and strategic, depending on cost of money, importance of the site to the taker and the location of the site. The ratio used goes from 0 (poor locations) to 12 (top locations). The remaining number of years of the contract has little or no impact unless it falls under the legal provision of déplafonnement du loyer, in which the landlord is automatically allowed to ask for a new, market-rate rent regardless of the rent paid so far. Sweden In Sweden it is illegal for the landlord or an existing tenant to ask for compensation for an apartment lease, but a significant black market for rental contracts is believed to exist in some cities such as Stockholm. The Swedish Union of Tenants believes that the illegal practice of demanding key money or other compensation happens at most private landlord companies, while the landlords' advocacy group Fastighetsägarna believes that as much as half of the rental contracts are wrongly obtained at any time, and proposes a reduction of rent control as a solution. Merely paying key money is not a crime, but is considered by many to be a way of cheating (since you sidestep the queue system). It typically results in immediate termination of your lease if discovered. However, it is legal to require a security deposit when renting out an apartment or house. It is rarely done when a commercial or public landlord is renting out an apartment to an individual, since it is easy for the landlord to get any debts collected. When individuals rent out to other individuals, or when businesses rent commercial premises, a security deposit of 1–6 months is usually requested. Netherlands In the Netherlands, key money (sleutelgeld) is a payment without consideration, often required by either the landlord or by the vacating tenant. The amount can vary from a symbolical amount up to one or more monthly lease terms. However, key money is deemed illegal and repayment can be enforced by legal means. As the Netherlands experience a shortage in living space (especially in Amsterdam and other large cities in the west), landlords and tenants nevertheless often ask key money despite it being illegal. North America United States In the United States, it is common to require key money in the form of a security deposit. The tenant pays one or two months' rent up-front. These funds are then held in escrow and are used