Finding a place to live - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
You can rent or buy an apartment building or detached house
Of all Finnish residents, almost 70% lived in an owner-occupied home in 2023, but renting has become more common especially in bigger cities, among young people, and those that live alone. For example, in Helsinki, only half of the residents live in owner-occupied homes.
Almost half of Finland’s residents live in detached houses or semi-detached houses. Living in a detached house is somewhat more common in Finland than elsewhere in Europe. However, in cities it is very common to live in an apartment building. In Helsinki, 80% of all residents lived in apartment buildings in 2023.
In larger cities, the rental and sales prices of apartments are often higher than in smaller municipalities.
A rental home is owned by the municipality, a business or a private individual
It is easy to find listings for rental homes online. Homes are let by housing companies owned by municipalities and cities or by companies. Private landlords also look for tenants. Private landlords are individuals who own housing.
Rental homes owned by the city or the municipality are usually cheaper than homes let by private individuals or companies. However, there may be many applicants for homes owned by the city or municipality. Housing applications can be done online.
Usually, tenants sign the tenancy agreement directly with the owner of the property, meaning the company, private landlord or municipal housing company. This tenant is the main tenant. Sometimes the apartment can be sublet, which means that the main tenant takes another person to live with them, occupying for instance one of the rooms (alivuokraus). The subtenant signs a tenancy agreement with the main tenant, not with the owner of the apartment.
The main tenant is responsible for the home and paying rent. If the main tenant does not live in the apartment and sublets the whole apartment (jälleenvuokraus), this must always be reported to the landlord. The landlord can deny subletting the whole home for a justified reason.
Homeowners can own either a detached house or a share in a housing company
Owner-occupied housing usually means that the occupant owns either a detached house or a share in a housing company (asunto-osake). When you own a detached house, you are responsible for all renovations, taxes and other costs associated with the home and living in it.
If you own a dwelling in an apartment building or a row house, this is a share in a housing company. In this case, you do not actually own the home itself, but rather shares in the housing company which manages the building. The shareholders in the housing company jointly decide about renovations and maintenance for the building. The shareholders also pay the housing company a monthly maintenance charge (vastike), which covers the cost of heating, waste management and property maintenance services.
The plot on which the house is located can be owned by the house’s owner or a housing company. The plot of land can also be a rental plot owned by the municipality. The residents of a house which is owned by a housing company, and which is located on a rented plot, pay for the rent of the plot in their maintenance charge.
Owner-occupied homes can be found online or you can contact a real estate agent. A real estate agent can help you find an apartment and help with the purchase process.
Right-of-occupancy homes are a mix of renting and owning
A right-of-occupancy home (asumisoikeusasunto, Aso) is a form of housing which is an intermediate form between renting and owning. It means that a person has the right to live in the home, but it is owned by the company that built it. When the resident moves into the home, they must pay a right-of-occupancy fee which is 15% of the purchase value of the home. This fee is returned to the resident when they move out. The resident also pays monthly rent. Municipalities and many different companies build right-of-occupancy homes.
If you want a right-of-occupancy home, you must apply with a queue number. You must apply for the queue number from The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (Ara).
Queue number register of Ara (aso.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)
Property advertisements state the size of the home and number of rooms
Property advertisements in Finland usually state the size of the home in square meters (m2) and the number of rooms. The number of rooms includes the bedrooms and the living room as well as other dwelling rooms, but not the kitchen, bathrooms or storage rooms. These are usually mentioned separately. For example, if an advertisement says 3h+k+kph+s+p, it means that the apartment has three rooms (h - huone) – most likely a living room and two bedrooms – as well as a kitchen (k - keittiö), bathroom (kph - kylpyhuone), sauna (s - sauna), and balcony (p - parveke). The advertisement usually also contains a blueprint showing the location of the rooms in the home.
The rental advertisement typically also mentions whether or not pets are allowed. If this is not mentioned, you can ask about it from the landlord.
The tenancy agreement states the terms for renting
When a person moves into a rental home, they must sign a written contract with the landlord. The lease can be fixed term (määräaikainen) or valid until further notice (toistaiseksi voimassa oleva).
Fixed term or valid until further notice?
A fixed term agreement is valid for a specific time, for instance, a year. It terminates automatically and normally it cannot be terminated mid-contract. The agreement can state that after the fixed period, the agreement continues until further notice.
An agreement valid until further notice continues until the tenant or the landlord terminates it. If the tenant terminates the agreement, the notice period is one month. If the landlord terminates the agreement, the notice period is between three to six months. Often these agreements contain a clause stating that the agreement can be terminated only after a certain time, for instance, after 12 months.
The notice period means the time that the tenant can live in the home after termination of the tenancy agreement. The tenant must pay rent during the notice period. The termination must always be done in writing, for instance, by e-mail. If there is a dispute, proof must be provided that a notification of termination has been delivered. That is why you should ask for a confirmation e-mail when the notice has been read.
The notice period usually starts at the end of the calendar month when the termination notice is given. If the tenant terminates the lease during March, they must still pay rent for April, regardless of whether the termination has been given at the start or the end of March.
What information is required in a tenancy agreement?
For a tenancy agreement, it is helpful to use a standard model which can be easily found online. It should contain at least the following:
- the personal information and addresses of the landlord and the tenant
- the address, type, size, condition, and equipment (what things or appliances there are) of the home
- when the agreement begins and when it ends
- the rent and security deposit (takuuvuokra) in euros
- when the rent needs to be paid and to which bank account
- what is included in the rent and what is paid separately (for example, water, electricity, or a parking spot)
- the terms of rent increase, meaning the terms under which the owner of the apartment can raise the rent once a year.
A notification of move must be given whenever you move
You must submit a notification of move (muuttoilmoitus) to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, DVV) and Posti whenever you move to a new home. The notification can be submitted for both authorities with the same form. The building manager (isännöitsijä) must also be told who will move into the apartment. The building manager takes care of matters in the building.
More information on submitting the notification of move, Digital and Population Data Services Agency: Moving (dvv.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)
More information about the change of address notification, Posti: Change of address notification (posti.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)
More information about moving in Finland, InfoFinland: Moving house (infofinland.fi)
Homes are usually unfurnished
Usually, all homes in Finland include kitchen cupboards, a stove, and a fridge. Sometimes homes may include a dishwasher and clothes cupboards. Floors are usually vinyl flooring, laminate or wood. Carpet flooring is very rare.
Residents usually bring their own furniture. There are very few furnished apartments and they are usually meant for short-term residents.
Homes in apartment buildings also often include a storage cage in the basement or attic. You should check with your landlord where the storage unit is. It is not recommended to store anything valuable in the storage unit, because they are quite easy to break into.
There are often other costs in addition to rent
The security deposit is returned if you take good care of the home and pay rent
Usually, a security deposit must be paid before moving into a home. The security deposit means that the tenant pays the landlord an additional sum of money beforehand. In homes owned by a private landlord, the deposit is usually the equivalent of two months’ rent. The deposit cannot be more than three months’ rent. The deposit is often smaller with companies that own a lot of apartments.
The deposit is returned when you move out if the home is in good condition and you have paid rent on time. If you do not pay rent or the home requires fixing, the landlord can keep the deposit or a part of it. The landlord cannot keep the deposit due to regular wear and tear.
If a tenant has either deliberately or through negligent behaviour caused damages to the home with costs of fixing higher than the deposit, the landlord can demand additional reimbursement.
Other costs usually include insurance, electricity and water
You should always take home insurance and often it is mandatory. Insurance covers costs if there is a fire or water damage. Home insurances are sold by insurance companies. The tenant acquires the home insurance themselves. It is beneficial to compare insurances offered by different companies.
Rent does not include electricity. Water is not always included either. These must be paid in addition to rent. When you move into a new home, you must get an electricity contract from an electricity company. Otherwise, electricity will be cut off once the previous tenant’s contract ends.
The tenant also pays for parking and use of the laundry room and sauna.
Apartment buildings have central heating which is usually included in the rent. Gas contracts are rare. If an apartment uses gas, it is only used for cooking.
The video below discusses matters relating to renting a home.
Video: Takuusäätiö Vuokralla asuminen, Rental housing – englanti (youtube.com) Takuusäätiö (Finnish, English, Arabic, Somali)
Housing allowance can be provided in some cases
It is possible to receive a housing allowance (asumistuki) for rental costs in Finland. A shared housing allowance is provided to those living permanently in the same home. The amount of the allowance depends on the income of all those living in the home.
Housing allowance is granted for reasonable housing costs. This means that in larger cities, higher housing costs are allowed than in smaller municipalities. If the rent is more than the accepted limit, you must pay for the exceeding amount yourself.
Housing allowance must be applied for in Kela, which considers the size of the family and all income collectively before granting the allowance. The housing allowance does not cover all costs of housing, meaning that the tenant always pays a part of the rent. The tenant also pays for electricity, water and usually also internet.
Especially in the metropolitan area, rental prices are high, though rents vary depending on the location. In smaller municipalities, it is often easier to find a place to rent, and the rents are often more affordable.
More information on housing allowance, Kela: Housing allowance (kela.fi)
More information on housing allowance, InfoFinland: Housing allowance (infofinland.fi)
The tenant must take good care of the home and notify issues
The tenant must take good care of the home. If a tenant causes damages, they must pay for repairs. The tenant cannot renovate the apartment without permission from the landlord.
The tenant should view the apartment with the landlord before moving in. The tenant should write down and photograph possible faults and required repairs in the apartment. This ensures that the tenant does not need to pay for old damages when they move out.
If there is an issue in the apartment – for example, the radiator does not work or the tap leaks – the tenant must contact the property maintenance services (huoltoyhtiö). The maintenance service’s contact information can be found on the apartment building’s notification board. Many maintenance services have an online service for reporting issues. The caretaker comes and repairs the issue. If the issue is caused by the tenant, the tenant may have to pay for the repair.
The caretaker can also open the door if the resident forgets their keys inside. The resident must pay for the door opening service.
Any pests found in the apartment or building must be reported immediately to the landlord or housing company. Pests include bed bugs, mice and rats. Pests easily spread from one apartment to another. That is why it is important to get rid of them from all apartments at the same time.
More information on the occupant’s rights and obligations, InfoFinland: Rights and obligations of occupants (infofinland.fi)
A written tenancy agreement prevents disputes with the landlord
A tenancy agreement should always be done in writing. This makes it clear what has been agreed if disputes arise with the landlord later. If there are disputes with the landlord, the Consumers’ Union (Kuluttajaliitto) provides guidance for housing issues. Advice can also be sought from the Consumer Advisory Services (Kuluttajaneuvonta).
Rental guide and further information about guidance for housing issues, The Consumers’ Union of Finland: Rental Guide (kuluttajaliitto.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)
More information on Consumer Advisory Services, Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority: Consumer Advisory Services (kkv.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)
More information about housing problems and questions, InfoFinland: Housing problems (infofinland.fi)
Help and temporary accommodation are provided to the homeless
Homelessness means that a person does not have a permanent address. There are not many people in Finland who live on the street. There are, however, people who have to temporarily live with their friends or family because they do not have a home of their own.
If a person finds themselves in a situation where they do not have a home of their own, they can seek help from their own municipality’s or wellbeing services county’s housing counselling. If a person has no place to sleep, they can receive help to find temporary accommodation. This can be in a dorm-style shelter for the homeless.
If a person has to move out of their home, they must inform the Digital and Population Data Services Agency even if they do not have a new home. This lets the authorities know through the population information system that the person is homeless. For post, it is possible to register a friend’s address or a poste restante address. Poste restante means that post is directed to a post office based on the postal code. There the post can be picked up with an ID.
More information and help for homelessness: No Fixed Abode NGO (vvary.fi) (Finnish, English)
More information about poste restante services, Posti: Poste restante (posti.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)