 Finding
a House or Apartment in Finland
Buying
Property in Finland
Student
Housing in Finland
Emergency
/ Crisis Accommodation
Finnish
Tenancy Agreements
Address
Notification
Insurance
Property
Search Sites & Services
See also: Infopankki (Information
Bank) - more
information
Houses and apartments in Finland are generally of good quality,
well heated in winter, and have all modern conveniences.
Home ownership rates are high. Both housing projects and
individual homes tend to be small-scale by international
standards.
More general information on Finnish housing can be found
at the Ministry of Environment's pages Housing
Standards and Housing
Types.
Finding
a House or Apartment (Asunto) in Finland
Accommodation in Finland is usually in an
apartment, and free-standing houses are rare in cities. For
people arriving with prearranged work it is often possible
to organise at least temporary accommodation through the
employer. Many companies own apartments for the specific
purpose of short-term use by employees, and some offer long-term
contracts as well.
If your employer cannot help with accommodation
you will probably have to try the free market, whether through
advertisements in the newspapers (generally Sunday editions)
or through an agent. Occupancy rates are high, particularly
in Helsinki, and finding housing can be time-consuming. Agents'
fees are average to high by international standards, so renting
directly from the owner is the cheapest option. If you have
a network of friends/colleagues, pass the word on that you
are looking for housing - many apartments disappear through
word of mouth before they ever reach the newspapers/agencies.
Online Searches: For
a long time only a few companies offered online property
searches. Recently many Finland-wide and regional property
search sites have emerged, some even providing a little service
in English! See
the list below.
The Finnish-only sites are generally quite
simple and can be used with a rudimentary knowledge of the
Finnish language - to help you along see
common
property search terms translated.
Agencies: There
are many agencies offering property for long-term rental
(usually 1-year minimum) or for sale. Several large agencies
which offer an online, Finland-wide property search are listed below.
Commissions to agents vary but it is not unusual to pay the
equivalent of one month's rent plus tax (currently 22%).
Banks, Insurance
Companies and Foundations: Banks have vast amounts
of information available on accommodation, house hunting,
funding and mortgages, right-of-occupancy properties, part-ownership
properties and renting. Many banks, insurance companies
and foundations also own properties that they let out.
*See also Tenancy
Agreement for information on contents of rental property.
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Purchasing property in Finland is much simpler
than in many countries; the beauty is that there need be no
lawyers involved!
The estate agent and bank managers handle
all the legal issues, and the buying & selling parties
just sign. From the time of sale agreement you generally
agree on a moving date - usually one to two weeks.
Even though the legal documents will be
in Finnish, most estate agents engage staff with good English
and the banks, too, generally have no trouble producing a
good English speaker.
A transfer tax (1.5
- 4%) is payable on transfers of real property and securities.
First-home buyers (including foreign first-home buyers) are
exempt from the transfer tax when they meet the requirements
set out in the Finnish Tax Administration's publication:
First-home
Buyers' Tax Exemption
If you take a home loan you will also be
eligible for a reduced income tax rate. The reduction depends
on the amount of interest you pay on your loan in one calendar
year.
Application for tax card with lower tax percentage
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Student
Housing in Finland
Finnish
Student Housing Ltd provides a wealth of information
for international students in English / Finnish / Swedish.
Topics at the site include:
- about student apartments
- housing types
- costs
- application procedures and forms
- culture & adaption
- links to individual student housing sites for the following
cities:
Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani,
Kemi, Kotka, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Pori,
Rauma, Rovaniemi, Savonlinna, Seinäjoki, Tampere,
Turku, Vaasa
NOTE: Finland's Student Housing Ltd does not rent out
apartments, but from its office you can get information
on Finland's student housing associations and their apartments,
and on student housing in general.
Contact Details:
Finnish Student Housing Ltd
Kalevankatu 4 A 16
00100 Helsinki - Finland
Tel. +358-9-6803 3451
Fax +358-9-6803 3452
E-mail: info@soa.fi
Web site (English): http://www.soa.fi/eng/index.htm
HYY TKY KY (Student Unions Housing Service - Helsinki)
For students of the University of Helsinki, Helsinki University
of Technology or Helsinki School of Economics, the Student Unions Housing Service has
an impressive list of privately owned apartments available
for very reasonable rents, for the period of the student's
exchange or degree studies.
Studying in Finland
For information on studying in Finland, scholarships, practical
training, and more go to the Centre
for International Mobility - CIMO
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Emergency
/ Crisis Accommodation
There are organisations which can arrange temporary residence
or services for the homeless, or people in crisis.
- Salvation
Army (Pelastusarmeija - minimal English)
Accommodation in Helsinki, Lahti, Kotka and Pori
Uudenmaankatu 40
PL 161, 00121 Helsinki
Ph:. (09) 681 2300
Fax: (09) 601 131
E-maili: finland@pelastusarmeija.fi
- Deaconess
Institute (Diakonissalaitos - Finnish only)
Housing services for people of all ages and situations
in Helsinki
- Social
and Family Services - City of Helsinki
Click 'Social and Family Services' (English/Finnish/Swedish/German/French)
- Service
Accommodation Unit Alppitupa (Finnish only)
Search for 'Palveluasumisyksikkö Alppitupa' in
HAE box.
For elderly people with alcohol problems in Helsinki
Alppikatu 2
00530 Helsinki
Tel. 7750 4657
- Salli
Support Centre for Homeless Women (Finnish only)
Search for 'Naisten tukipiste Salli' in HAE box.
Where women can discuss matters, wash, do laundry, cook
and rest
Hylkeenpyytäjänkatu 5
00150 Helsinki
Tel. 7750 4692
- Lehmustupa (Finnish
only)
Search for 'Lehmustupa' in HAE box.
For people who require support and care
Alppikatu 2
00530 Helsinki
Tel. 7750 4070
- Accommodation
Units for Women (Finnish only)
Search for 'Naisten asumisyksikkö' in HAE box.
For long-term homeless women in Helsinki
Helsinginkatu 50 D
00530 Helsinki
Tel. 7750 4692
- Accommodation
Community Villa Nova (Finnish only)
Search for ' Asumisyhteisö Villa Nova' in
HAE box.
For homeless men
Alppikatu 2a
00530 Helsinki
Tel. 7750 5722
Fax. 565 2150
First Homes (Ensikodit) are
for young pregnant mothers without a support of a partner.
Contact The
Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters (in
English).
Violent Situations
- Metropolitan
Refuge (Pääkaupungin turvakoti)
Protection from physical or psychological violence
for people over 18
Steniuksentie 20, 00320 Helsinki, Tel. 09-4777180
- Red
Cross Emergency Youth Shelters (English/Finnish/Swedish)
A place where people under 18 can stay the night
and talk about matters that worry them
- Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku
Head Office:
Tehtaankatu 1a
00140 Helsinki
Tel. 12 931
Fax. 129 3321
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Finnish
Tenancy Agreements
When renting a property it is common to
pay two months' rent as a security deposit, plus the first
month's rent in advance. Rent is usually paid monthly and
cannot be increased during the term of the agreement; these
conditions should be included in the agreement. So long as
the apartment is maintained in good condition the deposit
is returned in full at the termination of the agreement.
Typically, the tenant´s term of notice is one calendar
month and the lessor´s term of notice is three months.
If a Finnish tenancy agreement has been valid for more than
a year, the lessor´s term of notice is six months.
Contents of Rental Property
When signing the agreement make sure you
understand what is included in the deal. In Finland the situation
is very different to Australia, for example.
When you move in to a rented property, do
not expect to find:
- light fittings (except bathroom and perhaps kitchen)
- carpets / carpeting
- curtains
Do expect to find:
- a refrigerator, and often a freezer
- an oven
- water payments to be included in the rent
Electricity
Once you have signed the agreement, contact the local electricity
provider to have the account switched to your name. This
can be done by telephone.
In Helsinki:
Helsingin
Energia (English, Finnish, Swedish)
Tel: (09) 6171
Fax: (09) 617 2360
Address
Notification
Once you find a place to live (or if you
change your address) you will want to be able to receive
your mail directly! You should notify the post office of
your address. This can be done by telephone or at your nearest
post office.
If you go personally to the post office
you will also be given postcards for informing your new address
to your friends and relatives in Finland (cards and postage
free of charge).
Post office locations available
from the Itella (formerly Posti) Consumer Helpline:
Phone: 0200 71000 (local call / mobile charge)
International Phone: +358 200 71000 (international rates
apply)
- Information on services, prices, post offices,
postal codes, delivery, home delivery, etc
- Mon-Fri 8a.m. to 8p.m., Sat 9a.m. to 2p.m.
Change-of-address notifications to Itella
(formerly Posti) and registry office:
Phone: 0203 456 456 * 24 h a day (local call charge / mobile
charge)
- Cost of phone call approx. EUR 0.15 (landline)
or approx. EUR 0.88 (mobile).
Finnish Postal Service Web Site - Itella (formerly
Posti):
http://www.posti.fi/english/index.html (Finnish/English/Swedish)
Insurance
It is common for a lessor to require that
the tenant purchase insurance on the apartment. Contents
insurance is reasonably priced in Finland and can be obtained
from many companies - see Insurance
- Life & General.
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