbeing, as well as the climate and biodiversity.

As an alternative to buying new furniture, students are offered the opportunity to apply for ready-furnished corridor rooms or to rent individual items of furniture when required. Easy, smooth and sustainable.

After having exceeded its previous energy goal, to reduce consumption in the older properties of the portfolio by 10% between 2020 and 2024, AF Bostäder launched a new energy goal, commencing in 2025.

AF Bostäder is part of Lund Municipality’s climate collaboration, CoAction, in which 36 companies have committed to work for a climate-neutral Lund in 2030 through initiatives such as producing a green plan for travel.

The students have once again chosen AF Bostäder as Sweden’s best landlord in the category for larger student housing companies. The number of points in the Customer Satisfaction Index (NKI) is higher than ever and even surpasses the winners among the smaller student housing companies. The key to the good results is a strategic view of the customer satisfaction index that in the long term ensures the focus is always on the customer.

Due to its methodical maintenance plans, AF Bostäder can keep its properties in good condition. Well-maintained properties are sustainable and in 2025 no less than three housing areas celebrated milestone anniversaries. One of them was Studentlyckan – AF Bostäder’s third-oldest housing area and still one of the most popular.

The price rises of recent years for goods and services has meant steep cost increases for water, electricity, waste collection and heating.

AF Bostäder regularly arranges customer activities to promote wellbeing and health. Previously, the events have mainly focused on movement and exercise, but in line with the company’s cultural sustainability strategy, different types of experiences are now being offered. These include pottery painting, ghost walks and a Lucia performance with a student choir.

The last stage of the replumbing work at Delphi will be completed in the summer of 2026. After six intensive years, 875 corridor rooms have received a complete wastewater pipe system replacement as well as upgrades for bathrooms, accommodation, ventilation, broadband and corridor furnishings. Disruptions have been avoided, as students move prior to the renovation into already completed corridor rooms.

It is of course to be extra satisfying to be an AF Bostäder tenant or staff member. That is why both students and staff members receive a range of useful and entertaining offers in the bonus club, bo.nus.

At least 50% of AF Bostäder’s new tenants at the start of a semester are international students, a group that is often a target for housing scams. AF Bostäder manages the number of applicants and makes the rental process secure in several ways.

Once per semester the students on corridors carry out spring cleaning of shared spaces. By introducing an inspiring competition, the caretakers at Parentesen made cleaning more fun and reduced the number of re-inspections.

For several years, AF Bostäder has worked in a strategic and target-oriented way on social, environmental and economic sustainability. Now, the company is introducing culture as an equal fourth perspective. The work started in 2024 with a newly written policy and a new strategy for cultural sustainability.

About half of AF Bostäder’s housing is corridor accommodation, a pleasant form of housing in which the students have their own room but share communal spaces with others. With careful management and a social perspective, AF Bostäder pays special attention to life on a corridor – a secure, affordable and fun kind of housing that is also a strong bearer of culture.

AF Bostäder has started work on a revamp of its communication platform. The platform provides guidelines for how the company is to communicate in terms of target groups, messaging, typography, graphics, image selection etc. The aim is for AF Bostäder’s stakeholders, such as students, the media, the municipality and business community, to have a clear and consistent image of the company.

Alcohol has a big place in our culture, not least in student life where many also encounter other intoxicants. AF Bostäder has expanded its information initiative, Help, which previously focused on mental health problems, to also offer contact details for concerns relating to alcohol and drugs. And more subject areas are in the pipeline.

Being able to rapidly obtain pleasant and secure housing at a reasonable cost is an important factor when students are choosing where to study. Many people believe that it is difficult to find student housing in Lund. In a new joint report, three of Lund’s major student housing organisations show that the true picture is actually positive.

Sometimes, students are unfortunately faced with considerable damage to their home. Without valid insurance, it can be expensive. AF Bostäder has therefore conducted a campaign to encourage students to take out a home insurance policy.

Designed in accordance with the Academic Society’s and prize-winning architect Bengt Edman’s visions of a student city within the city, and just as much loved as hated for its brutalist architecture, Sparta is constantly one of AF Bostäder’s most popular student housing areas. Sparta is now undergoing a careful renovation, so it can remain standing strong for many years to come.

The Vildanden Art Exchange opened in March and was inaugurated with a premiere exhibition, canapés and sparkling wine. It all started when caretaker Jonas Ekman saw all the fine paintings that the students left in the bulky waste station, the Green Room.

The Housing Ombudsman has produced a questionnaire that confirms previous assumptions about international students’ needs for social activities as well as information and motivation regarding waste sorting.

AF Bostäder is driving one of Sweden’s biggest initiatives in sustainable student housing at Kämnärsrätten. Rhodos, a new quarter inaugurated in the summer of 2024, was awarded the Student Housing Prize for, among other things, pleasant accommodation, green outdoor environments and low climate impact. Students, relatives and friends gathered for the move-in and inauguration.

AF Bostäder is to introduce culture as a new sustainability perspective based on, among other things, the Foundation’s statutes and the Government’s policy for designed living environment. According to the statutes, AF Bostäder is to work for cultural and friendly relations between the tenants. The Government’s policy covers architecture, form, design, art and cultural legacy.

AF Bostäder has surpassed its latest energy target – to reduce consumption in the older properties of the portfolio by 10% between 2020 and 2024. The company has now formulated a new target, focusing on a reduction in the volume of purchased energy. Activities over the next five years will include increased investments in internal electricity production.

AF Bostäder organises competitions for students to strengthen well-being and a sense of community. Last year saw the premiere of the “Mello” TikTok Song Contest. The entries flowed in and AF Bostäder recorded its own.

AF Borgen – the students’ own building in Lundagård – is the focal point of Sweden’s best student life. It is here that the Academic Society (Akademiska Föreningen) and the students arrange numerous activities, but it is also the setting for a café, restaurant, stages, festivities and much more. In addition, AF Borgen is also an ultramodern arena for Lund’s business community and cultural life.

At AF Bostäder, all tenants are to be given an equal assessment of the condition of their housing. The company has therefore strengthened its procedures for move-out inspections.

Among its initiatives for social sustainability, AF Bostäder invited students to outdoor circuit training. Instructors from Gerdahallen held popular sessions that offered tough tabata workouts.

AF Bostäder only rents out to active students at Lund University – the students’ status is verified by study checks. Now, measures are also being introduced to minimise prohibited sub-letting.

Lund students are often seen cycling – an eco-friendly and healthy way to get around. Cycling is something that AF Bostäder would like to encourage, and most recently this took the form of free bike servicing.

Using broad initiatives, students are to be inspired to reduce their waste and increase their waste sorting. Reduced residual waste is good for the climate and environment and means cost-savings in waste management. During 2024, AF Bostäder deepened its cooperation with the waste management utility, Lunds Renhållningsverk, renovated waste rooms, opened an Art Exchange and launched the waste sorting campaign, Buzz of the month.

With clear targets, all those working at AF Bostäder can develop and drive sustainability management together. The targets are to be current and relevant, and ahead of 2025 it was time to renew and fine-tune them again.

As one of the initiatives for social sustainability, AF Bostäder’s property developers have introduced security walks. Based on the housing areas’ Swedish Quality Index (SKI) ratings, the walks are to result in security enhancement measures for the outdoor environment. Internally, the initiative was named the best sustainability project of 2024.