The Finnish housing words you will meet most often are kaksio (a two-room flat), vuokravakuus (the rental deposit), isännöitsijä (the property manager), taloyhtiö (the housing company) and muuttoilmoitus (the change of address you file when you move). Below are more than 70 words in five groups: rental ads, renting, the building, moving and the authorities, and waste and recycling. The notes say why each word matters in practice.
Rental ads and types of home
| Finnish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| yksiö | studio flat | One room plus a kitchen or kitchenette |
| kaksio | two-room flat | A living room and one bedroom; a one-bedroom flat in UK or US terms |
| kolmio | three-room flat | A living room and two bedrooms |
| 2h+k+s | two rooms, kitchen, sauna | The usual way ads describe a flat |
| h / k / kk / kt | room / kitchen / kitchenette / kitchen area | huone, keittiö, keittokomero, keittotila |
| s / kph / wc | sauna / bathroom / separate toilet | sauna, kylpyhuone, wc |
| p / lasitettu parveke | balcony / glazed balcony | parveke |
| vh | walk-in closet | vaatehuone |
| kerrostalo | apartment block | Most flats in Helsinki |
| rivitalo | terraced house | A row of attached homes, each with its own door outside |
| paritalo | semi-detached house | Two homes under one roof |
| omakotitalo (OKT) | detached house | |
| uudiskohde | new build | |
| kerros | floor | The ground floor is 1. kerros, so "3rd floor" means two floors up |
| hissi / hissitön | lift / no lift | Matters for moving time and price |
| vuokra / kk | rent per month | kk = kuukausi, month |
| vesimaksu | water fee | Often charged per person per month on top of the rent |
Renting
| Finnish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vuokrasopimus | lease, rental agreement | |
| toistaiseksi voimassa oleva | open-ended (lease) | The tenant's notice period is one month |
| määräaikainen | fixed-term (lease) | Cannot be ended with notice |
| vuokranantaja | landlord | |
| vuokralainen | tenant | |
| vuokravakuus, takuuvuokra | rental deposit | See getting your deposit back |
| irtisanominen | giving notice | Do it in writing |
| irtisanomisaika | notice period | Try the notice period calculator |
| muuttotarkastus | move-out inspection | The landlord checks the flat before returning the deposit |
| kotivakuutus | home insurance | Many landlords require it |
| luottotiedot | credit record | Many landlords check that you have no payment defaults |
| maksuhäiriömerkintä | payment default entry | A note in the credit register that can block a rental |
| vuokrankorotus | rent increase | |
| asumistuki | housing allowance | Paid by Kela, based on the whole household's income |
The building and the housing company
| Finnish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| taloyhtiö, As Oy | housing company | Owns and runs the building; As Oy = asunto-osakeyhtiö |
| isännöitsijä | property manager | Handles the building's administration, notices and resident lists |
| huoltoyhtiö | maintenance company | Fixes faults, clears snow, keeps the building running |
| huoltomies | caretaker | |
| vikailmoitus | fault report | How you report a leaking tap or a blocked drain |
| järjestyssäännöt | house rules | Quiet hours are often from 22 to 7 |
| saunavuoro | sauna turn | Your weekly time slot in the building's shared sauna |
| pyykkitupa | laundry room | Shared washing machines, booked by time slot |
| kuivaushuone | drying room | |
| irtaimistovarasto | storage room | Shared storage for things like bikes and skis |
| kellarikomero / ullakkokomero | cellar / attic storage unit | Your own lockable unit; empty it before you move out |
| väestönsuoja | civil defence shelter | Often used as storage in normal times |
| jätekatos / jätehuone | waste shelter / waste room | Not a place for furniture |
| nimitaulu | name board | The residents' list in the entrance hall |
| postiluukku | mail slot | In the front door of the flat |
| autopaikka | parking space | |
| lämpöpaikka | parking space with a heater socket | For the car's engine heater in winter |
Moving and the authorities
| Finnish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| muutto | move | |
| muuttopäivä | moving day | |
| muuttoauto | moving truck | |
| muuttolaatikko | moving box | See moving boxes |
| kantomatka | carrying distance | From the truck to your door; affects the time |
| tilapäinen pysäköintikielto | temporary no-parking zone | Can be ordered from the city for moving day |
| muuttoilmoitus | change of address | Filed with DVV or Posti, at the latest a week after the move |
| DVV | Digital and Population Data Services Agency | Keeps the population register |
| henkilötunnus, hetu | personal identity code | |
| pankkitunnukset | online banking codes | Used to log in to most Finnish e-services |
| Kela | Social Insurance Institution of Finland | Benefits such as the housing allowance |
| OmaVero | MyTax | The Tax Administration's e-service |
| kotikunta | municipality of residence | |
| muuttosiivous | move-out cleaning | See move-out cleaning |
| kotitalousvähennys | household tax credit | See moving and the tax credit |
Waste and recycling
| Finnish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sekajäte | mixed waste | What can't be recycled |
| biojäte | food and bio waste | |
| kartonki | cardboard packaging | Flatten moving boxes before recycling |
| muovipakkaus | plastic packaging | |
| lasi / metalli / paperi | glass / metal / paper | |
| Sortti-asema | Sortti station | HSY's station for bulky waste, furniture and hazardous waste |
| HSY | Helsinki Region Environmental Services | Runs waste management in the Helsinki area |
| Kierrätyskeskus | reuse centre | Accepts and sells second-hand items |
| kirpputori, kirppis | flea market | |
| SER | electrical and electronic waste | Free to leave at a Sortti station |
| vaarallinen jäte | hazardous waste | Paints, chemicals and batteries |
Where to take old furniture, with prices: old furniture disposal in Helsinki.
No word matches your search. Try the Finnish or the English word, or a shorter part of it.
Frequently asked questions
What does kaksio mean?
A kaksio is a two-room flat: a living room and one bedroom, plus a kitchen or kitchenette. In UK or US terms it is a one-bedroom flat.
What does 2h+k+s mean in a Finnish flat ad?
Two rooms, a kitchen and a sauna. The letters stand for huone (room), keittiö (kitchen) and sauna. Other common ones are kk for a kitchenette, kph for a bathroom and p for a balcony.
What is an isännöitsijä?
The property manager of the housing company. The isännöitsijä handles the building's administration and resident lists, and is the one to tell when you move in or out so your name is updated on the name board and mail slot.
What is a saunavuoro?
A sauna turn: a regular weekly time slot in the building's shared sauna, booked through the housing company and usually paid for monthly.
Which floor is 1. kerros in Finland?
The ground floor. In Finland floors are counted from the street level, so 1. kerros is the ground floor and 3. kerros is two floors up.
Moving in Finland?
Ask us in Finnish, English, Russian or Swedish. We usually reply within an hour on weekdays.