116 rental apartments in Trøjborg, Aarhus let significantly faster than expected

The first residents moved into Willemoeskarréen in Trøjborg, Aarhus, in June 2025, followed by the second phase on 1 October 2025. All 116 rental apartments in the second phase were let much faster than expected and well ahead of the move-in date. The supply of rental housing in Aarhus is far from meeting demand, with vacancy rates down to just 1.4%. To prevent rent levels from spiralling, more new construction is needed, says EDC Project Poul Erik Bech Aarhus, which, on behalf of property developers Klaus Gad and André Sørensen, has been responsible for the letting of Willemoeskarréen.

Property developer Klaus Gad comments on behalf of the development team: “We are very pleased with the final result of Willemoeskarréen, which combines residential and commercial space totalling around 25,000 m². With help from CEBRA Architecture and excellent cooperation with Aarhus Municipality, we have successfully managed to integrate the property into the existing surroundings in Trøjborg, including the old industrial buildings.

”The first nine penthouse apartments were completed last summer, with EDC Project Poul Erik Bech Aarhus providing invaluable support. The collaboration on letting the 116 apartments has worked efficiently and smoothly. They have given us strong advice on small interior adjustments and marketing optimisation, including budget and rent levels, which has led to rapid lettings and minimal marketing costs to achieve these results. For us as landlords, it has been a very satisfying process, where we confidently allowed EDC to proceed based on their recommendations.

Registered up in advance

Even before the apartments were released for letting, interest in the 116 homes at Willemoeskarréen was high, says Tonny Broberg, Project Director at EDC Project Poul Erik Bech Aarhus:

”Before the apartments were even listed online, many people had already registered their interest – and several had even signed up for specific units without having seen them in person. Willemoeskarréen consists of bright, modern 1-4-room apartments, and the mix of residents is highly diverse. The smaller units are mainly occupied by young

people and seniors, while families have moved into the larger apartments. The new residents are becoming part of one of Aarhus’s most desirable neighbourhoods, close to the university, forest, and beach, with a wealth of cafés, speciality shops, and the popular Trøjborg Centre right on the doorstep

Severe shortage of rental housing

According to Tonny Broberg, the rapid letting is clear evidence of the acute shortage of rental housing in Aarhus: “Over the past ten years, the population in Aarhus has grown by 43,000 residents, an increase of 13%. In recent years, the construction sector has been marked by rising costs, and there has not been enough new building activity. Supply simply cannot keep up with demand, and the vacancy rate for rental housing in Aarhus has fallen to just 1.4%, making Aarhus the Danish city with the fewest ‘for rent’ signs.”

“The influx has grown even further over the past two and a half years. Whereas annual population growth previously ranged between 4,000 and 5,000 residents, it now stands at around 6,000. Only a few new construction projects are planned in the municipality over the next three to five years, and the trend is expected to intensify. This is affecting rent levels, which have risen by about 3% since last year. There is an urgent need to speed up the process for local plans and building permits so that new construction can get underway. Otherwise, we risk rent levels spiralling out of control, as has already happened in several other European cities,” concludes Tonny Broberg.

More informationTonny Broberg, Project Director, EDC Project, Poul Erik Bech Aarhus • +45 5858 8487 • tobr@edc.dk