Our buildings

The original basic purpose of the foundation’s acquisition of land was to buy only land, and only those buildings that were required in order to maintain the areas. The Foundation thus gradually became the owner of a number of farms with accompanying cowsheds, stables and barns, and also housing for the tenant farmers. Other individual buildings also became part of the Foundation’s acquisitions.

However, this original idea changed dramatically in connection with the purchase of northern Utö in 1974. The Foundation then took on responsibility for several buildings that were not required for maintenance, but yet were of significant cultural and historical value. The Foundation then became a building manager on a fairly large scale.

The next big change came in 1998, when the Foundation took over ownership of Stockholm City’s major properties in the archipelago; i.e. Lidö, Grinda, Finnhamn, Gålö, Nämdö, Rögrund, Ålö, Rånö and Nåttarö. These islands are home to several large tourist centres, including holiday villages, hotels, guest houses, hostels and restaurants, as well as a considerable number of permanent and holiday homes. On Gålö alone, the Foundation’s properties now number around 190 buildings, and on Utö roughly 150 buildings.

1,000 buildings
The Archipelago foundation currently owns and manages a total of around 1,000 buildings. The buildings date back across four centuries, namely the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The properties range from country mansions, residential houses, cowsheds and barns, to crofter’s cottages, earth cellars, windmills, lighthouses and boathouses.

We also have a limited number of cottages that are rented out to individuals as holiday homes. This is done using a tenancy agreement, where the tenant takes on both the internal and external maintenance of the property. This form of rental means that the tenant has legal protection of tenancy under the Housing Act. The Archipelago Foundation is therefore careful to select people that are good at DIY and have the necessary skills for carrying out building conservation work.

Small but picturesque cottages
Many of the cottages are picturesque and beautifully situated, but the accommodation area is relatively small, with over half having an area of less than 50 m2. The conditions are somewhat basic. Most lack their own water supply or waste system. Fresh water is often available via summer pipes with outdoor taps, or hand pumps. Some cottages have no electricity. This means that the cottages can usually only be used during the summer months.

Low turnover of tenancy agreements
Anyone interested in being considered for renting these cottages is welcome to apply using the attached form. However, the turnover for such houses is low due to legal protection of tenancy rights, so it may take a long time before an offer comes up. Your application remains on the Foundation’s register for a period of five years, after which time you will need to renew your application if you wish to stay on the register.

Photo: Magnus Rietz
Cottage on Rånö