A tenant lives in a dwelling that is owned by someone else and usually pays rent for it on a monthly basis. Both the tenant and the landlord may terminate or cancel the tenancy agreement based on justifications laid down in law.
Many municipalities own rental homes. They are usually less expensive than other rental homes. You can search for information on rental homes at websites of cities and other municipalities.
Rental homes owned by cities and other municipalities are allocated on the basis of means testing. Your chances of getting a municipal rental home depend on your housing needs, wealth and income. When you are applying for a rental home, you must detail these matters in your application.
If you are applying for a municipal rental home, you must complete the application in the housing office of your municipality. In many municipalities, you can also complete and send the application on the municipality's website. Please note that you do not necessarily get the home at once because you may be put on a waiting list.
You can usually get a privately owned rental home more quickly than a municipal rental home. You can search for privately rented homes on the internet and in local newspapers. You can also produce your own wanted advert. If you use an agent when searching for a privately rented home, you must pay a commission to the agent.
If you are a student, you can apply for rental homes specifically intended for students. The student housing foundations operating in large cities only rent homes to students.
You should always make the tenancy agreement in writing so that both parties know what has been agreed. An oral tenancy agreement is also valid but if there is a dispute it may be difficult to prove what has been agreed. An oral tenancy agreement is considered to be in effect until further notice.
Before signing the tenancy agreement, you should inspect the flat with the landlord. The condition of the flat at the start of the tenancy agreement and any defects in it should be put on paper.
A tenancy agreement may be in effect until further notice or for a fixed period of time. Neither party can terminate a fixed-term tenancy agreement before it expires. A fixed-term agreement may sometimes be considered to have become valid until further notice. This may happen if a fixed-term tenancy agreement has been concluded for 2-3 months, but you continue to live in the dwelling with the landlord’s consent after that.
The landlord may ask you to pay a deposit. For example, you may have to pay one month's rent as a deposit. The landlord may also require you to name a person who guarantees the payment of the rent . This person must pay the rent if you don't do it.
You can agree with the landlord on a broad range of matters in a tenancy agreement. You can agree on
You can also make changes to the tenancy agreement. The tenancy agreement and the changes to it should be made in writing.
When you rent out a flat, you must agree to pay rent according to the tenancy agreement. Many landlords also require a rent security deposit. The landlord may have your credit history checked before concluding the tenancy agreement.
You may be required to enclose other documents with your housing application depending on the party offering the flat. The scope is primarily to verify the tenant`s financial stability, identity and other relevant matters. The landlord has to explain why a specific document is requested and they must also respect tenant privacy and only request information that is reasonably necessary for the rental process.
Such documents may include:
You have the right to move to the flat on the first day of the tenancy. Otherwise, the landlord must pay you a compensation for the losses that you have suffered as a result of the delay.
You can cancel the tenancy agreement if using the flat causes you a health hazard. For example, because of mould problems. You can also cancel the tenancy agreement if the landlord fails to make the necessary repairs.
You may have the right to a reduction in rent if the flat is partially unusable because of pipe repairs or other similar reasons.
Under the law, the landlord may not discriminate against you because of such factors as ethnic origin, religion, sexual or gender orientation, or nationality.
If you are a student, you may get a student housing supplementOpens in a new window.. The amount of the housing supplement varies depending on the municipality and may not exceed 80 per cent of housing costs. Like other student financial aid, you can get the housing supplement only for the months that you study. The housing supplement has the same income limits as student financial aid and is personal. This means that, for example, the income of a flatmate or partner does not affect the amount of the housing supplement.
If you are not a student or you are not entitled to student financial aid, you can get general housing allowanceOpens in a new window. from Kela if your income is low. General housing allowance is intended to help you pay for housing expenses. Housing allowance may not exceed 70 per cent of housing costs.
The landlord may only go to your flat if there are special reasons for doing so. Checking the condition of the flat is considered a special reason. The landlord must notify you of the visit in advance. In an emergency, the property manager or property maintenance workers can go to the flat using a master key even if you are not at home.
When the tenant gives notice, the notice period is one calendar month. The landlord must return the rent security deposit within two weeks of the end of the agreement.
When the landlord gives notice, the notice period is
As a rule, a fixed-term lease is binding on both parties for the full term, and you can only terminate it in certain special situations laid down in law.
If you terminate a fixed-term lease before the end of its term, it’s common that you have to pay compensation to the landlord. At most, this compensation can be the amount of rent you would have paid for the remaining term of lease. Among other things, the amount of the compensation depends on how long the remaining term is and how soon the landlord can find a new tenant for the apartment.
The tenant or the landlord has the right to revoke the lease at once for certain reasons. Usually, the reason is that one of the parties has failed to fulfill his obligations. Read more about these situations on the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority`s pages about Revoking a contract of leaseOpens in a new window..