Housing: learning materials

Description of assignment

• The assignment is suitable as a classroom assignment or it can be made into a larger assignment to be assessed together with the assignment on owner-occupied housing. The assignment can be completed either alone or with a partner.
• Time estimate 30–45 minutes.

First, think about the benefits of rental housing either by yourself or with a pair. You can use a copy of a social studies textbook that covers rental and owner-occupied housing.

Then, familiarise yourself with the Renting a home page on the Suomi.fi Web Service and answer the questions:

1. You are moving from your parents’ home for the first time, and you need a rental dwelling. How do you apply for rental housing from a municipality and from a private landlord?
2. What if you're a student? How can you get student housing? What are the benefits of student housing?
3. You're about to enter into a lease. Which three (3) issues are important to take into account when concluding the lease?
4. The landlord asks you for a security deposit. What does this mean?
5. What should you agree on with your landlord? Please provide a few examples.

Your friend needs help with a rental dwelling. Help your friend find the answers to their questions.

• There's mold in my rental dwelling. What can I do?
• My rental apartment is about to undergo plumbing renovation. Can I claim a discount on my rent?
• The landlord said he is allowed to enter my apartment. Does the landlord the right to do this?
• I found a better rental dwelling. How can I terminate my current lease? In general, a lease is valid indefinitely.
• In my future rental dwelling, the lease will be fixed-term. What does this mean?

Advanced assignment: Go to the Renting a home, services page in the Suomi.fi Web Service and search for the instructions for getting rental housing in your municipality of residence. If your municipality does not have rental housing, you can search for rental housing in another municipality. 

• Does the municipality have its own rental housing?
• Where can I ask about rental housing?
• Are there any conditions for getting rental housing?
• Where can I search for apartments?

Description of assignment

• The assignment is suitable as a classroom assignment or it can be made into a larger assignment to be assessed together with the assignment on rental housing. The assignment can be completed either alone or with a partner.
• Time estimate 30–45 minutes.

Purchasing a dwelling: First, read the instructions for Purchasing a home or property page in the Suomi.fi Web Service. Then answer the questions.

• When you buy a flat or terraced house, you buy shares in a housing company. What does this mean? 
• How does buying a single-family house differ from this?
• You're selling your apartment. What responsibilities do you have/what are your responsibilities?

Your friend is buying an apartment in a block of flats and asks you for help. Help them by answering the following questions using the Suomi.fi Web Service.

• When can you move into the apartment?
• Do I have to pay some kind of taxes when buying an apartment?
• The buyer finds a flaw in the apartment after the purchase. What should they do in this situation?

Building a house: First, read the Construction and renovation page and the Purchasing a home or property page in the Suomi.fi Web Service. Then answer the questions.

• What permits do you need, and where can you get these permits?
• For a house, you’ll need a property where the house will be built. What certificates do you need to buy a property?
• You need a registered title to buy a property. What does this mean?
• What taxes do you have to pay when you buy a property?

Advanced assignment:

Consider alone or with a pair how owner-occupied housing differs from rental housing. You don't necessarily want to buy an owner-occupied apartment, but a rental apartment seems too uncertain. A right-of-occupancy dwelling could be an option.

• What are the potential benefits of owner-occupied housing?
• In what situation is rental housing a better option than buying a dwelling? 
• Find out briefly what right-of-occupancy housing means in practice and how it differs from rental or owner-occupied housing.
• What is the price of right-of-occupancy housing in your locality? Search for right-of-occupancy housing, for example through Oikotie.fi.