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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 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 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 (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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