In many ways, renting is more complex than buying. Old socialist philosophies about housing not being controlled by wealth means that most of the rental accommodation is controlled by the government (or at least, the local kommun). For example, in Stockholm, about 25% of all housing is owned by the city council for rental purposes. It is possible to rent privately from an owner-landlord direct but this can be complex too. The alternative is sub-leasing.

Finding somewhere to rent:

Word of Mouth
The first thing to do when the time comes is to ask around, you'd be surprised who knows who and who might be looking to rent their place out. A lot of couples hang onto one rental property while living in the other, just in case.

First Hand Contracts
A contract with your name on the lease is usually the preferred option but not so easy to get a hold of. Start by putting yourself into an official queue or contacting the property owners directly. Many smaller landlords have their own queues.

Swapping Your Apartment
Once you have a first hand contract you can swap it with someone else. It is even possible to swap a larger apartment for two smaller ones or visa versa.

Second Hand Contracts
These are sub-leased apartments, rented out either by the owner or the lease-holder. They tend to be the easiest way to rent with many more apartments to choose from. Note that some landlords will only deal with companies wanting to rent on behalf of their staff and assign agents who work exclusively with rentals to companies.