Helsinki Accommodation

What are the top factors to keep in mind when searching for a place to live in your city?

Always demand a written tenancy agreement.

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What are the most popular neighborhoods in your city for expats?

Helsinki city center: The city center is always a popular choice for singles and families alike wanting to be in the heart of the action and close to the shops and services. Popular areas are Eira, Punavuori, Töölö and Kruunuhaka. In the city center, you are generally better off without your own car as everything is relatively close by, public transport readily available and parking spaces difficult to find.

Ruoholahti, Helsinki: Located just 2 km from Helsinki central railway station, Ruoholahti is a popular area for foreigners due to its close proximity to the city center and excellent accessibility by bus, metro and tram. Also, the international school is located in Ruoholahti, making it a perfect choice for families with children. Ruoholahti is an apartment building area located right by the waterfront.

City of Espoo: As many corporate offices are located to the west of Helsinki in the city of Espoo, popular residential areas are, for example, Matinkylä, Nuottaniemi & Soukka. These areas have more detached-house-style family homes and are generally suited for households with a car.

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Do expats tend to buy or rent their homes?

Expats tend to rent their homes.

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Typically, will I be required to pay additional money up front (such as a deposit) before moving into leased housing? If so, how much is common?

One to three months’ rent. The deposit is returned once the tenancy agreement is canceled. If damages are found in the residence at the end of the lease, costs related to fixing the damages can be deducted from the deposit.

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Are utilities generally included in the price of rent, or are they extra?

You can obtain an electricity contract by calling an electricity company and supplying them with your name and address. Residents have the responsibility to buy and change light bulbs and fuses.

The tenancy agreement will indicate whether water bills are included in the rent or whether they are payable separately each month.

If you have a landline, inform the telephone company of your new address and a landline connection will be established.

If you have a television, you will need a TV license. TV licenses are available from Viestintävirasto.

By Finnish law, each residence must have a fire alarm. Make sure your fire alarm is in operation. Residents are responsible for replacing the batteries of fire alarms approximately once a year. Home insurance does not cover a fire if the fire alarm was out of order prior to and during the fire.

Home insurance is provided by insurance companies. Insurance companies will help you to choose the right kind of insurance for you. Make sure that you know exactly what is covered by the insurance.

Household appliances are the responsibility of residents, so look after your refrigerator, freezer, cooker, cooker hood and washing machine. You will need permission from your landlord to put up a satellite dish.

Balconies are for the residents’ recreational purposes only. Cooking or storing food on a balcony is not permitted.

Litter is discarded in closed-up bags into containers that are indicated for that purpose. Poisonous material, electrical waste and scrap electronics are hazardous waste and cannot be deposited in the waste containers of the property. A container for biological waste is provided for food remains. Do not put plastic or other litter in the biological waste container.

 

Are there special security concerns I should be aware of in regards to my home or choice of neighborhood?

Each part of town has its own character and atmosphere. All areas are generally safe, but as in all capitals and larger cities there are areas that one should avoid.

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I’m not sure if I should bring my appliances. What is the electric current, Hz and plug shape in your city?

220-230V

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Do you have any other accommodation information that might help me?

Each building usually has a house committee, which is connected to the board of the housing association. The house committee is a channel for communicating the occupants’ opinions and wishes. Participation in occupants’ meetings can be beneficial. You can get elected to the occupants’ committee, which is a good place to influence the affairs of your own building. You can also contact the house committee if housing-related problems arise.

 

Below is a list of places where you can look for an apartment:

 

  • Rented housing

Announcements concerning apartments for rent can be found on the Internet, in newspapers, on bulletin boards, etc.

You can also contact real estate agencies.

Many banks, insurance companies and foundations own apartments that are available for rent.

Apartments for rent are also provided by the municipalities. Selection criteria is based on the need for accommodation, financial resources and income. You can obtain more details from the local information pages or from your own municipality website.

The asuminen.fi website contains a list of links to the websites of operators offering state-subsidized rental housing (in Finnish and Swedish).

 

  • Right-of-occupancy housing

The asuminen.fi website contains a list of links to the websites of operators offering right-of-occupancy housing (in Finnish, Swedish and English).

 

  • Owner-occupied housing

Announcements concerning apartments for sale can be found on the Internet and in newspapers

You can also contact a real estate agent

 

  • Part-ownership housing

The www.asuminen.fi website has a list of links to the websites of operators offering part-ownership housing.

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Useful Links

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Crown Relocations has made every effort to present accurate information. However, regulations, rates and other variables are subject to change and Crown Relocations cannot accept responsibility for the errors that might result. Please contact your closest embassy or consulate for confirmation.