Practicalities of living

Some aspects of living are self-evident everywhere in the world. These include getting along with neighbours. However, the type of behaviour expected of neighbours may vary. Other aspects that may vary include common areas in houses and how to manage waste. In Finland, it is important to know how to recycle waste and separate waste at home into different bins. 

Safety is also important. It is especially important to pay attention to fire safety and know what to do if there is an emergency at home.

In an apartment building, you need to be considerate of other residents

All residents need to adhere to the housing company’s rules and regulations

Each housing company has rules and regulations that all residents must follow. This makes it possible for everyone in the building to feel comfortable and safe. The rules are often listed on the housing company’s notice board or printed out rules are shared to all apartments. If you cannot find the rules, you can ask for them from your landlord or building manager.

The rules state when the building’s door is open and what time there must be silence in the building. The rules also inform the residents how to use common spaces in the building, such as the laundry room or sauna.

During the quiet hours, you are not allowed to play loud music or do renovations. Regular things, such as taking a shower or flushing the toilet, are allowed also at night. But if a neighbour regularly takes a shower at night and the noise is disturbing, this can be politely mentioned to the neighbour.

The rules can state that smoking is forbidden in the apartments. The rules may also state that smoking on the balcony is prohibited or that the housing company’s gardens are smoke-free zones. Even if smoking on the balcony is not prohibited, it is still considerate toward neighbours to go outside to smoke and to move further away from the building’s windows and balconies. Smoking is forbidden by law in buildings’ common areas, meaning the stairwell, laundry room, sauna and common rooms.

If a resident breaks the rules, they may receive a warning. If the disturbing behaviour continues, the tenancy agreement can be terminated or ownership can be transferred to the housing company. This means that the resident has to move.

Sometimes there are disputes with neighbours

All people should try to be considerate of neighbours. Especially in cities in Finland, it is normal that people do not know their neighbours. Some do not greet their neighbours because they think it is polite to leave everyone in peace. It is, however, friendly and polite to say hello and talk to neighbours if you see them in the garden or the hallway. It is safer to live in a building where you know and recognise the other residents.

Being considerate of neighbours also means that everyone takes care of the cleanliness of shared spaces. These include the garden, stairwell, laundry room and bins. In the garden, everyone puts their own waste into the bins.

If you want to visit your neighbour, you should agree to this in advance. In Finland, people can be startled by surprise visits.

Sometimes there are disputes with neighbours. Typical reasons for disputes can be loud noises or smoking on the balcony. You should always try to solve disputes through friendly conversation. If talking does not help, you can contact the housing company and ask for help.

If issues with neighbours escalate and the housing company cannot solve the issue, help can be sought from community mediation. This means that a neutral outside mediator helps the parties to find solutions for their disputes.

Reserving time slots for the shared sauna and laundry room

Finnish homes typically have saunas, even in apartment buildings. Often there is one shared sauna in the building where all residents can reserve their own time slots. Usually, the slots are for one hour each week, paid with a monthly payment.

The common sauna can only be used during your own time slot, except if there is a common sauna slot. This means that all residents can go to the sauna. There are separate times for men and for women.

Many buildings have a common laundry room and often also a drying room or a dryer. The washing machines and dryers as well as drying rooms usually require reservations. It is important that everyone adheres to the laundry room’s rules and schedule. Laundry needs to be removed before the next reservation. This makes it possible for residents to trust that they can wash their laundry as planned.

Sorting and recycling waste saves nature and money

Many people in Finland consider it important to save natural resources and protect the environment. That is why waste from homes is sorted for waste disposal into different bins in the yard or at sorting centres. After sorting, the material of the waste can be reused, which saves natural resources and money. At the same time, waste taken to landfills is reduced.

If people sort their waste incorrectly, waste disposal is slower and there are additional costs to society. All people have to pay these. The housing company also needs to pay additional charges to waste companies if waste has been sorted poorly or waste has been left outside of the bins. This may increase rent and maintenance charges.

Recycling is easy if you have different bins for different types of waste in your own kitchen.

The most common waste can often be sorted into the building’s bins

All housing companies have a garbage shed with bins for different types of waste.

Biowaste

Biowaste includes, e.g., food leftovers and fruit peels, coffee grounds and tea bags, eggshells, fish scraps and small bones. Biowaste is composted and used as soil.

Carton

The carton collection is for carton food packages, cardboard boxes, milk cartons and juice cartons. Dirty packages need to be rinsed out, but wet packages cannot be put into the bins. The packages and boxes must be flattened before putting into the bins to prevent the container from filling up quickly. Recycled carton is used to make new cardboard and carton.

Paper

The paper collection is for newspapers and magazines, paper advertisements, envelopes, books without covers and white printer paper. These are made into new paper.

Plastic

The glass collection is for glass jars and glass bottles that do not belong to the deposit refund system (pantti). The glass bins are not meant for drinking glasses, windows or mirrors. The recycled glass is used to produce new glass.

Glass

Lasinkeräykseen lajitellaan lasipurkit ja pantittomat lasipullot. Lasinkeräykseen ei saa laittaa esimerkiksi juomalaseja, ikkunalasia tai peililasia. Kerätystä lasista valmistetaan uutta lasia.

Metal

The metal collection is for metal cans, aluminium containers and aluminium foil, metal household items and small metal objects which easily fit into the bin. The collection is not for batteries, nor aerosol cans or paint jars if they are not completely empty. The metal is sorted and used to create new metal products.

Mixed waste

Mixed waste is all of the waste which cannot be put into the other bins. Mixed waste is burned, creating energy. The energy is used for heat and electricity.

Some waste needs to be taken to collection points

There is some waste that cannot be disposed of in the building’s containers. They must be taken to the appropriate collection points.

Hazardous waste

It is extremely important to separate hazardous waste. If hazardous waste is put into mixed waste, poisonous substances can leak into nature. Hazardous waste includes fluorescent lights, batteries, paints, glues and different types of chemicals. These must be taken to hazardous waste collection points or waste stations. Batteries, energy-saving lights and fluorescent lights can be returned to shops which sell them.

Electronic waste

Electronic waste also needs to be separated from other waste. This includes old appliances and computers. Old electronic devices can be returned to shops which sell electronics.

Medicine

Old medicine must be taken to pharmacies. Medicine is returned in a transparent and air-tight plastic bag. Empty medicine packages are recycled according to their material into glass or plastic waste.

Items can be recycled at flea markets

Giving away or selling items which are no longer needed also saves the environment and natural resources. For example, clothes or furniture in good condition or functional appliances can be sold at flea markets or online. They can also be donated to recycling centres or charity shops.

In Finland, it is very common for people to buy clothes and other items second hand. Even those who can afford new things buy second hand. People are often proud if they have been able to find a nice or special piece of clothing or item second hand for little money, and they will gladly tell others. For many people, it is important that buying second hand is more environmentally friendly than buying new things.

There is a deposit for bottles and cans

Most bottles and cans sold in shops have a deposit. When you return an empty bottle or can to the shop, you are refunded the small deposit. Companies reuse the returned bottles and cans.

You should try to save water and electricity at home

Why should you save energy?

In Finland, reducing energy use is important. Reducing the use of energy and water saves money because this results in smaller electricity and water bills. By saving energy, people also protect the environment. All people should be conservative with their electricity, energy and water consumption. The less energy is used, the better we can protect our planet from climate change.

Climate change means that the temperature on earth is slowly rising. Climate change has a lot of serious consequences for the lives of all people and animals on our planet. When the earth’s temperature rises, farming becomes more difficult. Extreme weather conditions become even more extreme, meaning that in some places it is even drier and hotter than before and in other places it is even wetter and colder. These changes are a danger to people, animals and our living environment. Diseases spread and species go extinct.

Adjusting heating is an integral way of saving energy

The temperature at home during winter should be a maximum of 20–22 degrees Celsius. If the apartment needs to be aired out, all of the windows should be opened for a couple of minutes.

The temperatures for the fridge and freezer should be kept at the correct level. The fridge should be 4°C or lower and the freezer should be -18°C. The freezer has to be regularly defrosted, for example, once a year. If there is a thick layer of ice in the freezer, it wastes energy.

Electronic devices and lights should be turned off when they are not in use.

There are different types of electricity contracts. Electricity can cost the same amount at all times or its price can vary according to how much demand there is for electricity each day at different times. This type of contract with varying prices is called exchange electricity (pörssisähkö). If you have an exchange electricity contract, you can save money, for example, by washing laundry late in the evening when electricity is usually cheaper. You can download an application on your phone to see the price of electricity.

Do not leave water running

Dishes should not be washed under running water. It is better to fill two sinks with warm water, using one sink to wash the dishes and the other for rinsing. This saves a lot of water. Wasting water increases costs. Showers should be quick and the shower should be turned off during soaping.

In Finland, houses are airtight to keep the warmth inside during winter. These houses do not withstand moisture well, and moisture easily causes issues with walls and floors. That is why you should not use a lot of water when cleaning floors or walls. If the walls or floors get wet, they need to be thoroughly dried. Ventilation in houses lets the moist air out. Vents should not be closed and they should be kept clean throughout the year.

Fire safety can save lives

Finnish law states that all homes must have a fire alarm. There should be a fire alarm in all bedrooms and the entryway. If a home has multiple rooms, multiple fire alarms are also needed. Fire alarms are placed into the ceiling. It is important to regularly check that they are functioning.

You can also buy a fire blanket and fire extinguisher for your home. They can be used to put out a small fire.

Instructions for fire safety:

• Appliances are not to be left on when you leave the house.
• Candles should not be lit without constant supervision.
• Ovens and stoves heat up quickly. It is important to check that the stove is not accidentally left on. Nothing should be stored on the stove.
• The sauna must always be switched off. Nothing should be stored above the sauna stove, and the sauna is not a suitable place for drying clothes.
• Nothing should be left on top of electronic radiators as this can cause a fire.
• Smoking indoors is a fire safety hazard.

If there is a fire, you should call 112 immediately. In an apartment building, you should not exit the apartment if there is smoke in the hallway. The lift cannot be used during a fire.

It is important that everyone who lives in the home – including children – know what to do if there is a fire. No furniture should be kept in front of the balcony door, so that it is possible to use it as an exit if necessary.

What to do in an emergency

The emergency number in Finland is 112.

The emergency number is only to be called if the matter is urgent. You can call the emergency number if someone’s life, health, property or environment is in danger. After calling the emergency number, the police, fire department, ambulance, or social welfare authority may come. The emergency response centre evaluates whether help is needed and which authority is required for the situation. Calling the emergency number is free of charge.

Instructions for calling the emergency number:

• Explain what has happened.
• Answer questions that are asked of you.
• Tell the exact address and city/town where you need help.
• Follow the instructions you receive.
• Do not hang up until you receive permission.

You must tell the emergency response centre as precisely as possible where you are calling from. This ensures that help will arrive at the correct location. The emergency response centre has technology to help locate the call. However, the emergency response centre does not know which apartment the call is coming from within an apartment building. You must be able to tell this yourself.

The emergency response centre can use an interpreter during the call. If you require an interpreter, you must clearly state at the start of the call that you need an interpreter and for which language. Do not hang up while the operator connects to the interpreter service.

You must not call the emergency number if there is no need.

You should not call the emergency number for these reasons:

• If someone has a common disease, such as the flu. Instead, you can call the health centre.
• If you want to ask a general question about healthcare, traffic or fire safety. These are not emergencies, so you should not call the emergency number.
• The emergency number should not be called because of a power outage or traffic jam if no one is in danger. The emergency response centre does not help with these matters.

You can download the 112 Suomi application on your phone. There are also other services for health and safety in the application.