Renting in Helsinki: deposits and Hoas

Helsinki is where most Americans moving to Finland start their housing search, and it is also where the market is tightest. InfoFinland, the information service of Finnish public authorities, notes that it is often difficult to find a suitable flat for rent in the largest cities, where rents are also higher. Knowing the three main routes, private flats, the City of Helsinki's Heka homes and Hoas student housing, along with the rules on deposits and notice, saves time and money.

What landlords expect

According to InfoFinland, landlords usually require a good credit history and income or funds to pay the rent. Some may require that you have registered your right of residence or hold a residence permit valid for at least one year, and you may be asked for a Finnish personal identity code. Be ready to prove your identity.

For newcomers without Finnish credit history, bring an employment contract and proof of income. Finnish law forbids a landlord choosing a tenant from discriminating on grounds such as ethnic origin, religion or nationality.

Private rentals

Private flats are usually quicker to get than municipal ones, but rents are generally higher. How it works:

1. Search. Look online using the search term "vuokra-asunto" and in local newspapers. You can also publish your own wanted ad.
2. View. Contact the landlord to agree a showing. Showings are often held for all interested people at once, and you receive an application form there.
3. Decide fast. Popular areas rent very quickly, so decide promptly once you find a good fit.
4. Sign in writing. Always conclude the lease in writing.

You do not need an agent. If you search yourself, you pay no commission. If you hire an agent to find a flat for you, you must make a written assignment agreement and pay a commission, agreed in writing in advance.

The rent security deposit

InfoFinland explains that almost all tenancy agreements require a rent security deposit paid to the landlord in advance:

• The deposit usually equals two months' rent.
• It can be worth three months' rent at the most.
• Pay it by the date in the agreement; you usually get the keys once it is paid.

When the tenancy ends, the landlord inspects the dwelling. You get the whole deposit back unless you have broken something or failed to pay enough rent. Photograph the flat on move-in day so you can show its condition later.

Rent and running costs

Rent is usually paid monthly by bank transfer by the due date in your agreement. On top of the rent, expect:

• a water fee, often based on the number of residents, paid with the rent;
• your own electricity contract with an electricity company;
• heating, which is usually included with central heating but may be separate with oil or electric heating;
• fees for the building's sauna, laundry room or parking space, paid to the housing company.

Fixed-term or open-ended

A tenancy valid until further notice ends only when one side gives notice. A fixed-term agreement ends on the agreed date without notice and cannot be terminated during its term by either side. If you are unsure how long you will stay, an open-ended agreement is more flexible.

For a tenant, the notice period is always one calendar month, and it usually starts at the end of the month in which you give notice. Give notice in writing and keep proof. For a landlord, notice is three months if the tenancy has lasted under a year and six months if longer.

City of Helsinki Heka homes

Many Finnish municipalities own rental homes that are often cheaper than other rentals. In Helsinki these are Heka apartments. The city states that tenants are chosen by housing need, wealth and income, not by queue, and priority goes to the homeless and to low-income applicants with the most urgent need.

### Urgency levels

The application system assigns an urgency level. The extremely urgent level includes, among others, employees working in Helsinki with no home there, provided the work is permanent or otherwise continuous. Seasonal work, summer jobs, internships and work trials do not count. The city reports that about half of those who received a Heka apartment had an extremely urgent need.

### Income and wealth limits

The City of Helsinki publishes limits. The monthly gross income limit is EUR 3,540 for one adult, EUR 6,020 for two adults, and EUR 4,190 for one adult with one child. Wealth limits for 2026 run from EUR 84,000 for one person to EUR 217,000 for five. Income from abroad counts as income.

### Applying

1. Fill in the application online, choosing areas, maximum rent and preferences.
2. Confirm it by identifying yourself with online banking credentials or a mobile certificate, or in person with a passport at the advisory service at Työpajankatu 8.
3. Renew it: applications are valid for three months.
4. If you get an offer, submit attachments such as your pre-completed tax return and income certificate.

Heka checks every adult applicant's credit record before offering an apartment. Declining an offer cancels your application. The city allocates 5,000 to 6,000 apartments a year against about 8,000 active applications, so waiting times cannot be predicted.

Average Heka rents published by the city include about EUR 620 for a studio and EUR 820 for a two-bedroom apartment.

Hoas student housing

Hoas is a non-profit foundation offering student housing in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. Apply as soon as you are accepted to an educational institution in the Helsinki metropolitan area; your studies must be full-time and lead to a degree. Hoas reports waiting times from a few weeks to over a year, and its application asks how much rent you are willing to pay. Shared apartments are the cheaper option.

Switching within Heka

Once you live in a Heka apartment, you can apply to switch to another one if you have lived in your current Heka home on an open-ended agreement for at least six months, have kept up with rent and other housing payments, have had no notices or written warnings for behaviour in the past year, and your income is within the limit. This matters for families who arrive small and grow.

Tracking rent levels

Statistics Finland publishes quarterly statistics on rents of dwellings, including median rents of non-subsidised flats by number of rooms in the largest towns. Use them to judge whether an asking rent is in line with the market.

Checklist

• Proof of income and ID ready before viewings.
• Two to three months' rent set aside for the deposit.
• Lease signed in writing; notice rules understood.
• Electricity contract arranged before move-in.
• Heka or Hoas application filed early if you qualify.

Common questions

How big is a rental deposit in Helsinki? It usually equals two months' rent and can be at most three months' rent.

What is the notice period for a tenant in Finland? One calendar month, usually counted from the end of the month in which you give written notice.

Can Americans apply for a Heka apartment? Selection is by housing need, income and wealth, not nationality. Employees working permanently in Helsinki with no home there are in the extremely urgent group.

Who can apply for Hoas housing? Students accepted to full-time, degree-leading studies at an educational institution in the Helsinki metropolitan area.